Integrating Social-emotional Learning in Chinese Junior High School Art Education to Foster Mental Health

Abstract

K-12 education in China often overlooks students' emotional development, leading to socialization issues and mental health problems. Social-emotional learning (SEL), originating from the United States, has proven effective in alleviating negative emotional experiences and promoting mental health in children. There is a growing awareness among scholars in China regarding the significance of incorporating SEL into K-12 education. However, research in the specific domains of junior high school students and art education remains limited. This paper explores the potential of art education in infusing SEL, serving as a promising avenue for Chinese junior high school students' emotional development. The paper proposes suggestions for designing art practices that integrate the five core components of SEL while acknowledging the challenges of implementing these practices. Finally, this paper underscores the importance of future scholarly attention to the intersection of SEL, art education, and mental health education to address the mental health issues of Chinese junior high school students, aiming to enhance their mental well-being.

Headnote

Abstract

K-12 education in China often overlooks students' emotional development, leading to socialization issues and mental health problems. Social-emotional learning (SEL), originating from the United States, has proven effective in alleviating negative emotional experiences and promoting mental health in children. There is a growing awareness among scholars in China regarding the significance of incorporating SEL into K-12 education. However, research in the specific domains of junior high school students and art education remains limited. This paper explores the potential of art education in infusing SEL, serving as a promising avenue for Chinese junior high school students' emotional development. The paper proposes suggestions for designing art practices that integrate the five core components of SEL while acknowledging the challenges of implementing these practices. Finally, this paper underscores the importance of future scholarly attention to the intersection of SEL, art education, and mental health education to address the mental health issues of Chinese junior high school students, aiming to enhance their mental well-being.

Keywords

Social-Emotional Learning, Art Education, Mental Health, China's Education

1. Introduction

Chinese K-12 education, primarily focused on knowledge and skill acquisition, often neglects students' emotional growth, resulting in socialization deficiencies, such as disengagement and social withdrawal, and an increased risk of mental health problems among students (Kang & Cui, 2014). Particularly during the junior high stage (grades 7-9), when students undergo rapid physical and psychological changes, Liu's study (2023) suggests that approximately 15% to 20% of students face challenges like relationship tensions, anxiety, and emotional instability, significantly impacting their lives and learning. While the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China highlighted the importance of addressing emotional needs in K-12 education, a nationwide strategy is currently absent (Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022).

Current studies indicate that Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), originating from the United States, effectively alleviates negative emotional experiences during children's development, enhancing adaptability, emotional regulation, and social skills to promote their mental health (Elias et al., 1997; Weissberg, 2000; Qian & Gai, 2023). Integrating SEE into K-12 education aligns with China's aim of addressing emotional needs. Art inherently embodies rich emotions, making the infusion of social-emotional learning into art education a promising choice. However, as of October 2023, the Chinese CNKI database, the world's largest Chinese academic literature database, contains only 16 relevant academic articles on this topic, with a focus on special education, preschool, and primary school students (Chen, 2023), revealing a significant gap in the literature on junior high school students, especially within Chinese art education. This article investigates the role of art education in promoting SEL and offers recommendations for integrating SEL into art courses for Chinese junior high school students to improve mental health. It emphasizes the need for greater scholarly focus on the intersection of SEL, art education, and mental health education.

2. Social-Emotional Learning

In 1994, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) created the term "social-emotional learning (SEL)" to underscore the importance of addressing social and emotional needs for preventative mental health care (Merrell & Gueldner, 2010). SEL is defined as follows: "the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively." It comprises five elements: self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decisionmaking, self-management, and relationship skills (CASEL, 2006), elaborated in the following section on designing art courses embedded with SEL. In 1997, CASEL offered guidance for educators to enhance students' social-emotional learning abilities, detailing practical strategies for K-12 students (Elias et al., 1997). Subsequently, more scholars engaged in related research, and numerous American schools and even states began jointly formulating standards for social-emotional learning curricula (Edgar & Elias, 2021). After years of development, SEE has been gradually introduced in various countries worldwide, including Singapore and China (Chen, 2023). In China, the inspiration for SEL research came from an international collaboration between the Chinese Ministry of Education and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, which implemented the "SEL and School Management Improvement" project in over 500 primary and secondary schools across 11 provinces (including municipalities and autonomous regions), confirming that SEL helps students build accurate self-awareness and positive interpersonal relationships, ultimately promoting academic success and mental health (Mao, 2019). Since then, scholars in mainland China have become more attentive to this field. Many have analyzed foreign cases of integrating SEL into practice, assessed the significant implications of SEL for China's educational transformation, and called for more schools to prioritize SEL (Shi & Li, 2013; You, 2022). However, China still lacks research on integrating SEL into subject teaching, especially in the context of art education (Chen, 2023).

