Former secondary school students' attitudes towards personal, social and career development

Abstract

Social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes were initiated in schools following research demonstrating these classes to be effective in preventing and tackling life problems. Interventions are, however, successful only when implemented correctly. This study aims to explore former secondary students’ attitudes towards Personal, Social and Career Development (PSCD). Building upon existing work within the field, it seeks to investigate former students’ attitudes towards the overall subject, individual topics, methodology and timetabling of PSCD. Based upon a review of local and international literature concerning students’ attitudes, perceptions and experiences towards SEL programmes, a recruitment letter was posted to Facebook. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, which were further processed through thematic analysis. A comprehensive analysis of the data revealed a variety of attitudes towards the different domains this study aimed to explore. Interviewed participants had particularly positive attitudes towards the subject, citing its methodology as a key contributor to this. However, participants held negative perceptions of towards the comprehensiveness of the individual topics, and expected better relationships with their PSCD facilitators. Further, more targeted research is required to provide a more comprehensive view on the topic.