Does Measurement Approach Explain Variation in Social-Emotional Learning Effect Sizes?

• In Event: Topics in Contemporary Program Implementation, Evaluation, and Measurement

Abstract

Knowing what works in social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important issue for education practitioners and policymakers. Essential in this undertaking is the ability to make reliable comparisons between SEL programs. This study focused on 52 high-quality studies that evaluated outcomes of 41 SEL programs, using self-report, peer-report, teacher-report, parent-report, observations, and administrative record forms of measurement. Outcomes were divided into four categories: academic, emotional well-being, social relationships, and problem behaviors. Across these outcomes, significant differences of effect size by form of measurement were not found. More research is needed to clarify how careful educators, decision-makers, and researchers should be in making and comparisons between SEL studies using different forms of measurement.

Authors

• Claire Chuter, Johns Hopkins University

• Sooyeon Byun, Johns Hopkins University

• Amanda Neitzel, Johns Hopkins University

• Jun Wang, The Ohio State University

• Nathan Storey, Johns Hopkins University

• Cynthia Lake, Johns Hopkins University

• Robert Slavin, Johns Hopkins University