03/24/2022
By Lizzie Casanave

The School of Education invites you to attend an Ed.D. Dissertation Defense by Joshua Romano on “Increasing Academic Readiness Through Integrating Social-Emotional Learning in the Classroom.”

Date: Thursday, April 7
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: This will be a virtual dissertation defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should contact Stacy_Szczesiul@uml.edu to request access to the Zoom link.

Dissertation Chair: Stacy Szczesiul, Ed.D. Associate Dean of Online Education, Accreditation & Licensing, Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Dissertation Committee:

  • John McKenna, Ph.D., School of Education, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Robert Serino, Ph.D.

Abstract:
The development of Social-Emotional Learning competencies can have a profound impact on student success, helping students build connections to their school, teachers, and peers, overcome challenges, and develop academic habits that foster academic and personal success. In high schools SEL skills are often taught in isolation from academic subjects, partitioned off to Advisory classes or school-wide assemblies, or viewed as the domain of student support staff and not classroom teachers. This study examined the impact of embedding SEL instruction in core subject lesson plans, evaluating the impact of classroom-embedded SEL instruction on students’ knowledge of and application of SEL competencies; student sense of school connectedness and belonging; and students’ academic success. Teachers received in-service training on SEL instruction and worked collaboratively to develop lessons that integrated the SEL competencies of Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, and Social Awareness into their lessons. Students in these teacher’s classes were administered surveys in the fall of the 2021-2022 school year to assess knowledge of SEL competencies, as well as a school climate survey to measure connectedness to school and feelings of belonging. Following classroom-embedded instruction, students took a post-survey in SEL competencies and school climate and participated in focus groups to evaluate the impact of the lessons. Data were also collected on student grades, attendance, and referral to the Student Support Team, as well as lesson documents.