The Interaction Effects of Program Training, Dosage, and Implementation Quality on Targeted Student Outcomes for The RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning

Teachers' stress and training in a school-based mindfulness program: Implementation results from a cluster randomized controlled trial

School-based mindfulness trainings (SBMT) are a contemporary approach for intervening to promote students' social and emotional skills and well-being. Despite evidence from the larger field of evidence-based social and emotional learning programs demonstrating the importance of high-quality implementation, few studies have investigated factors impacting the implementation of SBMTs, particularly teacher-level influences. The present study addressed this issue by investigating whether teachers' stress, trust in their fellow teachers and principal, and expectations about the program at baseline predicted the quality of their implementation of a SBMT for students. In addition, we examined whether teachers' stress at baseline moderated the effect of training condition on implementation quality. Implementation quality was assessed via observations and teacher self-reports. Results from a sample of British secondary (middle-high) school educators (N = 81) indicated that teachers who felt more supported by their principals at baseline were later observed to implement the SBMT with greater quality, whereas teachers who had more positive expectations about the program felt more confident teaching the course in the future. Teachers' baseline stress moderated the effect of training condition on all measures of implementation quality; among teachers experiencing high stress at baseline, more intensive training led to higher quality implementation. Implications for practitioners and prevention researchers are discussed.

Bridging simulation technology with positive behavioral supports to promote student engagement and behavior

Simulation technology provides opportunities for teachers to engage in extended practice using positive behavioral supports to promote student engagement and behavior. These training models are rapidly emerging and if effective, create an infrastructure for scaling up positive behavioral supports in classrooms and schools. However, there is limited research examining teacher skill transfer or student outcomes. This study examined the incremental benefits of Interactive Virtual Training for Teachers (IVT-T) in combination with professional learning communities (PLCs) in one high poverty school district. Using a quasi-experimental design, teachers (N = 90; n = 52 IVT-T + PLC condition; n = 38 PLC condition) and students (N = 100; n = 60 IVT-T + PLC condition; n = 40 PLC only) participated across six K-8 schools. Both training conditions were rated as moderately acceptable. One and two-level generalized linear models indicated teachers who used IVT-T increased their use of praise (b = 0.75, p = .03) and decreased their use of behavioral corrective feedback (b = -0.32, p = .02). Their students were also more passively engaged (b = 0.42, p = .05) and showed fewer inappropriate physical behaviors (b = -0.87, p = .002). IVT-T hours predicted increases in praise statements (b = 0.07, p < .001) and decreases in vague directives (b = -0.07, p = .006) whereas PLC hours predicted increases in teachers' use of vague directives (b = 0.07, p = .05). There was a significant positive effect of IVT-T hours on student passive engagement (b = 0.04, p = .01) and a negative effect of PLC hours on rates of inappropriate physical behaviors (b = 0.1, p = .04). Study limitations and future directions for research and practice are discussed.

I can teach what's in the book": Understanding the why and how behind teachers' implementation of a social-emotional learning (SEL) focused curriculum in rural

Contextualizing the role of teachers in social-emotional learning (SEL) in Malawi, we examine how teachers' comfort with, commitment to, and perceived school culture toward SEL relate to their actual teaching of it. Using surveys from 432 primary school teachers (20-60 years old), we found teacher comfort and supportive school culture were positively related to integration of SEL into classroom instruction, while commitment had no statistically significant relationship with implementation. We explore plausible explanations for these findings by interviewing 42 teachers. Together, our findings highlight the importance of teacher support systems and cultural compatibility of the curriculum for successful SEL implementation.

Effectiveness of a school-based programme of animal-assisted humane education in Hong Kong for the promotion of social and emotional learning: A quasi-experimental pilot study

Background

Humane education, which focuses on the cultivation of kindness and empathy towards animals, the environment, and fellow humans, helps children to be less egocentric and more sensitive to the human–animal interaction in ecology.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate an animal-assisted, school-based humane education programme that promotes a humane attitude and enhances social–emotional competence for children in Hong Kong.

Method

A sequential mixed-methods formative evaluation was adopted in the pilot year of the programme. A controlled trial and focus groups were conducted to evaluate the preliminary outcomes and process of the programme and to identify the implementation obstacles and effective strategies. One hundred and ten primary three students from two primary schools participated in the study (55 in the intervention group and 55 in the control group with ordinary formal school extra-curricular activities). Paired sample t tests and a mixed ANOVA were conducted to explore the changes in students’ social–emotional competence in our programme and two typical extra-curricular school programmes. Thematic analysis was conducted to categorise the transcriptions from the focus groups.

