ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4248-7636
Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Philosophy (Ph.D)
Department
Education Specialties
First Advisor
Ekaterina Midgette
Second Advisor
Clare Waterman
Third Advisor
Bonnie Johnson
Abstract
Covid-19 has caused a rise in mental health issues, and focusing on social-emotional learning can help students learn the skills they need to lead healthy, successful lives. Teaching social-emotional skills in pre-K and kindergarten can provide students with these important skills in their formative years. In this convergent mixed-methods design study, the researcher explored the self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes of teachers towards using classroom read-alouds to teach social-emotional learning, and how those teacher self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes relate to the amount of time they spend on classroom read-alouds for social-emotional learning. Guided by Social Learning and Self-Efficacy theories, the researcher surveyed and interviewed pre-K and kindergarten general education teachers who were recruited through snowball sampling methods. To analyze survey data, descriptive statistics were used and then regression analyses were run to measure the predictive ability of self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes on the amount of time. To analyze interview data, a two-cycle coding method was used to look for patterns and themes. Attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs toward social-emotional learning was not found to predict the amount of time teachers spent reading read-alouds for social-emotional learning. However, teachers discussed how their attitudes affect the way they conduct read-alouds and in turn affects their students. Implications for practitioners include an honest understanding of how their attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs can affect their teaching practices, as well as inspiring practitioners to increase their awareness of their practices while reading aloud so that they can make the most of their classroom read-alouds to enhance their students’ social-emotional skills. Implications for policymakers include the importance of professional development geared toward teaching practitioners how to incorporate read-alouds for social-emotional learning into their classrooms, as well as funding for high-quality read-aloud books for classrooms.
Recommended Citation
Kanner, Sara C., "READ-ALOUDS FOR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN PRESCHOOL: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 809.
https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/809