The Lost Art: Teachers' Perceptions of the Arts in Promoting Social and Emotional Learning

• In Event: Social and Emotional Learning and the Arts

Abstract

Social and emotional learning (SEL) has become one of the fastest growing movements in education. However, while many teachers acknowledge the value of SEL, research shows that comparatively few educators feel prepared to incorporate it into their classrooms, and that current school culture emphasizes academics over SEL. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of K-16 visual art, theater, and music teachers on the importance of the arts in promoting SEL. The three themes that emerged from our interview data--identity, interactions, and independence, support the connections between arts education and SEL, and provide valuable insights into how arts educators and other subject-area teachers can foster SEL in their classroom, an area of pressing need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Thomas Rizzuto, Molloy College

• Allison Roda, Molloy College

• Kelley E. Cordeiro, Molloy College