Results

Quantitative findings indicated that class-based, animal-assisted humane education increased cognitive competence (t[24] = 2.42, p = .02), empathy (t[24] = 2.94, p < .01), and reduced hyperactivity (t[23] = -2.40, p = .02). Further analysis indicated that the participant recruitment strategies moderate the impact of interventions on the development of empathy (F[2,104] = 4.11, p = .02) and cognitive competence (F[2,104] = 2.96, p = .05). Qualitative analysis suggested three major themes: enhancement of self-control, promotion of humane attitude, and improvement of reading skills.

Conclusion

The preliminary results of this pilot study indicate positive effects of the programme. Vigorous systematic formative evaluation on the process and effective implementation should be included in future follow-up studies to ensure its sustainability and fidelity.

Intervention Implementation of Tools of the Mind for Preschool Children's Executive Functioning

One of the more prominent early childhood interventions focused on the development of executive function (EF) skills is Tools of the Mind (Tools; Bodrova and Leong, 2019). Intervention studies comparing Tools classrooms with control classrooms, however, reveal inconsistent findings for children's EF outcomes. The current study utilizes Head Start CARES teachers assigned to the Tools of the Mind enhancement intervention (Tools; N = 75) and the children in their classrooms (N = 738). Relations between teachers' characteristics (i.e., teaching experience, psychological well-being, and educational background), training attendance and implementation (i.e., coach rated fidelity and observed scaffolding), and the interaction among these factors were examined as predictors of classroom-level gains in EF. Results revealed several significant moderation effects indicating that Tools implementation is related to classroom EF gains for some but not all teachers.

Can pictorial narration offer a solution to teacher training on the effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in low-resource settings? Investigation on knowledge and stigma change

LAY ABSTRACT

In this study, we explored whether pictorial narration could offer a solution to teacher training on effective inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder in the Lao People's Democratic Republic. For this purpose, pre- and post-training knowledge data were collected from 87 Laotian teachers who participated in teacher training using a pictorial narrative e-module called The Story of Khamdy^TM. The teachers' knowledge test results and feedback were analyzed. The findings indicated that teachers' acceptance toward the training method had positive effects on their knowledge changes and supported the use of a pictorial narration approach in imparting knowledge about inclusive education and autism spectrum disorder to teachers in a least developed country.

Smarter, Not Harder: A Toolbox Approach to Enhancing Self-Control

According to common sense, successful self-control requires “willpower.” Psychology often models willpower as the effortful inhibition of temptation impulses—a process theorized to require sufficient motivation and resources. This article challenges the centrality of willpower in self-control. Instead, successful self-control relies on a variety of strategies beyond effortful inhibition: diminishing the influence of immediately available rewards and bolstering motivation toward more abstract, distant rewards. Furthermore, self-control is better conceived as a “toolbox” of strategies; success entails finding the tools that work best for a given individual at a given time. In other words, improving self-control is not about becoming stronger, but rather about becoming smarter. This approach has policy implications and suggests priorities for research.

Randomized trial of a resilience intervention on resilience, behavioral strengths and difficulties of mainstreamed adolescent students with hearing loss

OBJECTIVES

Adolescents with hearing loss have shown emotional and behavioral difficulties. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a resilience-focused intervention on resilience, behavioral strengths, and difficulties of mainstreamed adolescent students with hearing loss.

METHODS

In this experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, follow up, and control group design, a total number of 122 students with hearing loss, were randomly assigned to two equal groups. The intervention group received training in small groups of 3-5 self-contained classes for six weeks (two times per week for 75 min). The "Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale" and the "self-report version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)" were used to measure the resilience and the positive and negative behavioral attributes of participants prior to intervention, then repeat of 6 and 14 weeks later. The scores were compared between intervention and control groups using the Mann-Whitney Test.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the resilience scores in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (U = 831, p < .001). Also, the SDQ score in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (U = 634, (p < .001). Negative behavioral attributes (total SDQ scores, and sub-scales scores of hyperactivity, emotional, conduct, and peer problems) were decreased, and prosocial behavior was increased significantly in the intervention group (p < .001). All of the differences remained through follow-up measurement except for the subscale of conduct problems.

CONCLUSION

The twelve sessions of resilience-focused intervention led to a marked increase in resilience. It also is effective in decreasing the behavioral difficulties of adolescents with hearing loss and is suggested to apply for students with hearing impairment integrated into middle schools.

