Family Engagement With Social and Emotional Learning: Evidence From a Survey of Parents

• In Event: Focus on Families: Understanding Roles, Obstacles, Perspectives, and Best Practices for Caregiver Engagement in Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

Over the last decade, educators have increasingly grappled with incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) into schools. The COVID-19 pandemic and indicators showing a rise in mental health problems among young people have focused schools even more on students' social and emotional needs. Although SEL is generally considered an initiative within formal education systems, key aspects of SEL are addressed in the home and before children even begin school. This means that engagement with parents and other caretakers around SEL is likely even more important than such engagement regarding academics.
To help illuminate the challenges of engaging parents on issues related to SEL, this presentation will draw on a nationally representative survey of 2,000 parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12 and conducted by the international polling firm YouGov in April 2021. Using direct survey questions, ranking exercises, and an experimental MaxDiff exercise, the survey provides evidence about how American parents view issues related to SEL and their own role in SEL-related education.
Analysis of the survey reveals a number of findings related to parent views of SEL. One key finding is that parents see the family itself, rather than the school, as the locus of SEL. Another key finding is that parents strongly support schools teaching a range of SEL-related skills. Another key finding is that there are differences in parent views regarding the centrality of formal academics and SEL-related education to the core mission of schools. Yet another key finding is that some of the terminology around SEL may be divisive and an obstacle to parent engagement and buy-in.
The presentation, which draws on one of the only large surveys of parent views of SEL-related issues ever conducted, will discuss this evidence and also provide analysis regarding the implications of parents' views of SEL for educators.

Author

• Adam Tyner, Fordham Institute