Hi David, 

The question you're asking is very important. I think what you need to come up with is some broader framework that would help form the criteria for the coding. There can be a number of ideas in this respect, and I suspect that each choice would be reductive/problematic in some ways. In addition there is the direct linkage between SEL and contemplative practices, yet these two frameworks speak different language. One points to aims, whereas the other speaks the pedagogies. In this sense, the way I see it, when you list "pure SEL lessons" alongside meditation, you're mixing aims with pedagogies...that is, aims, with ways of achieving aims that are not necessarily specified. Meditation itself has a myriad aims or none at all. You can't tell just by the word, whether the aim is SEL or not. 

As for possible frameworks. You can try these two for starters: the Tree of contemplative practices http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree - each branch is a category.

You can check Zenner et al's paper from 2014 on mindfulness in schools. They typologized mindfulness based interventions accoriding to the practices used in them. 

Best,

Oren

Dear David, 

You might look at the Resource link on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (casel.org) website. They have information there that might inform your thinking. Also, look under their link "In the Schools" to see how SEL is brought to life in classrooms/schools. CASEL might provide a framework (e.g., the Core Competencies found under the What is SEL? link) that will allow you to code the SEL activities/strategies/practices in your school and help move your project forward. Best, John-Tyler

Consider the SEAL or the BESD frameworks which are common place in secondary schools in the UK, although the names may have changed a little to reflect funding.

Also, you could consider coming at this from a different perspective such as behaviour for learning. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-and-emotional-aspects-of-learning-seal-programme-in-secondary-schools-national-evaluation

Thanks for your comments, suggestions  and feedback.

Oren : I agree in finding the right broad framework, from an evidence point of view, to help me then inform the related practices. Well, I stated peer mediation, not meditation,...but anyway you´re wright that I could fall into the trap of mixing aims with metodologies. I´ll check your references also.

John and Ben : Many thanks also, I´ll check your references also.

Daniel : Thanks for your feedback, and references, I´ll check them, and think it maybe also from another perspective.

Hi David,

You may find some interesting studies in help seeking behavior for learning and mastering. It is, among others, linked to emotional and social environment. See Newman in Karabenick, 1998, 13-38 (0-8058-2385-9). Ego- or task-involved goals are at stake in self-regulated learning skills.

Good luck

Mathieu

Hi David,

In response to your query regarding coding and categorizing responses to surveys, I have used Qualitative Solutions and Research International N Vivo 10, a qualitative data analysis software program which includes summarizing, coding, categorizing, and interpreting data.

Best to you,

Joanna 

in all seriousness it can sometimes help to go to preschool/early childhood criteria for behaviours and social emotional wellbeing. Clearly it should be commonly understood  that there needs be common understanding by everyone what the purpose of social emotional development is: so to create a productive learning culture and community (for example). So there needs to be criteria that account for the objective and how we get students to have the capacity to self-regulate, and so on. It is very complex and highly dependent on your cohort and demographic. I work in an area where social emotional learning is the priority - some would say a case of triage. So I am very much focused on creating the conditions for learning - google Brian Camborne Conditions for learning http://www.cambourneconditionsoflearning.com.au/; If we agree that everything is a behaviour either sub/consciously, or habitual we can then create behavioural and learning objectives and criteria allocated with useful approaches to achieving those goals. I think what is powerful is the discussion as a group to work on these questions of category. I hope this makes some sense - so we go from, what we have, to what we want to see, and how do we get there. So in regards to the 'conditions of learning' - there is I think clear objectives for engaged learning. Glasser's 'Choice Theory' is worth a look  as does Langford Quality Learning has many useful tools.

Here they are;

Conditions of learning.

Immersion—Children need to be surrounded by interesting, high-quality children’s books and different kinds of text (e.g., charts, labels, newspapers, magazines). Read aloud every day to children, sing to them, play word games, and use movement and dance to generate lively engagement in language, literacy, and stories.

Demonstration— Model reading and writing for children. Let them see you writing notes, letters, stories, recipes, and lists. Make sure they notice you reading to yourself, for pleasure, for information, for directions, and for other purposes. Show them how to hold a book, turn the pages, and read aloud.

