Sustaining social-emotional professional development: Teachers' retrospective perspectives in primary schools

Although Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is increasingly addressed in professional development (PD), limited attention has been given to whether and how related practices are sustained. This study examines how teachers retrospectively describe the continuation, adaptation, or discontinuation of SEL practices following PD, and how individual- and school-level conditions relate to these patterns. Using a retrospective multiple-case study design, data were collected from three primary schools in Türkiye through teacher questionnaires and focus groups (n = 7), principal interviews (n = 3), and institutional support audits. The findings showed different patterns across schools. SEL practices were adapted when teachers perceived them as useful and received support; they showed limited continuation when school-level support was limited; practices became embedded in everyday school routines through strong collegial culture and institutional scaffolds, despite uneven recall of the original PD. The findings suggest that the interaction of teacher perceptions, collegial culture, leadership, and institutional support shapes sustained practice.