Individual and organizational factors associated with teacher self-reported implementation of the PATHS curriculum

The current study examined a comprehensive set of individual and organizational factors as potential predictors of how the Promoting Alternative THinking (PATHS) Curriculum was implemented by teachers in an urban Midwestern school district. The study used data from a randomized trial of an implementation support model conducted in 28 urban elementary schools. All schools implemented PATHS in grades K-3. Program fidelity was assessed with teacher self-reported ratings of lesson dosage, frequency of supplemental material use, and quality of delivery over repeated time points. The initial levels of implementation and change over time were examined in a series of three level longitudinal hierarchical liner models (HLM). Over time, teachers reported somewhat lower levels of program use but maintained their quality of delivery. Teachers with more positive attitudes towards PATHS reported more frequent lesson delivery at the intercept (winter Year 1). Teachers from schools with a more positive culture for social-emotional learning (SEL) rated the quality of their PATHS delivery more positively than teachers from schools lacking SEL culture and reported more frequent supplemental materials use. Early career teachers initially described themselves as delivering PATHS with lower quality but improved similarly over time compared to more experienced teachers. Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

A multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis of teacher perceptions of social and emotional learning in rural Malawi

BACKGROUND

Social and emotional learning (SEL) positively impacts children's school achievement and adult productivity. Successful implementation of SEL relies on teachers' pedagogical beliefs and practices.

AIMS

We examined whether the Teachers' SEL Belief Scale designed in the United States is adoptable in low-income countries such as Malawi in response to a growing interest in teacher practices in SEL but a lack of research instruments in these countries.

SAMPLES

The data used in this study were from 432 teachers working in 34 randomly selected primary schools in Zomba, a rural district in Malawi.

METHODS

We used multiple-group confirmatory factory analysis to investigate the factor structure and the invariance of the adapted scale across teachers with different characteristics such as gender and training experience in SEL. When invariant, we compared group mean differences among teachers in our sample by gender and training experience.

RESULTS

We found that the Teachers' SEL Belief Scale measured a similar construct of pedagogical perceptions of SEL among the sampled teachers, and it functioned equivalently across teachers with different genders and training experiences. Female teachers had lower perceived institutional support for SEL instruction compared to male teachers. Untrained teachers had lower levels of pedagogical comfort as well as perceived support for SEL compared to trained teachers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings validate the adaptability of the Teachers' SEL Belief Scale in low-income contexts such as Malawi. We did not find evidence of systematic bias relative to group membership. In addition, significantly lower pedagogical comfort and institutional support among female and untrained teachers suggest areas for policy intervention to improve teacher performance in SEL in Malawi.

Increases in Emotional Intelligence After an Online Training Program Are Associated With Better Decision-Making on the Iowa Gambling Task

Higher levels of emotional intelligence have been associated with better inter and intrapersonal functioning. In the present study, 59 healthy men and women were randomized into either a three-week online training program targeted to improve emotional intelligence (n = 29), or a placebo control training program targeted to improve awareness of nonemotional aspects of the environment (n = 30). Compared to placebo, participants in the emotional intelligence training group showed increased performance on the total emotional intelligence score of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, a performance measure of emotional intelligence, as well as subscales of perceiving emotions and facilitating thought. Moreover, after emotional intelligence training, but not after placebo training, individuals displayed the ability to arrive at optimal performance faster (i.e., they showed a faster learning rate) during an emotion-guided decision-making task (i.e., the Iowa Gambling Task). More specifically, although both groups showed similar performance at the start of the Iowa Gambling Task from pre- to posttraining, the participants in the emotional intelligence training group learned to choose more advantageous than disadvantageous decks than those in the placebo training group by the time they reached the "hunch" period of the task (i.e., the point in the task when implicit task learning is thought to have occurred). Greater total improvements in performance on the Iowa Gambling Task from pre- to posttraining in the emotional intelligence training group were also positively correlated with pre- to posttraining changes in Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test scores, in particular with changes in the ability to perceive emotions. The present study provides preliminary evidence that emotional intelligence can be trained with the help of an online training program targeted at adults; it also suggests that changes in emotional intelligence, as a result of such a program, can lead to improved emotion-guided decision-making.

A Three-Year Emotional Intelligence Intervention to Reduce Adolescent Aggression: The Mediating Role of Unpleasant Affectivity

Adolescents' aggressive behavior is a growing social problem with important implications for psychosocial adjustment. The teaching of emotional skills has an important impact on reducing aggression in schools. However, little scientific evidence has shown the explanatory mechanism through which this training reduces aggression during adolescence. This article aims to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a 3-year longitudinal intervention among adolescents in nine Spanish schools. A total of 476 adolescents participated. Results showed a reduction in physical and verbal aggression in Time 2 through the reduction in negative affect, anger, and hostile feelings, compared with an active control group. The training seems to be crucial for dealing with the emotional and cognitive components of aggression and, thus, their behavioral manifestations.

