Organizational culture and school climate matter in social and emotional learning

• In Event: What’s love got to do with it? Social and emotional skills in sustaining learning in low-income and post-conflict contexts

Proposal

School climate research over the past two decades has shown that students attending schools where they feel safe, connected to a caring environment and are engaged in meaningful learning – a positive school climate - have higher school attendance and achievement as well as a number of positive social personal outcomes such as improved self-esteem, motivation to learn, and overall wellbeing. Until recently there has been little information about how social skills are understood and prioritized in low and middle income countries. Research findings from schools who are not receiving external SEL programming yet score high (above 95th percentile) on measures of school climate, gender responsiveness, inclusion and safety in Malawi and Uganda underscore the importance of school culture and climate in nurturing student’s positive social and emotional development. Positive schools specifically organize themselves around students’ social and emotional wellbeing, which is inherently connected to their love for learning, their retention and performance. School and classroom activities that promote a positive school culture and climate have been successfully integrated into the curriculum and instructional materials as well as extra-curricular activities and will be presented.

Authors

• Lauren Edwards, RTI International

• Julianne Norman, RTI International

• Elizabeth Randolph, RTI International