Journal Article

Promoting social and emotional learning in pupils with disability. Special teachers’ perceptions and practices

Doikou, Maro

2024

Overview

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk for emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Social and emotional learning (SEL) may be particularly beneficial to fostering these children’s resilience. Given the importance of teacher’s role in promoting SEL, the present study aimed to explore special teachers’ perceptions of SEL and the practices they use to enhance their pupils’ social and emotional skills. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with 15 Greek primary and secondary education special teachers and were analysed with the use of reflexive thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the special teachers considered the creation of a supportive school environment a key prerequisite to addressing the pupils’ with SEND needs. They perceived SEL as a process aiming to the development of social and emotional skills which contributes to pupils’ emotional development and social inclusion. Although they used a number of practices for this purpose, their efforts were often hindered by the lack of collaboration with general education teachers and their limited knowledge on SEL. The findings are discussed with respect to the need to enhance cooperation between the members of the school community and teachers’ training on SEL.

• Publisher: European Centre for Educational Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health,Centre for Resilience & Socio-Emotional Health
• Subject: Academic Achievement / Adolescents / Children & youth / Classroom communication / Collaboration / Cooperation / Cooperative learning / Education / Educational Environment / Educational needs / Emotional development / Emotions / General education / Learning / Peers / People with disabilities / Perceptions / Resilience / Resilience (Psychology) / Risk taking / School environment / Schools / Secondary education / Self esteem / Skills / Social & emotional learning / social and emotional learning / Social development / Social integration / Social skills / special educational needs and disability / Special needs children / Students / Students with disabilities / support teachers / supportive school environment / Teachers / Teaching