INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHANGES IN EDUCATION
Research Article
Feb 25, 2025 1 0

The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence

Thomas Lee Morgan 1 * ,
Amie Beth Cieminski 2,
Suzanne Marmo 3,
Keisha Kayon Morgan 4
1 Community Impact, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, USA2 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, University of Northern Colorado, USA3 School of Education and Human Development, Fairfield University, USA4 College of Education, Nursing, and Health Professions, University of Hartford, USA* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(1), 2025, 29-38, https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
Publication date: Feb 25, 2025
Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

School leaders are integrating social and emotional skills content into their academic curriculumto create a supportive learning environment and improve the implicit curriculum. The Generation Schools Network (GSN) Advocacy Program is a comprehensive, multi-component schoolwide initiative designed to promote students’ social-emotional competence, college and career readiness, and academic success. Overall, theGSN Advocacy Program represents a holistic approach that promotes the interconnectedness of social-emotional development and academic success, aiming to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities they will encounter. The study aimed to test for baseline equivalence between the comparison and intervention groups regarding school climate, leadership, school connectedness, emotional distress, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. This quasi-experimental process compared secondary students in the intervention group (125) participating in the yearlong GSN Advocacy Program with students in the comparison group (115). After controlling for preassessment variables of social-emotional competence, the analysis of covariance revealed significant improvements among students in the intervention group for total social-emotional competence and constructs of school climate and school connectedness. The program’s multicomponent approach, including structural support through professional development for implementers and specific social-emotional learning lessons, helped students develop social-emotional skills. Accordingly, students also demonstrated increased interaction with others, an improved sense of school connectedness, and an enhanced ability to handle emotional distress, which is crucial for academic stressors. This study suggests that the multi-component approach, including student-centered social-emotional competency instruction and environmental focus, engendered the intervention group’s acquisition of social-emotional skills. Accordingly, by adopting a multi-component approach that addresses these various aspects of social-emotional programming, school leaders can create a holistic support system that nurtures students’ social-emotional competence, resilience, and overall well-being. This comprehensive approach enhances students’ academic success and equips them with the skills and attitudes necessary for success beyond the classroom.

KEYWORDS

school climate advocacy program social-emotional learning school-based intervention

CITATION (APA)

Morgan, T. L., Cieminski, A. B., Marmo, S., & Morgan, K. K. (2025). The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence. International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
Harvard
Morgan, T. L., Cieminski, A. B., Marmo, S., and Morgan, K. K. (2025). The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence. International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(1), pp. 29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
Vancouver
Morgan TL, Cieminski AB, Marmo S, Morgan KK. The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2025;2(1):29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
AMA
Morgan TL, Cieminski AB, Marmo S, Morgan KK. The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2025;2(1), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
Chicago
Morgan, Thomas Lee, Amie Beth Cieminski, Suzanne Marmo, and Keisha Kayon Morgan. "The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence". International Journal of Changes in Education 2025 2 no. 1 (2025): 29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852
MLA
Morgan, Thomas Lee et al. "The Effect of the Advocacy Social-Emotional Learning Program on Emotional Competence". International Journal of Changes in Education, vol. 2, no. 1, 2025, pp. 29-38. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE42022852

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