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1、1Promoting Childrens Ethical Development Through Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)Elizabeth Devaney, Mary Utne OBrien, Mary Tavegia, and Hank Resnik The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) University of Illinois at ChicagoAbstract In todays climate of increased empha
2、sis on accountability, academic subjects are too often divorced from the social context in which they are taught. We know that learning is a social process. In fact, many educators and other youth development practitioners recognize that social, emotional, and ethical skills development cannot be ig
3、nored in the name of better academic preparation, especially in the face of data showing that students are more disengaged than ever. Social and emotional learning (SEL) offers educators and other youth development personnel a framework for addressing students social and emotional needs in systemati
4、c way. SEL is the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations effectively. Research has shown that SEL has an impact on every aspect of childre
5、ns development their health, ethical development, citizenship, academic learning, and motivation to achieve. One school, Cossitt Elementary School in LaGrange, Illinois has been implementing SEL programming for over 9 years and has seen remarkable changes in their students and staff. The school clim
6、ate is supportive and caring. Students resolve conflicts amongst themselves peacefully, they show respect for one another despite differences, they work well together, and they demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the larger world around them. The lessons learned from Cossitt can inform
7、 programming in a wide variety of settings, including other schools, after school programs, and summer camps. Although few educators, youth development practitioners, and student support services personnel question the importance of helping children to develop the skills necessary to be successful i
8、n the workplace, make ethical decisions, and be engaged and contributing citizens, these skills are rarely taught explicitly and effectively. The pressures of accountability for student performance, accelerated by the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2002, lead educators to foc
9、us solely on improving test scores in the core areas of reading and mathematics. Todays out-of-school time programming is also overwhelmingly under pressure to maintain an academic focus. This focus on testing means that too often, academic subjects are divorced from the social context in which they
10、 are taught. Educators feel they must choose between teaching content and teaching character; between engaging students in the study of great literature or nurturing great values; between preparing for high stakes tests or preparing for the high stakes tasks of learning to cooperate with peers, avoi
11、ding risk taking behaviors, and engaging in positive civic activities.This is a preprint of an article published in New Directions for Youth Development, Doing the Right Thing, Ethical Development Across Diverse Environments, Feb. 2006. http:/ 0787985430.html. 2In 2003, the Search Institute1 highlig
12、hted why we can no longer afford to choose academics over social, emotional, and ethical development. Their surveys of youth indicate that: 29% feel that they think through the consequences of their choices and plan ahead-but 71% do not. 35% say that they respect the values and beliefs of people fro
13、m different races and cultures-but 65% do not. 24% report feeling that their teachers really care about them-but 76% do not.Many educators and other youth development practitioners recognize that social, emotional, and ethical skills development cannot be ignored in the name of better academic prepa
14、ration. They know learning is a social process children do not learn alone but rather in collaboration with teachers and other adults, in the company of their peers, and with the support of their families. Emotions can facilitate or hamper their learning and, ultimately, their success in school and
15、life. But while many who work with youth understand this, they have had little support to help them combine social, emotional, and academic learning.All this is changing. Twenty years of research show that efforts to promote childrens social and emotional competence have had substantial impacts on e
16、ducational motivation, behavior, risk- taking, and attachment to school. And recent research has demonstrated that in the process, social and emotional learning programming also improves academic performance.What is SEL? Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), a concept formally introduced by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in the book Prom
