Strength-Based Approaches to Cultivate Social and Emotional Skills and Ethical Character in Middle School Students

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

This symposium focuses on efforts to enhance social and emotional skills and ethical character in diverse middle school youth both in and out of school contexts. The fields of social and emotional learning (SEL) and character development combine in ways that are critical for societal improvement (Elias, 2009). Developmental scientists have made important advancements in understanding how students develop social and emotional competencies (e.g., self-control, perspective-taking) (Durlak, et al., 2015). However, we know too little about how youth develop the internal motivation and values to apply their social and emotional competencies in ways that connect them to others and improve society (Baehr, 2017; Clement and Bollinger, 2017).

The first two papers describe the development of ethical character. Paper 1 reports survey results from 6000+ students and describes strengths and challenges among bilingual students in grades 5-7. Paper 2 examines fifth and sixth graders’ perception of their school experience to understand the extent to which agency, purpose, connection support the development of ethical character (e.g., empathy, respect, integrity).

The second two papers describe new programs designed to enhance SEL and connection. Both programs are in exciting, early phases of development and use methods aligned with early phase work. Paper 3 examines I AM STEM and uses qualitative data to explain how Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model can be leveraged toward SEL and community connection. Paper 4 describes the Listening Project and introduces new measures of perceived common humanity and interpersonal curiosity. All four papers take a strength-based approach.

Sub Unit

• Education, Schooling

Chair

• Sara Rimm-Kaufman, University of Virginia - Charlottesville

Individual Presentations

• Exploring social-emotional strengths and challenges among bilingual children - Presenting Author: Patricia J Allen, The PEAR Institute: Partnerships in Education and Resilience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA; Harvard; Non-Presenting Author: Hannah Meisels, McLean Hospital, PEAR; Non-Presenting Author: Abigail Bergman, other; Non-Presenting Author: Gil G. Noam, Harvard University

• Do classroom experiences contribute to middle schoolers’ development of ethical character? - Presenting Author: Lia Sandilos, Temple University; Non-Presenting Author: Sara Rimm-Kaufman, University of Virginia - Charlottesville; Non-Presenting Author: Celine Thompson, University of Virginia; Non-Presenting Author: Ashley Hunt, University of Virginia; Non-Presenting Author: James Soland, University of Virginia - Charlottesville

• Prioritizing social emotional development in a virtual STEM program amid COVID-19: A community cultural wealth model - Presenting Author: Natalie S. King, Georgia State University; Non-Presenting Author: Melanie Acosta, Florida Atlantic University

• Changes in Interpersonal Curiosity and Perceived Common Humanity in the Course of an Interviewing and Listening Intervention - Presenting Author: Jinjoo Han, New York University; Non-Presenting Author: Crystal Clarke, New York University; Non-Presenting Author: Niobe Way, New York University; Non-Presenting Author: Hirokazu Yoshikawa, New York University