3. Art Education and Social-Emotional Learning

Art provides a secure environment for creative self-expression, confidence-building, and the development of social skills, rendering it a vital component of education (Subramaniam, 2023). Beyond fostering an appreciation for beauty, art education refines students' subjective awareness and influences emotional development, especially in children, stimulating diverse perceptual and cognitive modes (Yang, 2017). While earlier literature searches revealed limited research and mentions of SEL in art education (Russell & Hutzel, 2007), recent years have witnessed a growth in research in related fields, indicating that art education is emerging as an effective avenue for promoting SEL (Subramaniam, 2023).

From 2017 to 2019, the University of Chicago's School Research Alliance collaborated with Ingenuity, an arts education advocacy organization, to conduct experiments to explore the benefits of art education in fostering SEL (Farrington & Shewfelt, 2020). Engaging students in five actions ("encountering, tinkering, choosing, practicing, and contributing") and five reflection experiences ("describing, evaluating, connecting, envisioning, and integrating"), often facilitated through artistic practices, contribute to healthier and more successful development (Farrington & Shewfelt, 2020, p. 33). Artistic practices are foundational for cultivating social-emotional competence, as supported by other scholars' research (Eddy et al., 2021 ; Edgar & Elias, 2021). The result highlighted that developmental experiences are most impactful within supportive relationships with adults and peers, and art educators are crucial in advancing SEE in school and community settings (Farrington & Shewfelt, 2020). In 2019, educators from the New Jersey Arts Education Institute, influenced by the Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, developed an Arts Education and SEL framework, empowering art educators to design curriculum and teaching standards with SEL as the goal and refining art teaching methods (Arts Ed NJ, 2021). Acknowledged by CASEL, this framework prompted the gradual implementation of new arts standards in New Jersey, emphasizing the intrinsic connection between SEL and art education (Arts Ed NJ, 2021). While the available research on the correlation between SEL and art education is limited in China, the results consistently indicate that using artistic expression for SEL enhances students' imaginative capabilities, emotional discovery, understanding of emotions, and release of emotions, thereby elevating their social-emotional competence (Yang, 2017; Wang, 2021). In conclusion, art education plays a pivotal role in promoting SEL and warrants further research and practical exploration in the future.

4. Suggestions on Creating SEL-Embedded Art Courses for Chinese Junior High School Students to Enhance Mental Health

Expressive arts encompass creative forms such as visual drawing, music, drama, poetry, and writing, fostering personal growth, promoting mental well-being, and nurturing prosocial behaviors (Chen, 2023). The use of art in mental health prevention and interventions is grounded in two main theoretical foundations. Margaret Naumburg's art psychotherapy approach emerged in the 1940s, emphasizing art as a tool for expressing one's inner world and facilitating psychoanalysis (Sun, 2023). This approach encourages spontaneous artistic expression and free association, allowing therapists to comprehend and assist individuals through the symbolic language embedded in the artwork (Drachnik, 1976; Sun, 2023). Edith Kramer's "art creation is therapy" approach, proposed in the 1950s, underscores the healing potential inherent in the creative process (Thompson, 2014). Through artistic creation, individuals enrich their experiences, express internal needs, and resolve internal conflicts. Despite the differences in these theories, their similar premise is that artistic creation effectively aids individuals in expressing emotions and reshaping past experiences for enhanced mental health.

While some Chinese scholars have recognized the potential of expressive arts in mental health education for primary and secondary schools, suggesting initiatives to integrate various art forms for student well-being (Yin, 2012; Van, 2023), SEE has not been explicitly mentioned. This section aims to bridge the promoting role of SEE in mental health care and the enhancing effect of art on SEE and provide suggestions for designing art practices that integrate the five core components of SEE to foster Chinese junior high school students' mental health.

4.1 Self-Awareness

Self-awareness involves "recognizing and identifying emotions, understanding one's strengths, needs, values, and position in this world, cultivating self-efficacy, and embracing spirituality" (Zins et ak, 2004, p. 7). Students can utilize art creation to express their emotional states, fostering a deeper self-understanding. Drawing offers practical and engaging avenues within the senior high school classroom. Doodling allows students to freely articulate emotions and feelings that may be challenging to express verbally, employing color, lines, and shapes. Collage is particularly user-friendly for students less skilled in drawing, offering the opportunity to reuse materials and explore psychological transformations through before-and-after comparisons. Mandala, created by psychologist Jung, is a widely-used art therapy technique denoting "sacred circle" in ancient Indian Sanskrit (Sun, 2023). Adolescents can concentrate attention, promote introspection, fortify self-awareness, and attain inner peace by coloring or drawing various circles for Mandala patterns (Chen, 2023). The "bridge drawing" exercise focuses on cultivating self-awareness and acts as a medium for emotional expression. By drawing a bridge connecting one place to another, students portray feelings and fears associated with adapting to environmental changes, reflecting on transitional periods in life and developmental tasks, and aiding them in overcoming personal conflicts and obstacles (Van, 2023). Additionally, self-assessment is integral to this process, as providing opportunities for students to evaluate their artistic works can prompt them to recognize their creativity and track their progress.