Engagement—Help children become active learners who see themselves as potential readers and writers. Set up a risk-free environment so they can experiment with language and literacy. Provide easy access to paper, pencils, crayons, markers, books, and other literacy materials.

Expectation—Set realistic expectations for language and literacy development. Become familiar with the developmental stages of emergent literacy, and support children in appropriate tasks. Expect that they will become accomplished readers and writers in their own time.

Responsibility—Give children choices about books to read. Set up the environment to promote self-direction. Provide easy access to books and literacy materials on low shelves and in baskets and show children how to take care of them.

Approximation—Accept children’s mistakes when they are learning to talk, read, and write. Congratulate them on their accomplishments. Guide them gently into accuracy and soon they will begin to self-correct.

Use—Create a climate for functional and meaningful uses of oral and written language. Encourage children to read along with you; help you write notes, letters, and lists; and engage in lots of conversations.

Response—Listen to children, welcome their comments and questions, and extend their use of oral and written language. Celebrate the enormous language and literacy learning that is occurring daily!     

Hi David

Values education targets social and emotional learning if you  explore from a qualitative research perspective. You can code using NvIvo. I found Miles Hubermann (older version for coding) and Teddlie and Tashakori (2003) very useful to code. Using thematic analysis  one can code and even differentiate both emotional and social  teaching practices. Other references you could  look upto is Creswell. I  used the former two for my PhD thesis for teaching pedagogies specifically for cooperative learning.

Hope this  does help 

Regards 

Suma 

Hi David,

There are two papers provide information of the SEL:

Https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Social-Emotional-Learning-Afterschool-Toolkit-Sept-2015.pdf

Https://www.casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Social-and-emotional-learning-Past-present-and-future.pdf

The first is very complety e show likert scales to mesurement the SEL.

Best regards

Dirceu

Thanks for all your replies and comments. An udpdate of my findings. For qualitative research purposes, I´ll check Aquad , a free tool suitable for windows in wich you can connect it with R ( the program that I´m exploring for quantitative analyses). I´ve found this SEL segmentation useful, from the casel website ( see image attached). Within this framework we could take meditation practices, for example, as free standing SEL lessons also. In reference, of the instructional teaching practices, mentioned in this framework, I can consider the ones mentioned by Yoder (see link attached). Well, I´ll keep you updated with more findings on this topic.

http://www.gtlcenter.org/sites/default/files/TeachingtheWholeChild.pdf

I am not sure exactly what you are trying to code but we had to do a synthesis on the work that schools undertake and this may or may not be helpful. It is a research report available here on my section as a study for the Welsh government. My fear is that a lot of the work undertaken on this uses psychological or t one more specific mental health indicators or behavioural ones. I think we need educational ones connected to learning including learning in the social and emotional domains. I hope this is of some help

Hello, David,

Could you please explain why you are proposing a quantitative research for such a qualitative issue as social and emotional learning? I didn't understand the point. Is it describing practices? Or what?

Thank you very much.

Eveline

Hi to all, thanks for the last comments and suggestions. Eveline : I´ll replay to you with more detail, ASAP . For now, I ´m suggesting a research, that have dealed already, in some way, with this, and I find it very inspiring

Article Common Elements of Adolescent Prevention Programs: Minimizin...

David, thank you for the suggested article. I left my comment at the end of your text.

Good luck on your research. It's very enriching to read about it.

Yours,

Eveline

Thank you all for your interest in my work. I am currently working on a companion paper looking at common elements in elementary school-based programs. We are doing some great work and analysis. I can't wait to share with you when it becomes available. Please contact me if you have any questions. Gracias! 

I recently have come across a SEL techniques scale, that it´s been adopted. You can have a look at it, at the attached document ( page 134).

Impressive!  I wanted to let you know that we have developed a 360  degree self-assessment system to determine how 'learner-centered" a particular school, school system, and classroom context is from the perspectives of those most involved in that system.  That includes the students, teachers, parents, administrators, school staff, or even those involved in teacher unions or other organizations connected to that school system.  You might want to check out the following:  https://www.routledge.com/Learning-to-Learn-International-perspectives-from-theory-and-practice/Deakin-Crick-STRINGHER-Ren/p/book/9780415656245 and http://www.apa.org/education/k12/learners.aspx