Degree Date

4-2024

Document Type

Dissertation - Public Access

Degree Name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Academic Discipline

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Geri Chesner

Abstract

There has been a change in student behavior and social-emotional competence following the isolation, independence, and disjointed nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of our efforts to engage students in learning, many are not emotionally available to participate in or avail themselves of the learning process. Through this study, I connected the potential development of collective teacher efficacy through utilizing a professional learning community (PLC) model, which focused on addressing students' lagging social-emotional skills in the middle school setting. This research aimed to determine if collective efficay and PLCs with a central focus on social-emotional learning could yield growth in such student skills as perseverance and grit, collaboration, and communication. These findings, while inconclusive, provide a glimpse into the potential of this practice and may inform future decisions concerning planning for and prioritizing collaboration and commitment to explicitly instructing social-emotional skill development in adolescent learners. Immediate action must be taken to address our students’ social-emotional needs. This research illuminated the potential of intentional, collaborative practices designed to foster students’ development of social-emotional competency skills. Explicit instruction on the targeted student skills may yield gains in students’ ability to navigate social-emotional challenges, and the impact on collective teacher efficacy is also promising.

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