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Session Submission Summary

Finding educational solutions that work for crisis-affected children: Experiences and findings contextualizing SEL interventions in three countries

Mon, February 20, 2:45 to 4:15pm EST (2:45 to 4:15pm EST), Grand Hyatt Washington, Floor: Independence Level (5B), Franklin Square

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

A recent report by Education Cannot Wait (2022) states that there are over 222 million school-aged children in need of educational support today. Using a new methodology to identify the number of learners in need, ECW found that 78.2 million are out of school, while 119.6 million may be in school but do not achieve minimum proficiency in literacy and numeracy. Another 24.2 million do achieve proficiency rates but have other educational needs. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected learners who were already at risk (ECW, 2022; GEAAP, 2022). The ECW report recommends education partners “work collectively to design and deliver EiE-specific models that are learning-oriented and that systematically monitor and lower barriers to learning, to better understand what works for driving learning and at what conditions in emergency and crises settings” (p.26). The AEWG (2020) advises that besides a focus on foundational literacy and numeracy, post-COVID learning interventions in crisis settings should also promote learners’ social emotional learning (SEL). Social and emotional skills are a foundation for positive development, making important contributions to child and youth outcomes across learning, health, and wellbeing (e.g., Jones et al., 2015; Moffitt et al., 2011). Research demonstrates that classrooms function better and students learn more when children have the skills to focus attention, manage emotions, plan and organize, persist in the face of difficulty, and navigate relationships (Best, Naglieri, & Miller, 2012; Ladd, Birch, & Buhs, 1999; Raver, 2002).

Furthermore, SEL is especially relevant for children exposed to poverty and violence, as children’s social and emotional development is sensitive to the negative effects of chronic stress and trauma (Evans & Kim, 2013; Noble, Norman, & Farah, 2005; Shonkoff, Boyce, & McEwan, 2009; Raver et al., 2013). Research indicates that high quality SEL interventions can improve children’s skills and buffer them from some of the negative effects of adversity (Diamond et al., 2007; Raver et al., 2009) and some studies find that SEL programs have their largest impacts among children and youth who face the greatest number of risks (Bailey, Stickle, Brion-Meisels, & Jones, 2019; Jones, Brown, & Aber, 2010). However, despite a growing number of education in emergency interventions addressing SEL, a meager evidence base shows mixed results in terms of supporting learners’ academic learning outcomes, perceptions on education, student wellbeing, or mental health (Bailey et al., 2021). Bailey et al. (2022) hypothesize that one reason that SEL interventions do not show overwhelming success in crisis settings is because the SEL needs are overwhelming, yet the capacity of teachers to address these needs is low. Secondly, SEL interventions have been largely ‘proven effective’ in white, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies. Therefore, implementing the same interventions in crisis contexts may be ill-aligned to local values, culture and needs. While some recent findings suggest that SEL programming has the potential to be effective in conflict-affected regions outside the US (Aber et al., 2017; Dolan & Weiss-Yagoda, 2017), findings are mixed, with some studies reporting no impacts of SEL programming and other studies reporting unexpected negative impacts on child outcomes (Kim, et al., 2018). In a bid to generate evidence on SEL in diverse contexts, Bailey et al. (2021) recommend a thorough localization process to ensure SEL interventions are relevant for unique local realities and are appropriately aligned to local values, practices, and framing of SEL.

This panel will present cases from three different countries and reconstruct how SEL interventions were adapted to local contexts in each project. The papers share a common focus on engaging local stakeholders in project leadership (including design and implementation) and forging strong local partnerships, while also presenting key considerations unique to each project, such as promoting uptake and feasibility for teachers and families, integrating SEL with literacy and numeracy, investigating SEL nuance across sub-groups within a population, evaluating time and resources available for contextualisation within a project, examining the contextual factors that affect SEL and wellbeing, and reflecting on tensions between effectiveness and scalability.

The first paper describes the process used to identify local SEL priorities in the Amazonas region in Brazil, plus field testing research and preliminary findings from the contextualization of a low-cost, targeted approach to social and emotional learning to align with local needs and values. The second paper highlights early pilot findings from contextualization activities of the same SEL approach described in the first paper with refugee and host communities in a partnership in Adjumani, Uganda. The third paper outlines lessons and findings from the use of the PSS-SEL Toolbox in developing a common understanding of SEL among local stakeholders to support localized SEL programming in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The PSS-SEL Toolbox is an open-source resource to promote greater understanding and coherence across PSS-SEL in the education in emergencies sector by providing resources to identify points of alignment between different approaches and gather local input to ensure that materials are relevant for local context.

In addition to an overview of contextualisation activities, panelists will present preliminary findings on the relevance and appropriateness of the interventions. Together the panelists and discussant will reflect on the cultural variability within SEL; the key ingredients of localization processes; and lessons learned that will inform their work going forward.

Sub Unit

Chair

Individual Presentations

Discussant