“I Would Add”: Educational Leaders’ Changing Understanding of Systemic and Transformative Social and Emotional Learning

• In Event: Shifting Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Toward Equity: Integrating Systemic SEL, Transformative SEL, and Implementation Science

Abstract

Background: Definitions of social and emotional learning (SEL) have varied across research and practice (Jones & Dolittle, 2017). While most existing conceptualizations of SEL draw on the popularized definition from the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, several studies have investigated educators’ own understanding (i.e. definitions) of SEL directly (e.g., Buchanan et al., 2009; Schiepe-Tiska et al., 2021; Lin et al., 2023). Further, Communities of Practice (CPs) have been an important way for educators to come together to foster learning and interaction, as well as perceived improved content knowledge (Akinyemi et al., 2020). Few studies, however, have explored educational leaders’ understanding of SEL, and how it may shift over time. This is particularly true of county level administrators who provide regional support for SEL implementation. Thus, we asked:
How do educational leaders define SEL?
In what ways did SEL definitions evolve over the course of CPs?

Data & Methods: We analyzed responses from an open-ended survey question across two time points (February and August 2021). First, participants were asked to define SEL (“Without consulting any resources, how would YOU currently describe what Social and Emotional Learning is?”). Six months later, the same participants were asked to reflect on their initial SEL definition from the first survey. To do this, we provided participants with their previous definition (e.g., “You [previously] responded:”) and asked individuals to reflect (“In what ways would you update your description of SEL based on what you have learned or experienced since this time?”). Participants (N=46) consisted mainly of County Office of Education administrators (80%) and pupil service program coordinators. A majority of the sample identified as White (76%) women (65%). We deductively coded and engaged in reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021).

Findings: Findings suggest that collective capacity-building opportunities– through CPs– may contribute to increased understanding of SEL. In surveying educational leaders at two different time points, we observed shifts in SEL definitions. At the first opportunity to define SEL, educational leaders tended to speak to long-standing SEL definitions (e.g., CASEL competencies), and focused on individualistic (rather than civic or collectivistic) views of SEL. When provided an opportunity to update their definitions, many leaders shifted to more systemic thinking and included more elements of equity.

Significance: This paper explores the contemporary understanding of SEL among educational leaders over a 6 month period of co-learning. Observed shifts towards common understanding of SEL is a requisite element of SEL implementation (Durlak et al., 2011). Thus, understanding educational leaders’ definitions, and the shifts that occurred, may serve as one way to operationalize “understanding”, as one dimension of capacity for SEL implementation. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers may seek to leverage the power of CPs as a means of professional learning and development. Especially as it relates to SEL, initial evidence suggests that educational leaders in SEL CPs can build knowledge of Systemic SEL (Mahoney et al., 2021) and Transformative SEL (Jagers et al., 2019), which could lead to more structural and equity-oriented SEL delivery.

Authors

• CalHOPE Research Committee, University of California - Berkeley

• Nehal Eldeeb, University of California - Berkeley

• Jenna Greenstein, University of California - Berkeley

• Alejandro Nunez, University of California - Berkeley

• Juyeon Lee, The University of Hong Kong

• Valerie Shapiro, University of California - Berkeley