Bridging research and policy: exploring key determinants of student-teacher relationship in Sri Lanka and co-creating a national SEL framework

• In Event: Social Emotional Learning: Building Community and National Networks and Policies

Proposal

Social emotional learning (SEL) is at the forefront as an approach to address the global crisis of children's learning loss and psycho-social well-being. Despite being identified as a foundational skill – equal in importance to literacy and numeracy – there is limited evidence on implementation of SEL programs and data on SEL and its related factors in low- and middle-income countries (OECD, 2021).

This research will contribute to the evidence gap by exploring key determinants of student-teacher relationship which is considered to be an important facilitator of children’s SEL and learning outcomes. Data will come from the Education and Protection and Well-being (EPW) Program in Sri Lanka. The EPW Program aims to foster education ecosystems that are physically, emotionally, and psychologically healthy for children’s well-being and education. The program supports the positive development of children’s behavioral patterns, SEL and self-protection skills with activities integrated into classroom lessons and a cognitive-behavioral skills training component for teachers and caregivers. The teacher training specifically focuses on effective classroom management strategies, managing and regulating teachers’ own emotions, and helping students recognize and navigate their emotions as well.

This presentation will begin by exploring key risk factors, as well as protective factors associated with student-teacher relationship in Sri Lanka for children ages six to twelve. This work is informed by the Social-Ecological Framework, (Bronfenbrenner, 1999), since children’s SEL can be highly influenced by their environment and the adults they interact with the most, which include their caregivers and teachers (Lang et al., 2020). In addition to examining protective factors such as caregiver involvement in education, warm and affectionate relationship with the caregiver, teachers’ SEL skills (i.e. their ability to regulate their own emotions through active modification and reappraisal strategies), and general sense of teachers’ support to students at the school, we also pay close attention to risk factors such as children’s exposure to violence in the school environment and at home. Other sociodemographic factors examined include child gender, teacher’s level of education, and years of teaching experience at the school.

Building on these research findings from Sri Lanka, we will then describe in a case study how a strategic partnership with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education was established to mainstream SEL into training for teachers at a national level. During the presentation, there will be particular emphasis on the process in which we transitioned from being “collaborators” with the government in program implementation to being “co-creators” of a locally relevant and culturally appropriate SEL framework and training program. In addition, we will detail the collaborative effort being undertaken with multiple actors within the Government of Sri Lanka and local partners to develop the SEL framework, including the development of Provincial Resource Groups to serve as technical experts ensuring contextualization of program content and providing mentorship to teachers for greater sustainability and local ownership.

Authors

• Janella M Nelson, ChildFund International

• Jagath Kusumsiri Gunapala, ChildFund Sri Lanka