Impacts on Elementary School Students Related to COVID-19 and the Role of Social-Emotional Learning in Children’s Mental Health

<p>Research has shown that schools provide an ideal universal location for preventing behavioral issues and supporting students’ mental health (Ball et al., 2016; Daunic, et al., 2021; Maras et al., 2015). A large body of research has also connected students’ social-emotional skills and their attainment of academic success (Cook et al., 2018; Durlak et al., 2011). With this research and the gaining popularity of SEL, more SEL programs are being created, implemented, and evaluated. The purpose of this study was to understand some of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young students' mental health and how teachers have responded using SEL programs and strategies. Five teacher participants were interviewed from two elementary schools within the same Bay Area school district. The interviews were designed to gain an understanding of how teachers perceive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their students. The findings from this research indicate that many students have adversely been affected socially and emotionally by changes related to the pandemic. Teacher participants have responded by prioritizing the development of their student’s social-emotional skills. By focusing on promoting social-emotional skills and recognizing their students’ mental health, teachers may assist in nurturing as well as educating children, and ultimately increase students’ academic achievement and emotional well-being.</p> <p><strong><br /></strong></p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Davis, Amanda

Contributors dc:contributor

• Katherine Lewis, PhD
• Joshua Jordan, PhD

• Social-emotional Learning
• SEL
• mental health
• elementary school students
• pandemic
• elementary teaching
• COVID-19
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Curriculum and Social Inquiry
• Early Childhood Education
• Education
• Elementary Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.dominican.edu/education-masters-theses/55

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.dominican.edu:education-masters-theses-1054