Systematic Literature Review of Simulation-Based Learning for Developing Teacher SEL

This study aims to identify emerging trends in immersive learning research in teacher education in order to provide researchers with insights into research themes and issues for further exploration. Specifically, the researchers scrutinised the research methods, research outcomes, and technologies employed in immersive learning research in teacher education from 2017 to 2023. For this purpose, 192 studies were detected by searching Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Google Scholar indexes, and Springer links. This systematic review ultimately included 34 peer-reviewed, open-access articles. The study identified emerging trends in the current literature and analysed them as sub-dimensions; furthermore, it explored the potential outcomes drawn from immersive learning technologies in the teacher education context. This systematic review builds on previous ones by adding knowledge about the use of state-of-the-art immersive learning technology in teacher education.

Educators, scholars, and policy makers agree that quality research is needed to improve teaching and teacher education (Boote & Beile, 2005; Grossman, 2008; Levine, 2007; Young, 2008). This is especially true in the current climate of increasing pressures to produce research that can guide policy making in an age of standards-based reform and teacher accountability. As pressures to enhance student achievement and teaching practice mount, so too does the demand for better and more rigorous empirical educational research that can inform policies and practice. Critical to this improvement is the preparation and training of educational researchers in doctoral programs. It is often presumed that teacher educators who have completed doctoral programs possess the knowledge and skills to conduct research that can contribute to the knowledge base of teaching and teacher education. It is also expected that the academic work produced by these teacher educators be useful in informing teaching practice, teacher education, and policies. However, much has been written about the lack of rigor and weaknesses in work produced by educational researchers in general and teacher educators in particular. Questions about the value of some contributions to the collective knowledge about teaching and teacher education have been raised (Grossman, 2004, 2008; Lagemann, 2000; Levine, 2007; Lin, Wang, Klecka, Odell, & Spalding, 2010; Mitchell & Haro, 1999; Wilson, 2006; Wilson & Tamir, 2008; Zeichner, 2005). Differences in traditions, purposes, design, and foci among different doctoral programs engendered, in part, by the lack of consensus about standards of good research and complicated by the multiple disciplinary traditions within the field of educational research (Levine, 2007; Metz, 2001) as well as the lack of distinction between PhD and EdD degrees (Shulman, Golde, Bueschel, & Garabedian, 2006) have not helped matters. Although recently some discourse has occurred around improving the preparation of educational researchers in doctoral programs (Labaree, 2003; Levine, 2007; Neumann, Pallas, & Peterson, 2008; Pallas, 2001, Schoenfeld, 1999; Wilson, 2006; Young, 2001; Zeichner, 2005), research about teacher educators and their research preparation in doctoral programs is understudied and in its infancy. (1) Much is still unknown about the links between teacher education programs and subsequent teacher performance and student achievement. A similar gap exists between researcher preparation and the subsequent quality of educational researchers. There is much to be learned about how best to prepare teacher educators in the midst of enduring charges of low-quality research and increasing demands for research that can inform policy and practice. The principal aim of this editorial is to provoke thought and dialogue about how to prepare better teacher educator-researchers in research-focused doctoral programs and propose possible research areas that may be useful to strengthening or rethinking their preparation. Although we recognize that being prepared to be a good teacher educator-researcher in academe encompasses more than simply being prepared to conduct high-quality educational research, such as learning to be a strong teacher and mentor (Chauvot, 2009), we focus our discussion on the research preparation component in doctoral programs to stimulate deeper thought about better practices for preparing and training teacher educator-researchers. We frame our discussion around three questions: What should be learned about research? How should candidates learn to do research? How can learning about and doing research be sustained beyond doctoral programs? What Should Be Learned About Research? Learning about research encompasses many aspects. It is expected generally that in doctoral programs, aspiring educational researchers learn to understand the complexity of research issues from multiple disciplinary traditions of theory and method and situate their work so that it contributes to the collective understanding of the field (Boote & Beile, 2005; Metz, 2001; Golde, 2007; Shulman, 2003; Towne, Wise & Winters, 2005). …

