Date

8-29-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Ellen Ziegler

Keywords

SEL, social and emotional learning, academic achievement, academic performance, middle school, principals, emotional regulation, school culture, student motivation

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Methods

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of principals in examining the social and emotional learning skills of middle school grades sixth-eighth and if there is an impact on student academic achievement. The theories that guided this study were Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, as they are grounded in explaining the need for social and emotional learning integration into the classroom and how to successfully achieve this. Both theories discuss the positive impact that socialization has on the development of any human being. The central research question was, “What are the lived experiences of middle school principals who have seen the impact social and emotional learning has on middle school achievement?” The design for this qualitative study was transcendental phenomenology, as the phenomenon of social and emotional learning was discussed. Ten participants were middle school principals within a Catholic school system located in California. These participants were interviewed individually, participated in a focus group, and asked to complete a journal entry. When organizing all data, themes and codes and the results were triangulated. The main themes that were identified were school culture/relationships, emotional regulation and safe environment, and sense of purpose/belonging. The data collection showed that there is a need to explore the impact social and emotional learning has on academic achievement.

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