Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Social and Emotional Learning and its Effects on School Climate, Student Behavior, and Academic Achievement - Abstract

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen

The researchers interviewed six participants from three schools identified as The Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools. Using a qualitative design, the study examined teachers’ perceptions of how social and emotional learning shapes school climate, student behavior, and academic achievement in elementary classrooms across central Alabama. Interview responses highlighted teachers’ views of improved positive school culture, stronger student self-regulation, and student-led academic achievement after implementing TLIM. Teachers reported the greatest barrier was the program cost, informing practice and theory implications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

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Abstract

Study context and design

Key findings

Barriers and implications

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions of Social and Emotional Learning and its Effects on School Climate, Student Behavior, and Academic Achievement Cynthia Gage and Susie Thomas Samford University Abstract The researchers interviewed six participants from three schools identified as The Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools. Using a qualitative design, the researchers examined teachers’ perceptions regarding the effects of social and emotional learning on school climate, student behavior, and academic achievement in elementary schools across central Alabama. The interview responses provided insight into the participants’ perceptions of the effectiveness of social and emotional learning. The findings indicated that teachers perceived a notable difference in a positive school culture, positive student self-regulation, and student led academic achievement after implementing TLIM. The teachers stated the greatest barrier was the cost of the program. The implications for practice and theory could involve employing and examining other social and emotional learning skills curriculums in school settings to improve school climate, student behavior, and academic achievement. Keywords: social and emotional learning, The Leader in Me, school climate, student behavior, academic achievement Conversations among 21st century educators across the nation focus on strategies to incorporate personal growth skills into the academic core curriculum because of the socio-cultural diversity of their students (Care, Kim, & Vista, 2018) . Educational leaders are reviewing and integrating SEL initiatives into their instructional programs that focus on developing character, learning social and emotional skills, building relationships, and improving school culture (Durlak, Domitrovich, Weissberg, & Gullotta, 2015) . Researchers recognize that as schools implement core curriculum and life skills, students’ academic growth increases leading to successful life experiences (Haymovitz, Houseal-Allport, Scott, & Svistova, 2017) . Zins and Elias (2006) contend that educational instruction which integrates life skills with academics optimizes students’potential for positive academic achievement and success in their future employment. Grant et al.(2017) state student success depends on learning a range of interpersonal and intrapersonal skills along with achievement in core academic areas. In 2015, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) required states to measure academic performance on standardized tests and to measure non-academic skills (Klein, 2017) . Therefore, educators must consider social and emotional instruction as a core component to the educational process rather than a supplementary activity (Haymovitz et al., 2017) . To accomplish this mission, effective educational leaders must possess knowledge about best practices in education, model best practices and procedures for teachers, and implement programs that focus on personal and academic student growth (Ash & Hodge, 2016) . By modeling appropriate social behaviors and providing ample classroom opportunities for students to practice these behaviors (Farmer, Farmer,& Brooks, 2010), teachers create classroom environments which increase positive relationships with the students and their peers (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) . Even though educators agree that social and emotional learning (SEL) instruction is vital to creating sustainable outcomes among students, instruction that supports SEL is often absent in school curriculum (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Greenberg, 2010) . Brackett, Reyes, Rivers, Elbertson, and Salvoy (2012) propose that ineffective implementation results in the failure of school growth. With the help of social and emotional learning, students can master the nonacademic goals as well as achieve higher academic grades as required by ESSA (Grant et al., 2017) Components of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emot

FAQs

How was the study conducted and who participated?

The study used a qualitative design with six participants from three elementary schools identified as The Leader in Me Lighthouse Schools.

What effects of social and emotional learning did teachers perceive?

Teachers perceived notable improvements in positive school culture, positive student self-regulation, and student-led academic achievement after implementing TLIM.

What did teachers identify as the greatest barrier to the program?

Teachers stated that the greatest barrier was the cost of the program.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by McQueen