Search EdWorkingPapers

Search EdWorkingPapers by author, title, or keywords.

Understanding Teacher Perceptions of Efficacy in Social and Emotional Learning: Toward Equity-Based Approaches to SEL in Urban Schools

Researchers have noted the importance of equity-based approaches to social and emotional learning (SEL), which emphasize the role of school environment, including adult beliefs, in student well-being. This article builds on this work by examining 129 teachers’ perceptions of efficacy in SEL. While participants worked in urban schools, were selected from national fellowship programs, and had similar years of experience and preparation, survey data  found that teachers in one program reported higher levels of efficacy in SEL. Interviews and observations with a purposeful sample of these teachers found that despite common challenges with exclusionary discipline practices and limited resources, efficacious teachers described a “social justice learning community,” geared for teachers of color, that enhanced their capacities to enact SEL in their schools. Discussion includes the need for critical professional development opportunities in SEL that are race-conscious, context-specific, and asset-based, as well as opportunities for teachers from historically marginalized groups to form specialized learning communities.

Education level
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/n5a3-6n34

EdWorkingPaper suggested citation:

White , Terrenda C., Travis J. Bristol, and Tolani A. Britton. (). Understanding Teacher Perceptions of Efficacy in Social and Emotional Learning: Toward Equity-Based Approaches to SEL in Urban Schools. (EdWorkingPaper: 20-341). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/n5a3-6n34

Machine-readable bibliographic record: RIS, BibTeX