Promoting emotional wellbeing in the education sector an evidence based approach

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Promoting emotional wellbeing in the education
sector an evidence based approach
Professor Katherine Weare School of
Education University of Southampton skw_at_soton.ac.u
k Edinburgh November 2007
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Aims - to explore

• Overall framework for thinking about emotional
  wellbeing in the educational sector
• Evidence base
• Practical learning on what works from
  programmes and initiatives

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My inspirations

• Secondary school teaching
• Developing healthy schools systems in Europe,
  including Russia
• Working on mental health in the school system
  in Europe and internationally
• Reviewing evidence base on social and emotional
  learning
• Developing primary and secondary SEAL
• Looking at successful SEL work across the world
  e.g. Australia resilience, Norway bullying,
  US conflict resolution

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Many different terms

• emotional literacy

• resilience

• curriculum for excellence

• mental health

• emotional wellbeing

• Confidence

• social and emotional aspects of learning

• coping skills

• emotional intelligence

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Changing view of social and emotional education

• Traditional view
• For young children
• Responsibility of the home
• Special needs / those with problems
• Trouble shooting prevention
• Bolt on extra/low status activity

• Holistic view
• Everyone including adults
• Everywhere e.g. secondary schools, workplaces
• All of us, including without problems(?)
• Positives e.g. wellness, growth, strengths,
• Central to educational goals learning and
  behaviour

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The key principles / ingredients of effective
approaches

• Sound theory and evidence
• Holistic / whole school approach
• Universal approach, with further work on problems
• Explicit learning of skills and values, using
  diverse methods
• Clear goals and continuing evaluation and
  improvement
• Staff development

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The key principles / ingredients of effective
approaches

• Whole school approach

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Developments across the whole school and its
surrounding community
Curriculum and Methods Pupil support Pupil
involvement
Management Leadership Policies
School climate and ethos
Community e.g. Parents Agencies Health Boards
Physical environment
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Balance two interdependent parts
Skills
Environment
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Positive environments balance

• Relationships e.g. warmth, listening
• Clarity e.g. discipline, rules and boundaries
• Participation e.g. belonging, ownership,
  partnerships
• Autonomy e.g. respect, independence, critical
  thinking

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Relationships

• Emotional wellbeing at the heart of the process
• Warmth
• Belonging / valuing
• Empathy / respect / genuineness
• Focus on positives
• Listening
• Fun, humour
• Zero tolerance of bullying, violence also
  sarcasm, belittling

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Clarity clear, explicit, positive

• Aims, strategic plans
• Feeling of safety taking risks
• Boundaries, rules, roles
• Standards, expectations
• Discipline
• Supportive policies
• Management of transitions
• Culture of self reflection

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Participation

• Teamwork by all - pupils, staff, parents,
  community, outside agencies, government etc
• Involvement, engagement, ownership
• Equity, inclusion
• Open and transparent / shared goals, values,
• Diversity/ success for all / range of learning
  styles
• Groupwork, peer learning

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Autonomy

• Self determination / independence
• Having control
• Personal responsibility
• Critical awareness and expression
• Choices, decision making, responsibility
• Real life rewards and consequences

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Unbalanced environments

• Clarity only cold, rigid environment
• Relationships only laissez faire
• Relationships clarity participation
  coercion, brainwashing
• Need all 4 features

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An effective holistic/ whole school approach

• Planned
• Starts small
• Long term
• Developmental
• Strong leadership
• Consistent, coherent, coordinated, congruent
• Non prescriptive - choice, diversity of approaches

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The key principles/ ingredients of effective
approaches

• Provide a broad universal provision i.e. for all
  pupils - and staff
• Plus targeted help for those with problems

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Given time - well designed and effective SEL
programmes improve

• Health
• Behaviour
• Attendance
• Exclusion social and educational
• Cultural and racial understanding
• Teacher retention, performance and morale
• Mental health problems - anxiety, depression,
  stress

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SEL programmes with demonstrated universal impact

• Promoting Effective Thinking Strategies
• Metropolitan area child study
• Child Development Project
• Seattle social development project
• Social decision making
• Resolving conflict creatively
• Primary SEAL - England
• Anti-bullying, Norway
• Resilient schools, Australia

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Some also impact on academic learning across the
ability range

• Paths thinking skills, problem solving,
  reading
• Child Development Project reading, maths,
  social studies, science
• Social decision making maths, modern languages,
  arts, social studies
• Resolving conflict creatively maths
• Primary SEAL reading and science

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New neuroscience - the brain is an emotional
organ

• Cerebral cortex - value driven and can only
  process what the limbic system lets in
• Limbic system gatekeeper -responds to what is
  emotionally meaningful/ valued
• Reptilian brain basic survival - all that is
  left to us under stress

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Everyone benefits from social and emotional
learning

• Ready to learn when we feel safe, valued
• We think about/ process what we feel good about.
• Learn better when alert but relaxed, focused,
  sense of flow
• Gives bright pupils an edge
• Helps staff feel more motivated, and perform
  better

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Universal approach also more helpful for those
with problems than targeted alone

• Less stigmatising
• Problems are widespread, on a continuum,
  connected
• Same processes which help everyone help those
  with problems more not different
• Provides educated critical mass of people to
  help those with problems
• But also need targeted and early interventions

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The key principles/ ingredients of effective
approaches

• Explicit learning of skills and values, using
  diverse methods

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Explicitly learning skills and values

• For staff as well as pupils
• Vital part of the overall picture
• Empower, not coerce or manipulate
• Learnt through diverse methods and relevant
  examples, through generalisation, coaching,
  feedback, modelling
• Be monitored - to improve learning, not label
  the student/ staff

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Core skills- for students and staff

• Self understanding
• Understanding and managing the emotions
• Motivation
• Social skills
• Empathy

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Use all the learning opportunities in and around
schools
Out of classroom e.g. assemblies, sports days,
trips and visits, School council
Teaching and learning Curriculum
Whole school - ethos, atmosphere, policies etc
Staff development coaching, modelling
Special needs Pupil support
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Integrate with other holistic approaches e.g.

• Curriculum for Excellence
• Healthy schools
• Mental health
• Learning styles
• Teaching and learning
• Behaviour improvement
• Solution focused approaches

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The key principles / ingredients of effective
approaches- which underlie secondary SEAL

• Continuing evaluation and improvement

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Monitoring and evaluating

• Can use tailored measures, e.g.
• inventories of skills, values
• assessment of whole school ethos and atmosphere,
  questionnaires to staff, parents, students
• Existing data e.g. attendance, incidents,
  academic results
• Can use qualitative approach, e.g.
• interviews, discussions

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Monitoring and evaluating

• Collect data at the outset for comparison
• Use data to improve the process, not label
  individuals
• Involve people in the process
• Allow time
• Keep it simple
• Integrate with existing monitoring processes

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The key principles / ingredients of effective
approaches- which underlie secondary SEAL

• Staff development

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Support the emotional and social wellbeing and
skills of overstretched staff

• Integrate with existing activity
• Develop staff capacity, flexibility
• Take change slowly
• Link with professional development e.g training,
  coaching, mentoring
• Encourage critical reflection, dissent

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An effective staff development programme

• Develops the vital ability to model
• Supported by the rest of the school
• Use coaching, feedback, mentoring
• Empowering, gives flexibility
• Safe, supportive atmosphere
• Fun, laughter, enjoyment
• Cooperative learning
• Self reflection

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Key finding emotional and social learning is
central to the goals of education