Measuring early childhood educators’ knowledge of social-emotional learning pre and post training

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to measure the improvement in early childhood educators' knowledge of the five social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies post-training in India. Furthermore, the aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of educators' training modules on the SEL knowledge of preschool educators. In addition, the aim is to support educators in contemplating their feelings and knowledge of SEL since it is vital for individual and career growth. However, studies concerning early childhood educators' SEL knowledge in Punjab, India, are scarce. As a result, this study investigated 100 preschool educators' knowledge of SEL competencies using a survey, a training session, and a self-reported questionnaire. The data were analyzed in SPSS, and pre and post-training results were compared using the paired samples t-test. The findings revealed a significant difference in educators' knowledge of SEL after training in the Ludhiana and Patiala cities of Punjab. The outcomes emphasize the importance of continuously and effectively training early childhood educators to develop their knowledge of SEL skills for self-growth and preschool students' holistic development.

Appendices

Appendix 1 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) questionnaire for educators

Part 1: Demographic profile of respondent

Part 2: Answer the multiple choice questions by placing a checkmark in the relevant column relating to “Knowledge about 5 SEL competencies in educator”

S.No.	Statements	1 (Strongly Disagree)	2 (Disagree)	3 (Neutral)	4 (Agree)	5 (Strongly Agree)
A	SELF-AWARENESS
1	You have a good sense of why you have certain feelings most of the time
2	You like your work and take pride in it
3	You enjoy teaching
4	You "observe" yourself while teaching in the classroom
5	You are committed to your self-development
6	You can easily express your emotions
7	. You have a pleasant personality
8	. Most of the time, you can identify, recognize, and name your feelings in the moment
9	You recognize the relationship between your feelings and your reactions towards students in the classroom
10	You recognize the relationship between your feelings and your reactions towards colleagues in the school
11	You know and are realistic about your strengths and weaknesses
12	You accept others' feedback about your work in school
13	You are aware of how your personal wants, prejudices, and beliefs influence your decisions in the classroom when teaching
14	You believe you have the ability to influence and lead your students effectively
15	You are confident in your ability to handle events with self-assurance and calmness
16	You believe that your teaching experiences help you to learn and grow
17	You feel positive even in negative situations
18	You feel satisfied with your teaching in the classroom
19	You analyze how your personality fits with your teaching profession
20	You feel easy to make changes and adapt to new practices while teaching
21	You feel guilty for criticizing students
22	You find it easy to try innovative teaching practices in the classroom
23	You are aware of the events that elicit your emotions
24	You have an excellent knowledge of your values and objectives
25	You have a good sense of humor
26	You have a positive perspective about your personality
27	You are not defensive in receiving criticism about yourself
28	You advocate for a course of action in which you believe, even if others disagree
29	You regard yourself as a capable individual capable of taking on new challenges and mastering new responsibilities
B	SELF-MANAGEMENT
1	You figure out how to regulate your emotions and channel them in productive ways without hurting others
2	You remain cool, controlled, and clear-headed in the face of severe stress and a school crisis
3	You have high personal standards that drive you to strive for better performance for yourself and others you lead
4	You are realistic in that you make objectives that are quantifiable, hard, and reachable
5	You embrace new difficulties in your teaching career and adapt to changes
6	When you confront a difficult situation, you attempt to solve it on your own
7	You adjust your thinking in response to new knowledge and facts
8	You can manage many student needs without losing concentration or enthusiasm in class
9	You keep a balance between your work life and personal renewal time
10	You always set a goal for yourself and then try your best to achieve them
11	You are a self-motivated person
12	You normally find it simple to make adjustments in your daily life
13	You are prone to encountering unfavorable events
14	You are optimistic about most things you do
15	Despite occasional hiccups, you typically expect everything to work out OK
16	Your impulsiveness creates problems in school
17	You keep patience while teaching in class
18	You have powerful urges that are difficult to control
19	You tend to control your anger easily
20	You know how to deal with upsetting problems
21	You manage stress caused within the school
22	You know how to remain cool in stressful times
23	You welcome genuine critique, fresh viewpoints, lifelong learning, and self-improvement