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) plays a crucial role in developing students' emotional intelligence, social skills, and overall well-being. SEL focuses on five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Integrating SEL into English Language Teaching (ELT) aligns these competencies with language learning objectives, fostering improved communication skills and holistic student development. Research indicates that SEL enhances emotional and academic outcomes, increasing student motivation, self-confidence, and peer relationships. In ELT settings, SEL supports a positive learning environment by addressing students' emotional needs, which boosts engagement and reduces anxiety. Despite its benefits, SEL integration faces challenges such as curriculum constraints, limited time and resources, and varying levels of teacher preparedness. Effective integration requires balancing SEL with language goals, providing adequate professional development for teachers, and addressing diverse student needs. While integrating SEL into ELT poses challenges, it promotes resilience, a growth mindset, and better communication skills, contributing to overall student success. To fully capitalize on SEL, educators need ongoing training, and policymakers should support SEL within educational standards. Collaborative efforts among educators, researchers, and policymakers are essential to develop and sustain effective SEL practices, creating a more engaging and supportive learning environment for students. This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges of the integration of SEL in ELT. Keywords: Social Emotional Learning, ELT Classroom, Opportunities, Challenges

ABSTRACTAction research methodology is commonly used in initial teacher education programmes as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student teacher learning. Action research is most often used in tandem with school-based practicum components in the latter stage of programmes as a means of bridging the theory-practice divide. It is also frequently used as a capstone assessment to assure prospective teacher capability for reflective inquiry. The study reported here focuses on the perspectives of teachers who were recent graduates of two initial English language teacher education programmes in Chile, who had undertaken action research projects as part of their degree programme. It also engaged the university-based supervisors who had overseen this work. These experiences are analysed in the context of the guiding epistemological and political foundations of action research. The outcomes of this research suggest that the use of action research in initial teacher education contexts may be more problematic than it is often assumed; particularly, where student teachers’ work is professionally isolated. From this, it is suggested that action research in initial teacher education needs to be conscious of potential constraints in school-based contexts, as these may act to limit the current and prospective impact of this learning experience.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002), introduced nearly 10 years ago, called for scientifically based and evidence-based practices. This 2001 legislation has led to subsequent changes in federal funding policies that encourage the use of a more quantitative approach to measuring cause-and-effect relationships between educational conditions and outcomes to produce generalized findings that can inform policy decision making (Feuer, Towne, & Shavelson, 2002). Consequently, these government policies have spawned debates over what constitutes quality educational research and what direction the development of future educational research should take. (1) In this editorial, we examine the questions of What is quality research? and How can we judge it? by referencing research in teaching and education. We review briefly the landscape and characteristics of research in education. Then, using the National Research Council's (NRC; 2002) guidelines as a framework, we offer ideas about what constitutes quality research in education. Lastly, drawing on our experience reviewing 702 manuscripts submitted to the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) during our inaugural year as editors, we discuss some of the standards that we believe are important for judging the quality of research in education. In doing this, we hope to stimulate discussions about how reviewers and editors evaluate research and how the reporting of research in education can be improved. Traditions of Research in Teaching and Teacher Education During the short history of educational research, two competing approaches to inquiry into teaching and education have emerged. Each importantly, yet differently, shapes the identity of educators as researchers and their relationships with the outside world. During the 1960s and 1970s, teaching and education research methods were heavily influenced and shaped by behavioral and social measurement in psychology (Zeichner, 1999). Much of the education research on process-product and teacher effectiveness in the 1980s likewise derived from behavioral psychology in that it focused on how the behavior of teachers affected student performance and learning (Beattie, 1995; McDonald & Elias, 1976). These earlier research studies commonly assumed that causality was linear and unidirectional: the behavior of the affected the behavior of students, which in turn affected student achievement (e.g., Doyle, 1977; Dunkin & Biddle, 1974; Shulman, 1986; Zeichner, 1999). As the field evolved, the unidirectional conception of causality from behavior to observed student behavior was modified to a bi-directional relationship (Brophy & Good, 1986). Nevertheless, the research designs that dominated this era were primarily quantitative and focused on establishing and testing theoretical assumptions about behavior that could be generalized to various contexts of teaching. Research on how education influenced learning received relatively little attention prior to the 1990s (Zeichner, 1999). The behavioral approach that guided research on teaching and education ultimately had several important effects on research-active educators' identity in academia and their political relationships outside of academe. First, it aligned educators with scientists in academia where the status, prestige, and rewards of its members are determined by how hard the knowledge is that they produce (Labaree, 1998). Second, it pushed educators to be professionals, like those in medicine, who produced and used specialized, shared knowledge that consumers of education relied on to make judgments about the quality of services they received (Sykes & Bird, 1992). Third, it positioned educators closer to the powerful policy world in supplying reliable and verifiable information for furthering policy makers' agendas (Cochran-Smith, 2001; Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005). …