4.2 Social Awareness

Social awareness includes "perspective-taking, empathy, appreciation for diversity, and respect for others" (Zins et ak, 2004, p. 7), along with effective relating to other people (Merrell & Gueldner, 2010, p. 9). Schools can guide students to explore differences across various cultures through music and art classes. Assigning group presentations and similar tasks can cultivate students' appreciation and contemplation of diversity. Furthermore, arranging collaborative art projects enables students to enhance understanding and respect for each other through a shared creative process. Psychodrama, an action psychotherapy model founded by Moreno, can be an artistic practice for junior high school students to foster empathy and overall engagement and achieve harmonious interpersonal relationships (Sun, 2023). Psychodrama not only allows students to release emotions but also lets them experience characters' emotions and thoughts through techniques like setting scenes, role-playing, acting, and mirror observation, providing a more comprehensive perception of the external world and prompting changes in their behavioral habits (Riva et al., 2020).

4.3 Responsible Decision-Making

Responsible decision-making entails "problem identification, situation analysis, problem-solving, evaluation and reflection, and personal, moral, and ethical responsibility" (Zins et al., 2004, p. 7). Many art teachers and artists have discovered that art can create a space for in-depth exploration of social justice issues, removing barriers and allowing curiosity and creativity to thrive (Beycrbach, 2011). An art endeavor related to Responsible Decision-Making is the "Ethical Art Exhibition." Students will create artworks reflecting societal (moral) issues using various mediums, such as sculpture, painting, photography, or installations, and share their perspectives through an art exhibition.

4.4 Self-Management

Self-management refers to the ability to control impulses, manage stress, and acquire goal-setting and organizational skills (Zins et al., 2004). Keeping a diary assists students in regulating their emotions, easing exam-related stress, and promoting the development of detailed plans for future learning and life (Yang, 2017). Junior high schools may consider initiatives like the "Creative Planning Journal," enabling students to record mood changes during art projects, thereby improving time management skills and organizational abilities. Additionally, research highlights the potential of music to suppress neural activity, reducing anxiety and enhancing the expression of internal emotions (Edgar, 2013). Regular activities organized by school music teachers, such as listening to calming music, can contribute to maintaining students' mental well-being.

4.5 Relationship Skills

Relationship skills address "communication, social engagement, building relationships, working cooperatively, negotiating, refusal and conflict management, and seeking and providing help" (Zins et al., 2004, p. 7). Collaborative art projects, such as choir and group dancing, provide ideal opportunities to cultivate unity, cooperation, and conflict-resolution skills. Regarding individual art practices like drawing, art educators can organize activities like sharing painting thoughts and experiences within a group to enhance communication skills.

5. Challenges

Incorporating SEE into art courses, though advantageous, poses noteworthy challenges. One significant hurdle is the limited research and practical application of SEE in Chinese secondary school art education, resulting in insufficient recognition and understanding. This may lead to resistance when adopting innovative teaching methods, especially from educators accustomed to traditional approaches, who might perceive SEE integration as an extra burden or a departure from established practices. Effectively addressing these challenges requires the targeted provision of comprehensive training resources for teachers, creating a supportive environment fostering openness to innovative teaching, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration among teachers to ensure the successful integration of SEE and art education. However, advancing training initiatives may introduce new obstacles, such as limited resources regarding time and financial support, potentially impeding the development of teachers' essential skills and understanding. Additionally, when drawing from international experiences, it is crucial to consider local characteristics and customize SEE-embedded art education courses to align with the developmental needs of Chinese adolescents.

6. Conclusion

Although China has recognized the importance of emotional needs to address the risk of mental health problems that Chinese junior high school students have, there is currently no nationwide strategy. Social-emotional learning (SEE), defined as acquiring skills in recognizing and managing emotions, caring for others, making responsible decisions, and establishing positive relationships, has been proven to help students handle mental health challenges effectively. Additionally, art education is emerging as an effective avenue for promoting SEE, refining subjective awareness, and influencing emotional development. Given the limited research on integrating SEE into subject teaching, especially in art education in China, this paper aims to bridge SEE's promoting role in mental health care and art's enhancing effect on SEE. It suggests designing SEE-embedded art practices, like the "Ethical Art Exhibition" and the "Creative Planning Journal," to foster Chinese junior high school students' mental health. Despite the benefits associated with integrating SEE into art practices, obstacles such as constraints in teacher training resources persist. Subsequent research should focus on tackling these challenges, delving into the connections between SEE, art education, and mental health, aiming to discover additional art practices beneficial for junior high school students in China.

Sidebar

How to cite this paper: Yanling Chen. (2024). Integrating Social-emotional Learning in Chinese Junior High School Art Education to Foster Mental Health. The Educational Review, USA, 8(2), 211-215.

Received: January 24, 2024

Accepted: February 22, 2024

Published: March 18, 2024

Corresponding author: Yanling Chen, Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK.

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