Impact of a School-based, Social-Emotional, and Character Development Program
Tara Urban, MAT & Kimberly Wilson, PhD, CCC-SLP
Abstract
Schools seem to be missing a crucial element to guide students to a future full of success, not only in academics but overall life courses. The present study examined the impacts of a pilot program, CruTime. The study used an interventional design to determine outcomes on social-emotional learning and character development. The researcher collected data from students and proposed that after fifteen lessons students would make statistically significant gains in Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social-Awareness, Relationships, and Decision-Making skills. It was also hypothesized that those in the younger grades (K-2nd) would make greater gains than those in the older grades (3rd-5th). First, descriptive statistics were reported for student scores on the pre- and posttest survey, by question. Items on the survey were combined to create composite variables and one sample t tests were computed, and independent samples t tests were computed to examine statistical differences in gains in the composite variables. As predicted, results from the one sample t test indicated that students scored higher in all composite variables at posttest administration than they did at pretest administration. Results indicated that there was no statically significant difference in gains made on Self-Awareness between those in primary and those in intermediate grades. However, results indicated that students in the primary group outgained those in the intermediate group in the remaining composite variables. The results indicate a social-emotional and character development program would benefit all students. Further research is needed to determine how future lessons could be used for effective, long lasting social-emotional and character development.