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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a trending topic in schools, with many school districts employing strategies or curriculum to increase students ' competency in this area. This study looked at the effects of a SEL curricular program, Second Step, on the areas of self-regulation, self-awareness, and problem solving for elementary and middle school students in a rural midwestern school district. To measure students ' competencies, a self-assessment was administered at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. The students then received direct instruction from the school counselor on SEL topics from the Second Step curriculum and completed an identical self-assessment at the end of the year. Using dependent t-tests, the elementary students showed a significant difference in self-perception in the areas of self-regulation and problem-solving skills, though it is notable that these were adverse effects. No significant difference in students ' self-perception regarding self- awareness was observed. For middle school students, no significant differences were observed in any of the three areas: self-regulation, problem solving, or self-awareness. In analyzing results, it was impossible to tell if the adverse results for elementary students were truly negative, as students initially rated themselves very highly in these areas. Because self-reporting measures, particularly with younger students, may yield limited results, school districts should carefully consider the cost and benefits of SEL curricular programs.
To be successful in the 21st century, students need to absorb more than merely academic content in their educational journey. It is also important that students formally develop and internalize social-emotional skills. Currently-used definitions for social-emotional learning (SEL) are diverse, and this broad domain goes by many names-character education, soft skills, and personality, just to name a few (Jones, Bailey, Brush, Nelson, & Barnes, 2016). While the definitions and skills associated with SEL are often vague, for our purposes SEL can be considered "a set of skills that individuals need to succeed in schooling, the workplace, relationships, and citizenship" (Jones & Bouffard, 2012, p. 4). Strategically planning for and developing social-emotional skills and attitudes in school settings will help contribute to the "underpinning for productive citizenship" (Eklund, Kilpatrick, Kilgus, & Haider, 2018, p. 317). Additionally, SEL can encompass a set of tools for learning, a way to promote resilience, a morality or character-building exercise, or even...