This case study describes the experiences and perceptions of school staff and students participating in restorative practices (RP) community building circles during the first year of school-wide RP implementation. Data sources include (a) beginning- and end-of-year surveys of school staff perspectives and experiences with implementing RP, (b)…

This study used a personal oriented approach to identify distinct combinations of children's experiences of bullying and victimisation in the Irish primary school context. The study investigated the social and emotional characteristics that predicted those profiles at individual and classroom levels. The sample of 2,062 participants was drawn from…

Continuous improvement is about learning from mistakes and experiences to improve in the future. However, students' perceptions of how continuous improvement practices affect their social and emotional skills have not been considered. The literature that exists neglects to include the perception of elementary students' social and emotional skills…

In many countries, educational practices are changing to inclusive education. Inclusive education is educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms with their peers without disabilities. If inclusive education is spreading, research needs to investigate the effects of inclusion not only for students with special needs but…

With the ever-changing world of education, it is important to stay current with the delivery of technology, and it is imperative that educators be aware of the social and emotional development of students during hybrid learning environments. At almost every level, administrators and teachers have discovered the rapid increase of technology and its…

Background: This longitudinal study examines the extent to which a school classroom (inclusive vs. special education) is meaningful for theory of mind (ToM) development among children with mild intellectual disability. Materials and Methods: The participant group consisted of 166 primary school-aged children (M = 8.1, SD = 0.99), 79 of whom…

Research has shown that racial/ethnic diversity in elementary schools and classrooms benefits children's academic achievement and feelings of safety and belonging. The current study aimed to expand on existing research by examining associations between classroom racial/ethnic composition and upper elementary children's social-emotional development…

This study examined the development of social skills across five measurement points from 4th through 7th grade, and the influence of child gender and school-related factors on the level and growth of social skills, in a large sample of normally developing children in Norway (N = 2,076). On average, children's social skills scores increased…

A primary motivation for people to behave as they do is the need to belong socially to a group and to have relevance. A positive learning environment for young students is created when students are recognized and accepted by their peers and their teachers, and studies reveal that in such environments, students perform better academically and tend…

In recent years, schools have begun seeking new ways to support students who are encountering barriers to success, specifically addressing academic and behavioral challenges that emerge in the classroom setting. Instruction in social-emotional learning (SEL) has emerged as a potential solution for students struggling with self- and…

"Nurturing Students' Character" is an easy-to-use guide to incorporating social-emotional and character development (SECD) into your teaching practice. The links are clear--elementary and middle school students have better odds of academic success if you nurture their social and emotional skills. Drawing on broad field experience and the…

Storytelling has a fundamental place in teaching practice, most noticeably in the sharing and developing of curricular content. But teachers share more than academic content with children. A critical prerequisite for meaningful, engaged learning is a strong sense of community and social wellness in the classroom. Based on an inquiry into…

Aim: To evaluate the impact and process of introducing Circle Solutions (Circles) in six primary schools. Rationale: Many frameworks for social and emotional learning (SEL) aim to develop individual skills. Circle Solutions is based on a collective approach with a specific pedagogy. This paper explores the impact that Circle Solutions have on…

There's a strong case for making social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and competencies a central feature of elementary school. Children who master SEL skills get along better with others, do better in school, and have more successful careers and better mental and physical health as adults. Evidence from the most rigorous studies of…

Teachers play a critical role in establishing classroom and school environments that contribute to students' social and emotional development. This paper explores whether we can estimate a classroom-level measure of student growth in SEL by applying value-added models to students' [social-emotional learning] SEL. We analyze data from the 2016 and…