By performing a quantitative research study, this applied dissertation was designed to ascertain the difference between students’ self-efficacy who have been exposed to a curriculum that integrated social emotional learning (SEL) skills and those students who have not. Bandura’s social cognitive theory was used as the theoretical framework to demonstrate how SEL increases self-efficacy and motivation, which increases academic success. At the time of the study, one school (control school) was not implementing a SEL skills curriculum, while the other school (experimental school) was integrating Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (PASL), a social emotional learning strategy curriculum into the classroom. This study utilized 1007 junior students and forty-one teachers from these two different schools. Using the Likert scale, the subjects were asked to complete thirty survey questions based on five core social emotional learning competencies: social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. An analysis of the data revealed positive outcomes on all five core social emotional learning skill competencies for those students who were exposed to a curriculum that incorporated SEL strategies, as opposed to those who were not exposed. This indicates that those students who possess social emotional learning skills have a greater self-efficacy, which can correlate to positive success in and out of the school system, which leads to successful and productive community members.
| Date of Award | Jan 1 2021 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Ashley Russom (Supervisor), Jamie Leeder (Advisor), Kimberly Durham (Advisor) & Dana Scott Mills (Advisor) |
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