Building Inclusive Futures: Teachers Advancing Equity through Social and Emotional Learning in Diverse Learning Contexts

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

This session delves into how teachers leverage social and emotional learning (SEL) to foster educational equity in diverse learning contexts. Four qualitative presentations illustrate diverse facets of this endeavor: (1) exploring approaches to culturally responsive SEL (CR-SEL) in rural transitional kindergartens; (2) examining the integration of CR-SEL within LEGO Robotics and STEM afterschool programs; (3) investigating K-12 teachers’ conceptualization, strategies, and navigation of transformative SEL implementation; and (4) highlighting the role of professional development to engage teacher SEL in indigenous communities. Collectively, these studies underscore teachers’ pivotal role in adapting SEL to create inclusive learning environments for students in different school contexts. The symposium also emphasizes teachers’ needs for continuous professional learning to sustain efforts in advancing equity and excellence.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Social and Emotional Learning

Chair

• Xueqin Lin, University of California - Berkeley

Papers

• Nurturing Little Hearts and Minds: Rural Teachers’ Approaches to Culturally Responsive Social and Emotional Learning - Xueqin Lin, University of California - Berkeley; Josephine Ingram, University of California - Berkeley

• Early Learning of Lego Robotics and STEM through Culturally Responsive Social and Emotional Learning - Jabari Mahiri, University of California - Berkeley

• Teachers’ Perspectives of Developmentally Appropriate Transformative Social and Emotional Learning in Elementary and Secondary Schools - Jin Hyung Lim, University of California - Berkeley

• Leaves on the Jocko River: Engaging Teacher Social and Emotional Learning in Indigenous Communities - Jingjing Sun, University of Montana; Anisa Goforth, University of Montana; Deborah Ith, University of Montana - Missoula

Session Organizer

• Xueqin Lin, University of California - Berkeley

Discussant

• Chunyan Yang, University of Maryland