What Constitutes High-Quality Implementation of SEL Programs? A Latent Class Analysis of Second Step® Implementation

With the increased number of schools adopting social-emotional learning (SEL) programming, there is increased emphasis on the role of implementation in obtaining desired outcomes. Despite this, the current knowledge of the active ingredients of SEL programming is lacking, and there is a need to move from a focus on "whether" implementation matters to "what" aspects of implementation matter. To address this gap, the current study utilizes a latent class approach with data from year 1 of a randomized controlled trial of Second Step® (61 schools, 321 teachers, over 7300 students). Latent classes of implementation were identified, then used to predict student outcomes. Teachers reported on multiple dimensions of implementation (adherence, dosage, competency), as well as student outcomes. Observational data were also used to assess classroom behavior (academic engagement and disruptive behavior). Results suggest that a three-class model fits the data best, labeled as high-quality, low-engagement, and low-adherence classes. Only the low-engagement class showed significant associations with poorer outcomes, when compared to the high-quality class (not the low-adherence class). Findings are discussed in terms of implications for program development and implementation science more broadly.

The efficacy of a relationship building intervention in 5th grade

The present study reports initial efficacy data for a new school-based intervention - the Relationship Building Intervention (RBI) - that includes a series of teacher-facilitated, structured activities designed to promote positive peer relationships and inclusive classroom communities. The RBI was evaluated in fifth-grade classrooms by estimating multilevel model (MLM) analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) comparing 368 fifth-grade students in intervention classrooms with 259 fifth-graders in control classrooms on social behaviors, perceptions of classroom connectedness, and academic performance. Controlling for pretest scores, cohort, and demographic variables, findings revealed that students who participated in the RBI liked school more, felt a greater sense of classroom identification and inclusion, were perceived by teachers to be less aggressive, and performed better academically than students who were in control classrooms. Further, implementation data showed that students and teachers responded positively to the activities. These results suggest that the RBI is a promising approach for improving the social and learning environment in fifth-grade classrooms.

'Emotional Intelligence': Lessons from Lesions

'Emotional intelligence' (EI) is one of the most highly used psychological terms in popular nomenclature, yet its construct, divergent, and predictive validities are contentiously debated. Despite this debate, the EI construct is composed of a set of emotional abilities - recognizing emotional states in the self and others, using emotions to guide thought and behavior, understanding how emotions shape behavior, and emotion regulation - that undoubtedly influence important social and personal outcomes. In this review, evidence from human lesion studies is reviewed in order to provide insight into the necessary brain regions for each of these core emotional abilities. Critically, we consider how this neuropsychological evidence might help to guide efforts to define and measure EI.

Creating Emotionally Intelligent Schools With RULER

How educators and students process and respond to emotions can either enhance or impede the development of the whole child. Social and emotional learning (SEL) refers to the processes of developing social and emotional competencies, which depend on individuals’ capacity to recognize, understand, and manage emotions (i.e., emotional intelligence or EI). Consensus across disciplines about the importance of EI highlights the need to advance the science of how to teach SEL. RULER, an evidence-based approach to teaching EI, provides an educational framework that encompasses a set of practices for comprehensive SEL integration across a school or district. In this article, we describe RULER, explain how it teaches EI, and summarize evidence of its effectiveness.

A closer look at school bonding among African American adolescents in low-income communities: A latent class analysis

Positive school bonding is a significant precursor to students' school success. However, African American youth report lower school success compared with their White counterparts. This study examined correlates of school bonding among 633 African American youth who were recruited from community settings in Chicago. Major findings indicated that negative peer norms, exposure to community violence, and poor mental health were negatively correlated with school bonding, while parental monitoring, positive self-regard, and future orientation were correlated with higher school motivation. Students classified as having high or moderate school bonding were more likely to live with both parents, experience higher levels of parental monitoring, and exhibit positive self-regard. Implications are discussed in view of these findings.

Short-term effects of the "Together at School" intervention program on children's socio-emotional skills: a cluster randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Together at School is a universal intervention program designed to promote socio-emotional skills among primary-school children. It is based on a whole school approach, and implemented in school classes by teachers. The aim of the present study is to examine the short-term effects of the intervention program in improving socio-emotional skills and reducing psychological problems among boys and girls. We also examine whether these effects depend on grade level (Grades 1 to 3) and intervention dosage.

METHODS

This cluster randomized controlled trial design included 79 Finnish primary schools (40 intervention and 39 control) with 3 704 children. The outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS) with teachers as raters. The intervention dosage was indicated by the frequencies six central tools were used by the teachers. The data was collected at baseline and 6 months later. Intervention effects were analyzed using multilevel modeling.

