Abstract

As defined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) more than two decades ago, “social emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions”. Many researchers have emphasized and indicated the crucial importance of SEL on classroom management, teacher effectiveness, student academic achievement, and student educational gains. However, it is unclear whether there is a gap between research literature and current classroom practice. 

A research project was conducted to investigate the current status of SEL in the classroom as well as its impact on the students’ learning, classroom climate, and teacher-student relationship. The researcher went to two different schools including one high school and one middle school for classroom observation and teacher interviews. Five classrooms (four high school classrooms and one middle school classroom) were observed and five teachers were interviewed for this project. Results from my observation and interview indicate that there seems to be an alignment between research literature and current classroom practice. All the interviewed teachers agree that it is very important to make SEL a part of your teaching.