Navigating social and emotional learning evidence in a polarized socio-political environment: A qualitative pilot study of SEL stakeholders

An increasingly polarized socio-political climate is diminishing the public's confidence in the SEL research evidence. In some cases, producing misinformation – or false evidence- as well as disinformation – or intentionally false evidence. Both have the potential to contribute to exclusionary policies and inequitable social and emotional experiences for students in the United States. This manuscript explores whether and how SEL stakeholders ( n = 25) understand, access, and use evidence to inform SEL-related decisions across professions, including K-12 educators, school administrators, and district personnel as well as policymakers, parents, and SEL researchers and advocates. Results from this pilot study suggest that SEL research evidence currently lacks accessibility for policymakers, educational leaders, and practitioners, and that the evidence that is available is limited in how it can be translated to and used in practice. How stakeholders identify and use SEL evidence is diverse, and most stakeholders access SEL evidence via news and education media. Opportunities for improving SEL evidence understanding, access, and use in the current U.S. socio-political climate are discussed. Findings suggest that SEL misinformation is likely more accessible to decision makers than the evidence that illustrates the success and benefits of SEL programming. Without continued proof and confirmation about what SEL is and how SEL is benefiting the nation’s youth, false narrative surrounding SEL that is being advocated for by specific groups and politicians is likely to prevail, resulting in continued skepticism about the use of SEL approaches in classrooms. This policy analyses and research study yield significant implications for SEL researchers and other stakeholders interested in creating, disseminating, and using SEL research in practice.