Social-Emotional Learning in Higher Education: A Program Evaluation
This program evaluation presents an assessment of a three-credit-hour undergraduate Social- Emotional Learning Competencies course in a regionally accredited, private, American, and Christian university. This course focuses on core life skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management. The social-emotional learning (SEL) framework used in other educational settings has not yet been applied to a higher education population or setting (Conley, 2015). Due to a lack of pragmatic literature on SEL school-based programming in higher education, this program evaluation addresses a prominent postsecondary curriculum gap and provides a model for institutions to review and consider for adoption. This study used quantitative and qualitative mixed methods to assess course implementation effectiveness. It examined how the course impacted student learning outcomes and the broader undergraduate classroom experiences. The evaluation offers recommendations to improve the undergraduate course and expand SEL practices campus-wide.
Emotional Intelligence, 21st Century Skills, Soft Skills, Empowerment, Education, Higher Education
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations