| CODE | RSE5001 | |||||||||
| TITLE | A Whole School Approach to Social and Emotional Learning | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | In this study-unit course participants will have the opportunity to become aware of the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in teaching and learning and how as teachers and aspiring school leaders they can promote SEL through a whole school, systemic approach. In the first part, participants will explore the foundations of relational and emotional development in childhood and adolescence as well as in adulthood, and how these are related to the teaching and learning processes, In the second part, a whole school approach to SEL will be presented, including curricular, instructional, contextual, organisational, and relational aspects, and course participants will have the opportunity to explore how as aspiring school leaders they can mobilise their school to adopt and implement such an approach. The third part addresses the health and wellbeing of the school staff itself, with course participants having the opportunity to explore, through practical activities, how they may develop their own and their staff's emotional and relational competences. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims to familiarize students with the fundamental principles, theories and practices of social and emotional learning within a whole school approach, namely how social and emotional learning may be organised at a whole school, systemic approach through instructional, curricular, contextual, organisational and relational levels. By the end of the study-unit, the students will acquire basic knowledge and skills in: 1) SEL and and its relevance and application to teaching and learning as well as the wellbeing of the whole school community; 2) developing and mobilising a whole school approach to SEL involving all the school community; and 3) addressing the social and emotional competence and well-being of the staff itself, including their own as aspiring school leaders. An experiential approach to skills development, including how course participants themselves may develop the key relational and emotional competences through experiential sessions, will be adopted during the course. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - describe the course of social and emotional development with a particular emphasis on development in childhood and adolescence as well as in adulthood; - explain the concepts of social and emotional learning and emotional and relational competence and how these relate to teaching and learning, including their practice in teaching and leadership; - identify the key components of a whole school, systemic approach to SEL, including their role in developing and implementing such an approach; - relate their understanding of social and emotional development to their own and their staff's relationships and wellbeing. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - investigate their own relational and emotional competence, including self awareness, emotion regulation, self-care and relationship building; - practise their profession including classroom teaching and school leadership within a relational and emotional framework; - design a whole school approach to social and emotional learning; - appraise the relational and emotional competence of others, including colleagues, school staff and students. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main text/s - Cefai, C. Bartolo, P., Cavioni, V. & Downes, P. (2018) Strengthening Social and Emotional Education as a key curricular area across the EU. A review of the international evidence. NESET Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union - Happiness, Optimism, Positivity and Ethos in Schools (HOPEs) Programme www.hopeschools.eu - Cefai, C et al (2015) RESCUR Surfing the Waves. A Resilience Curriculum for Early Years and Primary Schools in Europe. Malta: Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health, University of Malta. Supplementary Readings - Askell-Williams, H., and Cefai, C. (2014) Australian and Maltese teachers' perspectives about their capabilities for mental health promotion in school settings. Teaching and Teacher Education, 40, 1-12. - Cefai, C., Regester, D. & Akoury Dirani, L. (2020) Social and emotional learning in the Mediterranean: Cross cultural perspectives and approaches. Brill/Sense Publishing. - Cefai, C. & Cavioni, V. (2014) Social and Emotional Education in Primary School: Integrating Theory and Research into Practice. Springer Publications. - Cefai, C. & Cooper, P. (Editors) (2017) Mental health promotion in schools: Cross cultural narratives and perspectives. Sense Publications. - Durlak, J. A.; Weissberg, R. P.; Dymnicki, A. B.; Taylor, R. D. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82 (1), 474-501. - Goldberg et al (2018) Effectiveness of interventions adopting a whole school approach to enhancing social and emotional development: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychology in Education, 34, (4), 755-782. - Harris, B. (2007) Supporting the Emotional Work of School Leaders. London: Paul Chapman Publishers. - Shaffer, D.R. (2009) Social and Personality Development. 6th ed., Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. - Webster-Stratton, C. (1999) How to Promote Children’s Social and Emotional Competence. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Carmel Cefai |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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