School-Wide Approaches to Social Emotional Learning in Immigrant Students' Development in the United States and Finland

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Four
  In Roundtable Session: Strategies for Opportunity: Examining How Race and Place Limit Access to Resources and Curricular Programs for All (Table 1)

Abstract

Immigrant children in the U.S. and Finland face challenges due to xenophobia and anti-immigration policies. A convergence of policies towards social-emotional learning (SEL) establishes new provisions for educational equity for historically marginalized students. Little is known about whether schools leverage equitable SEL resources for native and immigrant students and whether school-wide SEL equally benefits all students. The study answers two research questions to fill gaps: 1) To what extent do immigrant and non-immigrant students differ in their social, emotional, and academic performance? 2) To what extent are school-wide SEL-related approaches associated with students’ outcomes? Do the associations vary by immigrant groups? The empirical study suggests the potential of SEL-related approaches in narrowing attainment gaps and supporting immigrant students' development.

Authors

• Mengchen Su, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author

• Bodong Chen, University of Pennsylvania
  Non-Presenting Author