Cultivating Connections: Exploring Effects of SEL Professional Development on Teacher Practices in Supporting ELLs.

• In Event: AERA Research-in-Progress Roundtable Session 1
  In Invited Roundtable: Leadership and Professional Development for Language Learner Education (Table 5)

Abstract

This study examines how a professional development (PD) focused on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) influences teacher practices in supporting English Language Learners (ELLs). The mismatch between the US teaching workforce and the student K-12 population, highlights the importance of addressing PD programs that can help equip teachers to meet both the academic and social emotional needs of the ELL. Drawing on socio-cultural theory and the SEL framework, this study examines how teachers co-constructed knowledge over time to enhance learner outcomes. Preliminary findings show that the PD content and design led to a stronger sense of collaboration, unity, and improved school culture among the teachers. The research emphasizes the importance of ongoing teacher development to create inclusive learning environments for ELLs.

Author

• Mimi Eckert, University of Miami