RESULTS

When analyzed across all grades no intervention effect was observed in improving children's socio-emotional skills or in reducing their psychological problems at 6-month follow-up. Among third (compared to first) graders the intervention decreased psychological problems. Stratified analyses by gender showed that this effect was significant only among boys and that among them the intervention also improved third graders' cooperation skills. Among girls the intervention effects were not moderated by grade. Implementing the intervention with intended intensity (i.e. a high enough dosage) had a significant positive effect on cooperation skills. When analyzed separately among genders, this effect was significant only in girls.

CONCLUSIONS

These first, short-term results of the Together at School intervention program did not show any main effects on children's socio-emotional skills or psychological problems. This lack of effects may be due to the relatively short follow-up period given the universal, whole school-based approach of the program. The results suggest that the grade level where the intervention is started might be a factor in the program's effectiveness. Moreover, the results also suggest that for this type of intervention program to be effective, it needs to be delivered with a high enough dosage.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02178332 ; Date of registration: 03-April-2014.

Technical Adequacy of the Positive Experiences at School Scale With Adolescents

The present study reports on an investigation of the generalizability of the technical adequacy of the Positive Experience at School Scale (PEASS) with a sample of students ( N = 1,002) who differed substantially in age/grade level (i.e., adolescents in middle school as opposed to children in elementary school) and ethnic identity (i.e., majority Black/African American as opposed to majority Latino/a) in comparison with the measure’s primary development sample. Findings from confirmatory factor analyses indicated the original latent structure of the PEASS was tenable in the current sample and that the measure was invariant across gender and grade level, with some small demographic differences identified via latent means testing. Additional psychometric findings regarding the technical adequacy of the PEASS with this sample, including its observed scale characteristics and simulated classification utility with criterion measures of academic self-efficacy and school connectedness, are also presented. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Social and Emotional Health Survey With a Small Sample of Academically At-Risk Adolescents

The present study examines the psychometric properties of the Social and Emotional Health Survey (SEHS), which is a 32-item self-report behavior rating scale for assessing youths’ social–emotional competencies, with a small sample ( N = 77) of academically at-risk students attending a limited-residency charter school. This study is the first to explore the technical adequacy of the SEHS with a concentrated sample of at-risk youth in an alternative school context, located in a different geographic locale compared with the SEHS’s original development samples. Findings indicate that the SEHS composite scales were internally reliable and demonstrated internal convergent validity with each other as well as external discriminant validity with indicators of teacher-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results also indicate that several of the SEHS’s subscales had poor internal reliability in the present sample, and thus the usefulness of the subscales for applied purposes seems questionable. Limitations of the present study and implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Measuring Implementation of a School-Based Violence Prevention Program

When school-based prevention programs are put into practice, evaluation studies commonly only consider one indicator of program implementation. The present study investigates how two different aspects of program implementation – fidelity and participant responsiveness – jointly influence proximal outcomes of the school-based violence prevention program ViSC. The program was implemented in 20 schools across Austria. Trainers conducted in-school teacher trainings with varying implementation fidelity to the program schedule. In a two-wave evaluation study, 370 teachers provided data about their participant responsiveness and the program’s proximal outcomes. The latter comprised their self-efficacy to stop violence among students and their behavior in bullying situations. Multilevel analyses showed that teachers’ self-efficacy was significantly more enhanced in schools where the ViSC program had been implemented with high fidelity. Furthermore, only teachers with high participant responsiveness significantly changed their behavior in bullying situations. Implications for program developers and suggestions for further research on implementation are discussed.

Improving classroom quality with the RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning: proximal and distal outcomes

The RULER Approach to Social and Emotional Learning ("RULER") is designed to improve the quality of classroom interactions through professional development and classroom curricula that infuse emotional literacy instruction into teaching-learning interactions. Its theory of change specifies that RULER first shifts the emotional qualities of classrooms, which are then followed, over time, by improvements in classroom organization and instructional support. A 2-year, cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to test hypotheses derived from this theory. Sixty-two urban schools either integrated RULER into fifth- and sixth-grade English language arts (ELA) classrooms or served as comparison schools, using their standard ELA curriculum only. Results from multilevel modeling with baseline adjustments and structural equation modeling support RULER's theory of change. Compared to classrooms in comparison schools, classrooms in RULER schools exhibited greater emotional support, better classroom organization, and more instructional support at the end of the second year of program delivery. Improvements in classroom organization and instructional support at the end of Year 2 were partially explained by RULER's impacts on classroom emotional support at the end of Year 1. These findings highlight the important contribution of emotional literacy training and development in creating engaging, empowering, and productive learning environments.