Investigating the Impact of Student SEL Education on Teacher Burnout, Satisfaction, and Well-Being
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
The importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) education in early education settings has become increasingly vital as mental health concerns in children are on the rise. While research focusing on the importance of SEL education in the mitigation of problem behaviors and mental health concerns in children has grown over the last decade, little research has explored the impact this SEL education has on teachers. As part of their job, teachers interact and engage with children daily as part of their workplace responsibilities. As burnout rates among educators continue to rise, due to increasing job demands and responsibilities, student SEL education that integrates teachers into the learning and skill development process has the potential to enhance educators' work-life quality and overall well-being. As such, the proposed research seeks to investigate the impact student SEL education has on teacher reported burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being. Teachers whose students participate in SEL education will complete self-report measures of burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being throughout the academic year. Focus groups will also be conducted to gather feedback to better understand the specific elements of SEL currculum that may have an indirect effect on teachers’ wellbeing. We will analyze the quantitative comparison of means from the assessments given to teachers, along with a thematic analysis of the focus groups. As turnover in education continues to rise, it is imperative that wellbeing of teachers becomes a priority. Therefore, the importance of finding currciulum or SEL programming that is low-burden while also enhances teacher well-being, could possibly help reduce burnout and improve retention in a field that is crucial to children’s development.
Date
11-9-2024
Subject
Industrial and organizational psychology
Document Type
posters
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Investigating the Impact of Student SEL Education on Teacher Burnout, Satisfaction, and Well-Being
The importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) education in early education settings has become increasingly vital as mental health concerns in children are on the rise. While research focusing on the importance of SEL education in the mitigation of problem behaviors and mental health concerns in children has grown over the last decade, little research has explored the impact this SEL education has on teachers. As part of their job, teachers interact and engage with children daily as part of their workplace responsibilities. As burnout rates among educators continue to rise, due to increasing job demands and responsibilities, student SEL education that integrates teachers into the learning and skill development process has the potential to enhance educators' work-life quality and overall well-being. As such, the proposed research seeks to investigate the impact student SEL education has on teacher reported burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being. Teachers whose students participate in SEL education will complete self-report measures of burnout, job satisfaction, and well-being throughout the academic year. Focus groups will also be conducted to gather feedback to better understand the specific elements of SEL currculum that may have an indirect effect on teachers’ wellbeing. We will analyze the quantitative comparison of means from the assessments given to teachers, along with a thematic analysis of the focus groups. As turnover in education continues to rise, it is imperative that wellbeing of teachers becomes a priority. Therefore, the importance of finding currciulum or SEL programming that is low-burden while also enhances teacher well-being, could possibly help reduce burnout and improve retention in a field that is crucial to children’s development.
Department
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology