Social Emotional Skill-Building as a Student Pathway of Empowerment

• In Event: Social and Emotional Learning, Creativity, and Mindfulness: Essential Competences in Schooling

Abstract

Introduction, Literature, & Objectives. Student mental health and stress has been at alarming levels, particularly post-pandemic. Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) have demonstrated promising outcomes with adolescents (Dunning et al., 2022). Research indicates that MBPs have improved children's self-awareness, attention, self-regulation, and social relationship skills (Andreu et al., 2021) and significantly affected mindfulness, depression, and anxiety (Dunning et al., 2019). Learning to Breathe (L2B) is an MBP for adolescents designed to strengthen emotional regulation (ER) and executive functioning (EF; Broderick, 2013). Program goals include helping students understand their thoughts and feelings, learning mindfulness tools for managing distressing/painful emotions, and providing opportunities to practice skills in a group setting. This study examines the effects of L2B on measures of students’ emotion regulation, mindfulness, and wellbeing, as well as student perceptions of the usefulness of the program components.

Theoretical Framework. This study is informed by the prosocial school leader conceptual model (Author, 2019) which espouses that social and emotional competencies, well-being, and leadership establish the basis that shapes school climate, encompassing qualities like adult-student interactions, teacher well-being, collaboration with families and communities, and subsequent student outcomes. The second element of the framework centers on leadership that ensure the safety, well-being, and esteem of all staff, students, parents, and community members.

Methods & Data. This study focuses on a piloted L2B program in 6th grade during the 2022-2023 school year. Program training for 17 instructors included an 8-week mindfulness course (MBSR), a week-long L2B training, practice teaching students in summer school classes, and ongoing collaboration/consultation. The student sample (N = 67) ranged from 10-14 years old and participated in a 3-week practice teaching session, completing surveys before/after L2B using self-report measures administered in class. Surveys included the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004); Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure-Short Form (CAMM-SF; Cracco, Van Damme, & Barnhofer, 2017); and The Stirling Children's Wellbeing Scale (SCWBS, Liddle & Carter, 2010). Additional demographic questions were asked in the pre-survey and questions about mindfulness practices and program component usefulness in the post-survey.

Preliminary Findings. While no statistically significant differences were found for the pre- and post-measures of emotion regulation or mindfulness, findings from the paired samples t-test indicated that the student wellbeing mean score (M = 44.91) was significantly higher after participating in the L2B program than their pre-program implementation mean score (M = 42.91), t = -2.51, p < .05, d = .39. There were statistically significant differences in students’ perception of usefulness of program components as well.

Significance. It is critical to attend to the wellbeing of our schools and re-vision school approaches that lead to successful outcomes. This research indicates that leaders must prioritize time and space within the school day and allocate resources to support the quality implementation of evidence-based programming such as MBPs to empower all students to successful outcomes. School and district leaders have the opportunity to focus on radical care.

Authors

• Susan Jeane Davis, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Alison Wilson, University of Houston

• Liana Hall, University of Colorado - Denver

• Kathleen B. King, North Central College

• Laura L. Summers, University of Colorado - Denver

• Julia Mahfouz, University of Colorado - Denver