Emotional Well-Being in Educational Policy and Practice

Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Kathryn Ecclestone

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780415728492
• eBook ISBN: 9781351568388
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Schools in numerous countries around the world have become key sites for interventions designed to enhance the emotional well-being of children and young people, offering new forms of pedagogy and curriculum knowledge informed in ad hoc and eclectic ways by various strands of psychology, counselling and therapy.Responding to C. Wright Mills famous injunction for a 'sociological imagination this unique inter-disciplinary collection of papers explores ideologies and imperatives that frame contemporary education policy and practice around emotional well-being, ideas and assumptions about the state of childhood today, and the changing nature of the curriculum subject and associated forms of knowledge. In bringing together British and American advocates of behavioural interventions in social and emotional learning alongside critics who draw on historical, philosophical and sociological perspectives, it highlights new and important debates for policy makers, the designers, implementers and evaluators of interventions and those who participate in them.This book was originally published as a special issue of Research Papers in Education.

Effective evidence-based interventions for emotional well-being: lessons for policy and practice

Tracey Bywater and Jonathan Sharples

Institute for Effective Education, University of York, York, UK

School-based programmes developed to promote social and emotional well-being aims to reduce the risk of academic failure and other negative outcomes, such as antisocial behaviour and mental health problems. This article maps the British political trajectory from understanding the importance of social and emotional well-being, to delivering programmes in schools that enhance it. It summarises the outcomes of a selective review of effective school-based interventions and draws out lessons for policy and practice regarding choice and implementation of programmes. Amongst universal and targeted evidence-based interventions, multi-modal/component approaches appear useful in promoting cross-context competence and well-being. However, the scaling up of effective programmes remains unsuccessful and there is a lack of cost-effectiveness or cost-benefit analyses surrounding effective programmes. Despite these drawbacks there is a greater understanding of what constitutes ‘evidence’ and how it can facilitate policy-makers’ selection process when identifying a promising or effective programmes. There is a need to address ongoing outcome and process evaluation, and delivery and resource factors in order to ensure fidelity in programme implementation, and replication of positive outcomes.

Introduction

In 2004, 10% of children aged 5–16 had a clinically diagnosed mental disorder. Boys were more likely to have a disorder, as were children from disrupted families, children with parents with no educational qualifications and children from poorer families in disadvantaged areas (Office for National Statistics 2004). Other studies show that children’s social and emotional well-being is influenced by individual factors, family background, peers, social groups, the school environment, the community and society within which they live (e.g. Lane et al. 2004). As young school children move towards greater independence and autonomy, they become increasingly influenced by factors external to the family. Schools are therefore an excellent environment in which to promote social and emotional learning (SEL) and well-being (Appleton and Hammond-Rowley 2000).

In this paper, we use the term social and emotional well-being as defined by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE 2008), comprising three dimensions with associated indicators:

(1) Emotional well-being (including happiness and confidence, and the opposite of depression).

(2) Psychological well-being (including autonomy, problem solving, resilience and attentiveness/involvement).

(3) Social well-being (good relationships with others, and the opposite of conduct disorder, delinquency, interpersonal violence and bullying).

SEL is the process of developing the ability to recognise and manage emotions, develop caring for others, make responsible decisions, problem solve using non-conflict strategies and establish positive relationships (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL] 2005). Children who demonstrate high levels of social and emotional well-being are likely to do better at school and in life, and educators are recognising the importance of integrating social, emotional and academic factors for effective learning (CASEL 2005). Satisfying children’s emotional needs increases motivation to learn and commitment to school, improves attention and attendance rates and reduces suspension and expulsions (Malecki and Elliott 2002) and impacts on patterns of health inequalities in adulthood (Graham and Power 2004).

Children with emotional and social problems are more likely in later life to experience lower educational attainment, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, drug and alcohol misuse, violence and crime (Adi et al. 2007). An integrated approach, using universal and targeted interventions, could prevent negative behaviours and subsequent costly consequences for the education, health and social services, and the criminal justice system (NICE 2008). The costs of crime alone contributed to individuals with conduct problems is £65 billion per year (Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health 2009).

School-based activities to develop and protect social and emotional well-being should, in light of other influential factors, form one element of a broader, multi-agency strategy (NICE 2008). Other elements may include, for example, the development of policies to improve family life and the social and economic circumstances of children living in disadvantaged circumstances, and good service provision such as childcare in the early years. Recent reports by Tickell (2011) on the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage in England, and also Fields (2010), state the importance of closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers, and SEL programmes could facilitate the achievement of this aim.

In this paper, we look briefly at the risk and promotional factors salient to developing social and emotional well-being. We then provide policy background, from the UK perspective, on social and emotional well-being and the subsequent development of a universal government initiative to enhance child well-being. This is followed by examples of well-evidenced, and promising, interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in increasing social and emotional well-being. Interventions aimed to promote prosocial skills and behaviours, to reduce bullying and disruptive behaviours, and those to improve mental well-being will be included.

The emphasis is on SEL approaches (to promote well-being) currently available in the UK with school-aged children. We then discuss potential issues which affect outcomes or potential scale up of programmes, thereby presenting lessons for policy and practice.

Influences on social and emotional well-being

Socially and emotionally competent individuals typically succeed in life as they are self-aware with a grounded sense of self-confidence, socially aware and empathic, can handle their own emotions and pursue long-term goals, are effective in establishing and maintaining relationships, and are resistant to inappropriate social pressure, and are responsible decision-makers by respecting others.

