Elementary School Educators’ Perceptions of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Implementation in the Classroom

The increased attention to social emotional learning (SEL) and instruction provided to students has prompted districts and states to implement SEL curriculum, pedagogical practices, and strategies to support educators in SEL implementation (Dermody & Dusenbury, 2022; Paolini, 2020). Teachers’ perceptions of SEL have been found to influence their willingness to adopt SEL initiatives (Zolkoski et al., 2022). In this research, Durlak and DuPre’s (2008) model of effective implementation practices was used as a lens to explore and investigate implementation practices when addressing SEL in elementary schools. The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to identify and explore elementary school educators’ perceptions regarding the support needed for SEL implementation. Phase I, a survey, identified how educators rated their beliefs, knowledge, and ability to implement SEL, and the level of support received with SEL implementation using purposeful and snowball sampling. Data gathered were downloaded into SPSS, coded for demographics, and run for descriptive statistics. In Phase II, focus groups were held with educator volunteers and explored how educators described the support needed for SEL implementation. This study found that educators believe in the benefits of SEL for students; however, their knowledge of how to implement SEL and the resources available are inadequate. Findings showed that educators believe in a strong school culture and climate while embedding SEL into the fabric of the school can support SEL implementation. Findings from this research aim to assist educational leaders in planning SEL initiatives, implementation, and professional development to further support educators.