Social emotional well-being has a direct effect on school performance. Students who engage in prosocial peer interactions and feel a connectedness to school are more likely to experience growth in their social emotional competence and academic performance. Often, students who live in high stress environments come to school with inadequate skills in this area, affecting their ability to self-regulate, attend, and interact with others. However, these skills can be directly taught to students and improved through regular instruction and practice. Mindfulness practices serve as a gateway skill for developing social emotional well-being and are becoming more commonly used in the school setting. Using the perspectives of elementary teachers in Pennsylvania who have attended professional development and thus implemented mindfulness practices into their classrooms, an instrumental case study was conducted. The study explored how teachers describe the effects of mindfulness practices on their students' social emotional well-being, classroom climate, and overall academic performance. Nine elementary teachers in public schools in Pennsylvania participated in the study, which included a semi-structured interview and completion of a participant journal. All teachers had participated in at least eight hours of district-provided professional development series and had implemented mindfulness practices into their classrooms at least three times per week. The interviews were analyzed to gain insight into the participants' perspectives of their professional development, their personal and professional experiences with mindfulness practices, and the perceived effects of mindfulness practices on the students in their classrooms. Four thematic findings emerged: (a) opportunities for professional development, (b) personal mindfulness practices of teachers, (c) social emotional learning and mindfulness practices in the classroom, and (d) the effects of mindfulness practices on students in the classroom setting. From the findings, four results were drawn regarding the implications of implementing mindfulness in school settings. First, teachers expressed the need and desire for ongoing, supported professional development. Secondly, the teacher serves as a model in the classroom, establishing an environment in which desired, prosocial behaviors and social emotional competence are modeled for students. Thirdly, the data analysis showed that the implementation of mindfulness practices can serve as a means to develop social emotional competence in students. Finally, the analysis of participant responses indicated that mindfulness practices had a positive effect on student learning and classroom interactions. The study concluded and recommended implementing mindfulness practices into school settings with potential benefits for administrators and teachers as well as students. This recommendation begins with recognizing the importance of social emotional learning for students and supporting both pre-service and practicing teachers in the development of their own social emotional well-being. Given the impact of social emotional learning on all facets of education, administrators and educational leaders should advocate for support and funding for programs that would support social emotional development in school settings. Recommendations for future research include expanding the study to additional sites or extended years of implementation, an in-depth examination of professional development opportunities and structure, consideration of the educational leader's role in encouraging social emotional learning and self-care for educators, analysis of mindfulness programs implemented with fidelity, and the addition of student and family perceptions of mindfulness practices into the current research base. Keywords: social emotional learning, mindfulness practices, prosocial classroom, emotional intelligence, professional development

Professional development of teachers is essential for successful education in every country due to the technological developments and changes in social and economic textures of the societies. Science achievement of the students may relate to the professional development of the teachers. Due to that fact science teachers need to improve themselves throughout their careers to update their knowledge, skills, attitudes and approaches in light of the development of new teaching techniques and objectives, new conditions and educational research. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 (TIMSS) provided valuable data about professional development of science teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to determine and compare the science teachers’ professional development affecting the 8th grade students’ science achievement in Singapore, Korea and Turkey by using the data from TIMSS 2015. The countries in this study have different teacher training and professional development approaches so the examining and comparing practices related to professional development of different countries may give a detailed picture of how beneficial their policies are. In this quantitative research the sample consisted of 5309 Korean, 4257 Singaporean, and 6079 Turkish students and 220 teachers from Korea and Turkey each and 334 from Singapore. It is aimed to find out the relationship between the participation of professional development of teachers and science achievement of the students. In addition to that, the determinants regard to science teachers' professional development affecting the science achievement of the students is determined and compared by using regression analysis. As a result of the study, relationship and the most significant determinant between science achievement and science teachers’ professional development in three countries can be determined.