Individual factors

Individual factors such as cognitive/developmental impairment, impulsiveness, attention deficits and hyperactivity are risk factors against developing or maintaining social and emotional well-being (Sutton, Utting, and Farrington 2004). Interventions for school-aged children that improve parent–child relationships and children’s own cognitive, self-control and social skills can promote well-being and subsequently prevent, or reduce, emotional difficulties and potential antisocial behaviour (Sutton, Utting, and Farrington 2004).

Family and parenting factors

Risk factors for negative child well-being outcomes include poor parental supervision, inconsistent, neglectful or harsh discipline and a failure to set clear expectations for children’s behaviour (Hawkins, Welsh, and Utting 2010). Conversely, positive parenting practices such as effective praise, limit-setting and positive interactions promote self-esteem and social and emotional well-being. Family factors continue to exert an important influence even when children of 9 or 10 begin to value their friends as highly as their parents (Reid and Patterson 1989).

School factors

Geographical location and community factors such as levels of disadvantage can influence well-being. However, schools can positively influence well-being through their ethos, organisation, teaching and disciplinary practices and pastoral care (Farrington and Welsh 2007), thereby encouraging motivation to learn (CASEL 2005). Underachievement emerging during junior school is an important factor for negative life outcomes, with children who perform poorly more likely to truant, and be at risk of negative outcomes such as unemployment (Anderson et al. 2005).

Peer influences

Positive peer relationships play a promotional role by providing opportunities for practicing cooperation, negotiation, compromise, conflict resolution, problem solving and social support (Hartup 1996). Children who associate with antisocial or delinquent peers tend to be those rejected by their wider group of peers (Farrington and Welsh 2007). Emotionally withdrawn children may have difficulties in social skills, social information processing (Harrist et al. 1997), peer group acceptance (Hymel, Bowker, and Woody 1993) and teacher–child relationship (Ladd and Burgess 1999).

UK policy context around SEL

UK government’s interest in interventions that develop social and emotional competencies, are relatively new, emerging largely as a policy shift towards more integrated children’s services under the former Labour government.

Following the Children’s Act of 2004, the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda set out an ambitious framework to reform education and children’s services by reframing young people’s needs around five key outcomes: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being (DfES 2004a). The ECM agenda placed a duty on local authorities to ensure greater cooperation and integration between statutory agencies (e.g. education, social services, health and police) and other bodies such as the voluntary and community and private sector (DfES 2004b).

Theoretical and semantic issues surrounding social and emotional competence were outlined in the Department for Education and Schools’ (DfES) commissioned report, ‘What works in developing children’s emotional and social competence and wellbeing?’ (Weare and Gray 2003). Subsequently a school-based programme was developed in response to the growing evidence (mainly from the USA) of the positive impacts of SEL. The Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme was an ambitious attempt by the DfES (and later the Department of Children Schools and Families [DCSF]) to provide universal SEL support for all pupils at primary level. Disseminated as a programme through the National Strategies (a series of central UK government teaching initiatives), the programme was described as ‘a comprehensive approach to promoting the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning, positive behaviour, regular attendance, staff effectiveness and the emotional health and well being of all who learn and work in schools’. SEAL took a less prescriptive stance than many existing (US) SEL programmes, in that it adopted an enquiry-led approach that encouraged children to explore and develop their own understandings around SEL.

The Primary SEAL guidance stated that children should be evaluated on 42 social, emotional and behavioural skills, yet methodology and direction on how to formally evaluate progress was missing. The DfES commissioned a review of approaches and instruments to assess SEL (Edmunds and Stewart-Brown 2005), but the review failed to make recommendations of explicit standardised instruments to assess SEAL outcomes. SEAL has not been rigorously evaluated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT), that is, by comparing schools implementing SEAL to those without SEAL. The 2003–2005 pilot of Primary SEAL in 25 local authorities was, however, evaluated using simple pre- and post-intervention questionnaires demonstrating positive age-related improvements in social skills and relationships (Hallam, Rhamie, and Shaw 2006). SEAL take-up by primary schools has been good, but variable levels of implementation and fidelity are noticeable. A rigorous evaluation of SEAL is needed, to include full outcome, process and cost-effectiveness evaluations, and ensure that we are supporting our children in the best way possible, without being wasteful of resources.

In were media and policy spotlight following Jonathan Bradhaw’s influential report for UNICEF, in which the UK was ranked bottom out of 21 industrialised nations in a comprehensive comparison of child well-being (UNICEF 2007). Child well-being was measured across six different domains (material well-being, health and safety, education, relationships, behaviours/risks and subjective reporting), drawing on 40 separate indicators relevant to children’s lives. The UNICEF report prompted a much wider,...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Haft Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Citation Information
• Notes on Contributors
• Introduction: Emotional well-being in education policy and practice: the need for interdisciplinary perspectives and a sociological imagination
• 1. Effective evidence-based interventions for emotional well-being: lessons for policy and practice
• 2. Marking time: some methodological and historical perspectives on the ‘crisis of childhood’
• 3. Developing social and emotional aspects of learning: the American experience
• 4. The contribution of religious education to the well-being of pupils
• 5. We need to talk about well-being
• 6. From emotional and psychological well-being to character education: challenging policy discourses of behavioural science and ‘vulnerability’
• 7. Educating the emotions from Gradgrind to Goleman
• 8. What difference does it make? Philosophical perspectives on the nature of well-being and the role of educational practice
• Index