Date of Award
3-1-2020
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Christopher Jenkins, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Brandy Kamm, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Maggie Broderick, Ph.D.
Abstract
This phenomenological study focused on the perceptions of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB diploma) teachers toward school-based social and emotional learning programs. The purposeful sample for this study relied on interviews with 16 participants from one international school in Southeast Asia. Utilizing a retrospective data collection methodology, six themes were identified: benefits for students, a lack of preservice training, the need for ongoing professional development, a lack of confidence teaching social and emotional learning, curriculum challenges teaching social and emotional learning, and the need for strategic plans regarding social and emotional learning. The results indicated that the social and emotional learning needs of IB diploma students were unique and students benefited from direct instruction regarding social and emotional learning competencies. However, findings also revealed participants had low levels of confidence teaching social and emotional learning curriculum. Participants discussed inadequate social and emotional training prior to entering the teaching profession and limited social and emotional learning professional development after becoming full-time teachers. In alignment with Ajzen and Fishbein’s (1975) theory of reasoned action (TRA), which emphasized an individual’s intention to perform a behavior was the biggest predictor of that behavior being performed, the findings in this study suggested that teachers who felt they did not have the training, ability, or confidence to teach social and emotional learning were more likely to ineffectively teach social and emotional learning. Based on these results, the arbitrary access students might have to effective social and emotional learning support calls for expanded studies by future researchers.