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to evaluate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) implementation in academic colleges of education. The article offers a conceptual framework for ICT implementation within teacher education in the information era, which combines an array of frameworks and addresses the needs of teacher education. Background: The study examines the components of ICT implementation within the training as perceived by teacher educators in these colleges, their attitudes towards the contribution of ICT for teaching and learning, and the available conditions and resources in these colleges for ICT implementation in teaching. Methodology: A mixed methodology of quantitative and qualitative nature was utilized. A questionnaire was developed including a set of sequential steps. The sample that responded to the questionnaire included 615 faculty members, which were approximately 25% of the population of lecturers in 8 colleges of education. Contribution: The results enabled insights regarding success and challenges in the implementation of the computerization program. It supplies policymakers as well as practitioners with updated data and enables evidence-based decision-making. Findings: Use of ICT by faculty shows two key factors: basic ICT use and advance collaborative use. Use in teacher training was divided into 5 factors: information management, advanced technological methods, project-based learning, display of information, and learning organization. Two factors were related to the students’ use of ICT in their teaching: integrating ICT in classroom activity, and usage for distance learning. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for practitioners include empowering the efficiency of ICT implementation, thereby transforming teaching and learning; training pre-service teachers to utilize advanced ICT tools that encourage collaboration, problem-based learning; utilization of the tool developed and used in this study for decision-making and assessing ICT implementation in teacher training; and highlighting the role of the teacher educator as a major factor in translating educators’ beliefs and modelling for students. Recommendation for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers include identifying the possibilities of utilizing the proposed tool in their research and development plans within their teacher training institutes, as a means of assessing the nature of ICT implementation in their teacher education programs. Impact on Society: ICT implementation in education has an impact on the future generation of students, as citizens of the knowledge society and lifelong learners. Teacher educators are at the heart of this process; hence, developing and implementing a tool to measure as well as encourage a paradigm shift in teaching and learning is of utmost importance. Future Research: Future research should include examining the utilization of the developed tool in diverse contexts, as well as using it as an indicator for comparing ICT implementation processes and models between institutes, and for examining the implementation process from a longitudinal point of view, from pre-service education throughout the TPD (Teacher Professional Development) as an in-service teacher.

The teacher education programs are important in determining professional competencies that are needed to practice effectively in the classroom in the modern educational contexts. With the current upheaval in the education systems across the world, following technological changes, services of professionally competent teachers, globalization, and competency-based education systems, the need to have professionally competent teachers has been heightened. This research article focuses on the correlation between teacher education programs and teacher professional competency development, including pedagogical knowledge, subject mastery, classroom management, assessment literacy, digital competence, inclusive practices, and reflective teaching. The research design it assumes is a mixed-method research which includes surveys, structured interviews, observation in classrooms, and a review of documents among the selected teacher training institutions and practicing teachers. Quantitative data were evaluated with the help of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, and qualitative data were evaluated with the help of the thematic analysis. The results show that there is a positive correlation between the quality of teacher preparation programs and classroom performance of teachers which is significant. The programs with a high focus on practicum experiences, structured mentorship, reflective teaching, collaborative learning, and competency-based assessment showed greater results in the development of professional competencies. Nevertheless, the integration of technology, training of inclusive education, and the correspondence of theoretical courses and classroom realities were found to be deficient. The research findings conclude that teacher education needs to be changed to the models of content transmission to competency-based, practice-based models based on school contexts. It has policy suggestions of reinforcing school-university associations, incorporating online learning, increasing inclusive education courses, improving mentoring platforms, and setting competence-based examination criteria. The results have significant implications on policy makers, curriculum developers, teacher educators and accreditation institutions that want to improve classroom performance by introducing thorough teacher preparation reforms.

