Teachers' Perceptions of Social Emotional Learning: Concepts, Barriers, and Administrator Support

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the ability for a child to manage their emotions and interactions in a way that benefits development (Jones & Doolittle, 2017). The purpose of this research was to explore teachers' knowledge of SEL and gain an understanding of any barriers they may have faced regarding SEL in the classroom. Additionally, this qualitative study was designed to gain insight on how school leaders could support teacher's understanding of SEL and address any perceived barriers to implementation. Concurrently, this investigation provided school districts fiscally responsible insight as to how to use funding to support SEL endeavors. The research questions for this study were as follows: 1.What are the perceptions of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) held by teachers who work in schools that prioritize SEL? 2.What perceived barriers do the same teachers identify regarding implementing SEL in their classrooms? 3.How do the same teachers perceive that school leaders can address barriers to support teachers' understanding and implementation of SEL in their classrooms? This dissertation used a qualitative case study approach to answer the three research questions listed. With a purposeful sampling strategy defined by (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Participants included twelve educators who had elementary classroom teaching experience in both general and special education within organizations that prioritized SEL. Data was collected via individual interviews and document analyzation. Distinctive findings showed that perceptions of the feasibility of SEL implementation were not related to the number of years teaching or subject area taught, rather shaped by the relationships teachers had with their administrators. Positive relationships led to less identified barriers. The prioritization plans set forth by districts often did not align with actual classroom practices. Teachers welcomed the emphasis on SEL, but expressed districts lacked sufficient follow-through with human capital, professional development, and accessible curriculum. Further, a lack of autonomy for teachers suppressed buy-in for SEL. Productive professional development should occur in an ongoing and coaching manner with initial training from a program expert. Further findings indicated there were inconsistencies of knowledge of how SEL was prioritized. Lastly, a unique finding was the distinction between SEL and equity. Participants perceived that lack of topics addressing needs of marginalized groups within the SEL curriculum was hypocritical. This theme further emerged as participants believed that the prioritization plans would support teachers' personal SEL needs and development. Failure to do so resulted in friction between teachers and administrators, perceived as a lack of respect. Teachers defined SEL in different terms based on perceptions which were most valuable to them. Their insights of implementation varied based on how their district prioritized SEL as did how they incorporated SEL into their teaching practices. It is valuable for any district to understand what knowledge and biases teachers hold regarding SEL before investing in SEL resources. Findings from this study indicated the need to balance curriculum demands to include SEL in the instructional day. Although there is a need to keep pace with curriculum, participants delivered their own form of SEL to students based on immediate needs. Findings showed that teachers want a curriculum that fits their population, representing equity among student subgroups, and a component that supported teachers' personal SEL. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]