Elementary Teachers' Perceptions and Experiences Regarding Social-Emotional Learning in Ontario

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an essential part of students' learning journey. Teachers' perceptions of SEL have been associated with teaching outcomes and the effectiveness of its implementation in classrooms. In Ontario, SEL is a mandated component in certain areas of the curriculum. It is therefore important to consider teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding SEL because a teacher who is confident in implementing SEL strategies as part of the curriculum may contribute to positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for their students. This study explored teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding SEL before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three elementary teachers in Ontario implementing SEL practices took part in a semi-structured interview that was informed by the CASEL (n.d.b) framework, and it followed a modified version of Seidman's (2019) three-interview protocol. Research findings revealed the participants' perceptions of SEL and the various informal strategies they used to teach it during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. This paper discusses the benefits and barriers of teaching students the SEL competencies and describes potential implications for practice informed by the collected data.