Exploring the Dynamics of a Culturally Sensitive School-Based Social-Emotional Learning Program for Rural Chinese Children: Evaluating Effectiveness, Mediators, and Moderators (Poster 16)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 11:45am
  In Invited Poster Session: AERA Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research Poster Session

Abstract

While Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs have shown significant promise in supporting child development in Western contexts, few have been studied in non-Western, resource-constrained settings such as rural China. This dissertation investigates the impact of an 18-session culturally sensitive SEL program co-developed with local experts. The study seeks to 1) examine the program’s impacts on rural children's social-emotional competencies, mental health, and educational outcomes; 2) elucidate change mechanisms; and 3) identify subgroups that benefit most. Using a matched-pair, cluster-randomized design, the study involves fifth-grade students from 18 rural experimental schools and 18 matched waitlist control schools in southwest China. Contributions include advancing evidence-based practices, promoting culturally tailored interventions, fostering educational equity, and informing SEL-related policies.

Author

• Linyun Fu, University of Chicago