Teacher perspectives on Socio-emotional learning in Colombia: Inequality, limited evidence-based training, post-conflict, and public policies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51660/ripie42213Keywords:
aprendizaje socioemocional, educación colombiana, prácticas basadas en evidencia, políticas públicas, postconflictoAbstract
Evidence-based Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs promote the acquisition of intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies, such as self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, social skills, and responsible decision-making, within educational settings. To optimize the socio-emotional development of students, it is crucial to understand teachers' knowledge, practices, and context regarding SEL (Humphries et al., 2018). Despite various calls to address the socio-emotional development of children in educational contexts in Colombia (Pérez, 2016), there is limited research on SEL. This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of thirteen teachers from diverse sociocultural contexts in Colombia. Specifically, it explored teachers' knowledge about SEL, their actions to promote the socio-emotional development of their students, and their needs and barriers. The interviews were designed based on previous studies that examined teachers' knowledge and practices related to SEL (e.g., Bridgeland et al., 2013; Buchanan et al., 2009; Humphries et al., 2018). Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, and Flick's (2014) methodology was used for data reduction, reorganization, and representation. The results show that teachers have a solid understanding of socio-emotional skills and hold positive attitudes toward SEL. However, socioeconomic disparities and lack of training hinder the implementation of evidence-based SEL, especially in rural schools affected by armed conflict. Teachers highlighted the need for SEL training and the importance of culturally sensitive and trauma-informed practices, supported by public policies. Creating a supportive environment for the implementation of SEL is crucial. Through targeted training and culturally sensitive practices, teachers can effectively promote the socio-emotional well-being of all students. These findings underscore the importance of investing in SEL education, especially in contexts affected by socioeconomic disparities and armed conflict, to promote the socio-emotional development of at-risk students.
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