Does the Compass Circle Practice Improve Teachers’ Emotional State? Results Using the Experience Sampling Method (Poster 27)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 9:00 am
  In Poster Session: Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

This research uses Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to examine teachers’ emotions following the Compass Circle Practice. The Circle Practice includes weekly community meetings focused on adult intrapersonal and interpersonal development. We asked: 1) Does Circle relate to increased positive emotions and/or decreased negative emotions? 2) Do teachers respond to Circle differently depending on their initial affective state? Data collection involved 82 middle and high school teachers. Circle related positively to four of the six outcomes (social acceptance, social concern, social reciprocity, awe and amazement; β = 0.09 to 0.12). Findings showed few instances of Circle being differentially effective. The work provides insights on conditions conducive to teacher well-being and describes how ESM can be used for early-stage intervention research.

Authors

• Jacqueline Horan Fisher, Mercy University

• Patrick N. Beymer, University of Cincinnati

• Jasmine Truong, University of Virginia

• Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman, University of Virginia

• Shereen El Mallah, University of Virginia

• Alexandra Allen, Boston University