“I Always Want to Learn More”: Exploring Teachers Motivations for Improving their SEL Practice

• In Event: Adult SEL Professional Learning Lifecycle: The Motivations, Knowledge, Skills, and Efficacy to Do Something Differently

Abstract

Introduction.[PROJECT REDACTED FOR PEER REVIEW] aims to promote well-being in PK-12 schools by building educator capacity for the implementation of equity-centered, systemic social and emotional learning (SEL). Grounded in the SHIFT-SEL model, our work focuses on one of its Levers for Transformation: Capacities (i.e., awareness, motivation, knowledge, skills, and confidence to do something differently). Building educator capacity requires high quality training (Fagan et al., 2019). Since teachers are foundational in implementing SEL programs (Schonert-Reichl, 2017), successful implementation requires that teachers have positive attitudes about SEL and be motivated to engage in the work necessary to strengthen their SEL implementation, often through continuous professional development (CPD).

Although most teachers believe SEL is important and teachable, many report limited training in preservice education on the topic of SEL (Bridgeland et al., 2013). Studies have found significant increases in teacher capacity following participation in CPD (Kaye et al., 2022). However, a common critique of CPD is that they lack cultural, personal, or contextual framing (Liston et al., 2006). CPD on SEL that attends to teacher motivations may result in increased teacher knowledge and greater changes in teaching practices that improve student learning (Desimone, 2009). In the present study, we explored teachers’ motivations to learn more about SEL. Specifically, we asked: What motivates teachers to improve their practice of SEL through CPD?

Methods. Students enrolled in a university course who consented to their pre-course survey being used for research purposes (N=394) were included in our analytic sample. Within our sample, all participants reported working directly with pre-K–12th grade students; a majority worked as general education teachers (80.8%). Two researchers used consensus coding to thematically analyze educators’ responses.

Results. We found that teachers' motivations exist at varying levels of teachers’ ecology (e.g., microsystem, mesosystem, macrosystem) and across five themes. Theme 1, strengthen their commitment to themselves, relates to educators’ wanting to grow more as individuals. Theme 2, be more responsive to their students' needs, relates to educators seeking training to address challenges their students faced related to 1) mental health challenges, and 2) pandemic disruptions. Theme 3, improve their classroom climate, included educators addressing the emotional needs of students through improving the classroom environment. Theme 4, become a better teacher and leader, teachers sought to improve their professional practice through CPD. Theme 5, advance efforts towards equity, teachers described goals they hoped to achieve in their classrooms in terms of establishing more equitable practices through SEL. Findings can inform the content and design of SEL-specific CPD and SEL implementation.

Conclusion. Understanding teachers’ motivations for building capacity can support implementation efforts that align with their training needs and anticipated benefits. Our findings provide SEL-specific depth to the traditional typologies (e.g., intrinsic, extrinsic) underlying teachers’ motivations for CPD. Importantly, results have implications for the design of SEL CPD, improve/sustain demand for SEL CPD, and ensure SEL CPD is well attended and highly engaging by attending to the motivations of teachers.

Authors

• Kamryn Morris, University of California - Berkeley

• Esmeralda M. Michel, University of California - Berkeley

• Addison Duane, Sacramento State University

• Ashley Metzger, University of California - Berkeley

• Valerie Shapiro, University of California - Berkeley