Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Laura Mansfield
Keywords
Social Constructivism, Zone of Proximal Development, Collaborative Learning Environment, Individual Learning Approach, and Collaborative Learning Structures
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Saroca, Edielou, "A Causal-Comparative Study of Middle School Students’ Social-Emotional Learning and Sense of Community in Collaborative and Non-Collaborative Learning Environments" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7252.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7252
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if there is a difference in social-emotional learning and a sense of community between middle school students whose teachers engage in collaborative learning structures and teachers who do not. This study is important because it addresses a gap in the literature regarding the impact of collaborative learning on middle school students’ social-emotional learning and sense of community. This study provides information and support to educational institutions to manage challenging behaviors in the classroom and enhance social-emotional and sense of community skills. The sample comprised 140 middle school students who attended La Joya Middle School in San Joaquin Valley, California. Data was collected using the Social-Emotional Learning Assessment Survey/Questionnaire and Brief Sense of Community Scale. The results indicate that middle school students who were exposed to collaborative learning structures have significantly improved levels of social emotional learning skills that promote sense of community. Further research is recommended using other settings other than the San Joaquin Valley, California to help determine the findings would be similar across different districts in the United States of America.