C	SOCIAL AWARENESS
1	You listen actively to another person’s perspective
2	You may infer another person's emotions through both verbal and nonverbal signs
3	You feel that others are generally trying their best, and you expect the same from them
4	You value and get along with students from many origins and cultures at your school
5	You use engaging practices to guarantee that all students' views are heard in the classroom
6	You are perceptive in organizational conditions and can recognize critical social networks
7	You are aware of the organizational forces at work, guiding principles, and tacit norms that govern human interactions
8	You may deduce your student's emotions based on their behavior
9	You are an excellent observer of your co-workers’ emotions
10	You are sensitive to other people's feelings and emotions
11	You feel like "part of the family" at your school
12	You feel "emotionally attached" to this school
13	You feel a strong sense of belonging with your students
14	You investigate why students behave the way they do
15	You are kind and accepting of others
16	You consider how colleagues or students communicate with one another
17	You have a solid awareness of how other people act
D	RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
1	You provide students with an emotionally caring and safe atmosphere
2	You are open and honest with others about your values and views, as well as your ambitions and guiding principles
3	You speak with pupils and foster contact with them
4	You can express concepts that are important to you in ways that encourage students to participate
5	You genuinely care about kids' progress and the development of their SEL skills
6	You may freely recognize your flaws and failures to yourself and others
7	Before making recommendations, you strive to learn the perspectives and experiences of others
8	As a guide and mentor, you provide timely and constructive criticism
9	You are at ease dealing with dispute, listening to the sentiments of all sides, and assisting them in understanding alternative points of view
10	You guide students to resolve their conflicts
11	You like hel** students
12	You like hel** colleagues
13	You are good at teamwork and generate a shared atmosphere that inspires students
14	You build relationships with students of diverse groups
15	You involve students in important decision-making tasks to ensure to make a wise choice
16	You express teamwork in your leadership style and personal behaviors as a role model to students
17	You recognize individual and group similarities and differences
18	You use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others
19	It is simple for you to create buddies
20	You exhibit the capacity to constructively prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal disputes
21	It's natural for you to express your heartfelt emotions to others
22	You care what happens to other people
23	You have good relations with students
24	You have good relations with colleagues
25	You regularly interact with students
26	You keep in touch with colleagues
E	RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING
1	You may characterize the problem's core and suggest potential solutions
2	In your classroom, you see the need for change, challenge the existing quo, and promote new ideas
3	Before beginning a new venture, you undertake a need analysis and consult with your colleagues to identify concerns
4	You consult with your co-workers before making a choice
5	When it comes to making decisions when teaching, you discover ethical solutions to overcome obstacles
6	You analyze progress towards social, emotional, and intellectual goals using many measures
7	You normally create personal goals and track your progress towards them
8	You offer chances for self-reflection and group reflection on progress towards teaching goals
9	You treat your co-workers the way you want to be treated
10	You are sensitive to the feelings of others while making decisions
11	You contribute to the well-being of your school
12	When it comes to issue solving, you can quickly choose the ideal option
13	Your approach to resolving obstacles is to take it one step at a time
14	When confronted with a terrible issue, you want to learn everything you can about it
15	Before attempting to solve an issue, you attempt to get an understanding of it
16	Even if you are supposed to be someplace else at the same moment, you would stop and help a wee** youngster find his or her parents
17	You promote community service initiatives for students and faculty
18	When making judgements, you consider ethical, safety, and societal issues

Appendix 2 Design of the educators’ SEL training module

Section 1- Overview of the SEL Training and about SEL (2 h)

Purpose- This section presents a summary of the training, including the trainer's introduction, the participants' introductions, the program’s purpose, and instructions for learning and practicing.

Section 2- Understanding the competency of self-awareness (2 h)

Section 3- Understanding the competency of self-management (2 h)

Section 4- Understanding the competency of social awareness (2 h)

Section 5- Understanding the competency of relationship management (2 h)

Section 6- Understanding the competency of responsible decision making (2 h)

Authors’ Compilation