Participatory Adult Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum Development for Organizational Leaders and Staff Working With Youth

• In Event: 51.073 - Interdisciplinary Reconnection Through Mixed-Method Bodies of Evidence: Adult Social-Emotional Learning

Abstract

1.
Recent SEL SIG presentations at AERA meetings aptly demonstrated that social and emotional learning (SEL) skills are critical for educational and developmental effectiveness in working with youth. Leaders and staff increasingly find that supporting SEL skill development is a core part of their job responsibilities. Their capacity to model and incorporate SEL skills in organization-wide practices is enhanced through adult SEL professional learning. This paper’s objective is to present key findings from a participatory process to develop a relevant adult SEL professional learning (PL) series curriculum for youth-development leaders and staff in interdisciplinary and multi-cultural fashion, particularly those operating in out-of-school-time (OST) settings.

2.
A Second-Order Change curriculum design was led and informed by the people it is intended to serve, using participatory community development practices. The resulting PL curriculum is founded on promising SEL practices specifically geared for OST settings across the U.S. (Smith et al., 2016). This paper will highlight a defining OST SEL curriculum feature, termed parallel project content and SEL content sequence in combination with principles of adult learning, as it forms the basis of this curriculum.

3.
Effectiveness of the PL series curriculum was measured through participant responses via monthly rapid-cycle surveys (RCS), pre- and post-SEL skills (self-assessments of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making), and open-ended surveys. Curriculum design process elements were explored through interviews with key stakeholders, and observations and reflection notes by PL series facilitators and the project leader. The curriculum is entering its third year of participation.

4.
Monthly rapid-cycle surveys (RCS) response means were calculated for multi-item domains. Self-assessed pre- and post-SEL skills were retrospectively analyzed to identify significant differences, grouping all participants together per year, and by grouping participants by job-description types. Following a mixed-method approach, participant responses to open-ended survey questions provided examples of impact associated with PL series participation. Interviews of key stakeholders along with facilitator and project leader observations provided qualitative data on the curriculum development process.

5.
RCS findings and self-assessed SEL skills together demonstrated positive SEL growth and balance, discussed further by the subsequent papers in this session. In this paper, anecdotal testimony of change in staff SEL skills will be shared as it applies to their youth development work. Multi-modal perspectives on the benefits and challenges encountered in the development process as revealed during interviews of key stakeholders and field testing will be highlighted, emphasizing the value of the curriculum development’s comprehensive, inclusive approach.

6.
There is an increasing demand for supporting adults with SEL applications in youth development settings. The findings coalesce to illuminate an interdisciplinary community-based approach to addressing this need. This paper serves to highlight how the curriculum accommodates processes that leverage community strengths to create a shared PL support for staff in diverse roles and program settings. Results of the design process and the curriculum itself provide an engaging way forward in providing effective SEL and other PL supports for youth development organizations.

Author

• Ciara Johnson, Anchorage Youth Development Coalition