https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/9890 2026-04-05T02:23:41Z 2026-04-05T02:23:41Z Harvey, Shane T. Evans, Ian M. Hill, Rhys V.J. Henricksen, Annette Bimler, David https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14494 2018-04-09T09:42:11Z 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Warming the emotional climate of the classroom : can teachers’ social-emotional skills change? Authors: Harvey, Shane T.; Evans, Ian M.; Hill, Rhys V.J.; Henricksen, Annette; Bimler, David Abstract: Emotional skills underpin what teachers do. However, relatively few studies have investigated whether these skills can be formally learnt by teachers and the benefits enhancing teachers’ social-emotional skills may have on students. The current research aimed to develop an intervention to improve teachers’ social-emotional skills in the classroom and to assess changes in teachers’ emotional teaching practices and their emotional awareness in the classroom, as well as changes in students’ social-emotional behavior in relation to changes their teachers may have made. Twenty-seven teachers of Year 3-8 (8-13 year old) students participated in an emotional skills intervention, which took place over three months. The findings yielded mixed results. In line with predictions, decreases in teachers’ undesirable relating and setting limits were found. However, no relationships between teacher changes and students’ pro-social behavior and emotion were found. However, students of teachers who improved compared to those who did not on observed emotional practices, reported significant differences in their teachers’ leadership, helpfulness/friendliness, understanding, student responsibility/freedom, student admonishing and strictness.

2016-11-01T00:00:00Z Gol-Guven, Mine https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14490 2016-12-02T02:15:03Z 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Lions Quest program in Turkey : teachers’ views and classroom practices Authors: Gol-Guven, Mine Abstract: This is a pilot study to explore the classroom implementation of the Lions Quest Program in Turkey. Teachers of first through eighth grades at two elementary schools who applied the program were interviewed about the program and their classroom practices while they were also observed and their classrooms were also observed. Considerable program implementation differences were found within and between the schools. Three main issues were raised in the interviews, namely that the teachers were not clear about whether social emotional learning (SEL) skills should be taught to students as a separate lesson or not; they seemed to doubt whether school personnel should be responsible for SEL implementation; and although they had positive views of the implementation, they underlined that students’ social and emotional wellbeing is dependent on family background and the developing maturity of the child. In conclusion, the teachers expressed positive views about the Lions Quest Program, yet lacked strong opinions about when, where, and by whom the program needed to be included in the curriculum. Limitations, implementation challenges, and implications for SEL in the Turkish context were also identified.

2016-11-01T00:00:00Z Askell-Williams, Helen Skrzypiec, Grace Jin, Yan Owens, Larry Zhao, Xueqin Du, Wenping Cao, Fei Xing, Lihong https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14487 2016-12-02T02:15:05Z 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Mainland Chinese primary and middle-school students’ social and emotional wellbeing Authors: Askell-Williams, Helen; Skrzypiec, Grace; Jin, Yan; Owens, Larry; Zhao, Xueqin; Du, Wenping; Cao, Fei; Xing, Lihong Abstract: Educators in mainland China are increasingly concerned about promoting school students’ social and emotional wellbeing. However, there has been little exchange of research between China and western countries about this topic. For example, questionnaires developed in the west have not been generally available to mainland Chinese researchers. We translated three existing wellbeing questionnaires into simplified Chinese characters and administered the questionnaires to 2756 students aged 10 to 15 attending 16 schools in Beijing. Results showed that students generally reported positive wellbeing, with only small proportions of students indicating languishing mental health. Comparisons between Chinese and Australian students of similar ages indicated that the Chinese students reported slightly higher wellbeing scores. However, as students in both countries grew older, their wellbeing scores became significantly lower. This study provides foundational information to underpin future work in Beijing schools to promote students’ social and emotional wellbeing.

2016-11-01T00:00:00Z Mihic, Josipa Novak, Miranda Basic, Josipa Nix, Robert L. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/14477 2016-12-02T02:14:53Z 2016-11-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Promoting social and emotional competencies among young children in Croatia with preschool PATHS Authors: Mihic, Josipa; Novak, Miranda; Basic, Josipa; Nix, Robert L. Abstract: Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) is an evidence-based universal prevention program focused on promoting children’s social and emotional competencies and reducing the likelihood of behaviour problems and negative relationships with peers and teachers. This paper examines changes in the social and emotional competencies of the first children to participate in Preschool PATHS in Croatia. This study included 164 children, ages 3-6, in 12 preschool classrooms in three cities across Croatia, who participated in the classroom-based Preschool PATHS curriculum. At the beginning and end of the preschool year, teachers completed well validated and reliable assessments of social and emotional competencies on each child. Hierarchical linear models revealed statistically significant and substantial improvements in prosocial behaviour, emotion regulation, emotion symptoms, peer problems, relational aggression, conduct problems, and hyperactive-impulsive behaviour. Study findings reveal significant changes in children’s social and emotional competencies during preschool. This time may present a unique opportunity to buttress children’s skills and improve long-term school success through the implementation of a rigorous empirically validated prevention program such as Preschool PATHS.

2016-11-01T00:00:00Z