Purpose This study aims to critically explore how professional identities of immigrant non-native English-speaking (NNES) teachers in Australia evolve over time and how these processes can be conceptualised through Hybrid Relational Onto-Epistemology (HROE). The paper seeks to decentre anthropocentric knowledge paradigms in qualitative research by incorporating Eastern and Western epistemologies within a processual and relational approach. By examining how professional identity is shaped by lived experiences, relationality and spatial-temporal entanglements, the study contributes to advancing qualitative methodologies that embrace fluidity, multiplicity and ethical co-emergence in qualitative research. Design/methodology/approach This article introduces HROE, an evolving qualitative research methodology that interweaves four vectors: temporality, spatiality, embodied materiality and relationality. HROE reconfigures qualitative inquiry by integrating insights from an extensive body of literature and a long-term empirical study employing hermeneutic phenomenology and narrative inquiry. It examines how immigrant NNES teachers in Australia shape their professional identities through lived experiences over time. HROE responds to the call to decentre anthropocentrism by running Eastern onto-epistemologies—Jñana Vidya, Marifat, Mohism and Zhishí Lilùn—and Western philosophies of becoming and differentiation through the four vectors. This approach produces a decentred, processual understanding of knowledge and identity formation, offering a methodological alternative to Western-centric, human-centered paradigms. HROE demonstrates how these concepts unfold iteratively through the four vectors, generating relational creativity, iterative self-overcoming and ethical co-emergence as emergent epistemic forces. By applying HROE to narrative data, this paper illustrates how NNES teachers co-construct professional identity as an ongoing, co-emergent process, shaped by the dynamic interplay of temporality, spatiality, embodied materiality and relationality. It foregrounds how diverse lived experiences continuously reshape ethically attuned professional development, advancing a transversal and embedded methodological orientation that embraces becoming as fluid and differentiation as relationally situated. In doing so, HROE fosters practical and philosophical tools to reimagine relational ontologies in qualitative research, where knowing and being unfold as intertwined, rather than separate, domains. Findings Findings reveal that NNES teachers' professional identities are co-constructed through processual and iterative engagements with temporality, spatiality, embodied materiality and relationality. The study highlights how diverse onto-epistemic methods elucidate the evolving nature of professional becoming, shaped by affective and institutional entanglements. Teacher professionals actively negotiate linguistic hierarchies, cultural expectations and policy structures while constructing cosmopolitan English teaching identities. The application of HROE demonstrates that professional identity formation is not linear but an emergent, co-constitutive process that unfolds across multiple, intersecting spaces—both material and digital—challenging static models of teacher development. Research limitations/implications While this study advances HROE as a methodological alternative for qualitative inquiry, its findings are contextually situated within the experiences of NNES teaching professionals in Australia. Future research should apply HROE across diverse professional contexts to explore its broader applicability. Additionally, methodological engagement with Indigenous and African epistemologies could further enhance its decolonial and transversal potential. The study invites qualitative researchers to rethink knowledge production beyond Western paradigms, advocating for ethically engaged, relational and processual approaches in professional identity research. Practical implications This research provides educators, policymakers and teacher educators with insights into how NNES teachers construct and negotiate their professional identities within evolving educational milieus. The study underscores the importance of mentorship, intercultural pedagogies and professional networks in fostering inclusive and cosmopolitan professional identities. By applying HROE, teacher education programs can shift from standardised, competency-based models to more fluid, relational and transformative approaches that recognise the affective, embodied and spatial-temporal dimensions of professional development. Social implications By challenging linguistic hierarchies and anthropocentric research paradigms, this study contributes to broader discussions on social justice and equity in education. It highlights the systemic barriers that NNES teachers face and how relational, embodied and affective engagements can foster more inclusive educational spaces. The research underscores the need for policies that value multilingual and transnational expertise in teacher recruitment and professional development. HROE offers a methodological lens for reimagining knowledge production, emphasising ethical co-emergence, relational creativity and diverse ways of knowing in educational research. Originality/value This study introduces and operationalizes HROE as a novel methodological approach for qualitative research. By integrating Eastern and Western epistemologies, it decentres anthropocentric paradigms and provides a relational, processual alternative to dominant research methodologies. The study contributes empirical and theoretical insights into how NNES teachers construct professional identities through lived experiences. It advances qualitative methodologies that foreground relationality, temporality, spatiality and embodied materiality—offering a valuable orientation for researchers seeking to move beyond static, Western-centric paradigms in educational and professional identity research.

This paper examined the contemporary teacher training and professional development in Nigeria as an example of the experiences in developing countries of the world. Against the background of the ascendancy of information and communications technologies in all aspects of human life this study attempted to situate the concept of Information and Communication technology at the centre of the pre-service training and continuing professional development of the Nigerian teacher. A review of some of the major challenges confronting the nation in terms of adopting a technology driven teacher education model was carried out. It also explored the potentials of ICTs for and in teachers’ professional development in Nigeria and developing countries of the world. Consequently, proposing a model of a sustainable teacher training and professional development for Nigeria and other developing countries, within the functional framework of the Information and Communication Technologies was developed to indicate how ICTs could be gradually introduced into the school systems. The study conclude by further highlighting the benefits that Nigeria and other developing countries stand to gain by adopting an ICT driven approach for the pre-service and in-service training and professional development of teachers.

The theme of accountability currently permeates conversations about education at every level, including teacher education and professional development. In our Call for Manuscripts for this theme issue, we invited empirical or conceptual manuscripts addressing assessment and accountability in teacher education that would move the community forward in considering the topics both more precisely and with greater complexity. The range of suggested subtopics and questions within assessment and accountability in teacher education was broad to elicit a wide range of responses. In general, we asked, Who is to be held accountable? For what? And by whom? As we reviewed the many excellent submissions, one predominant response to these questions centered on value-added modeling (VAM) approaches to accountability. Although this is only one of several answers to the questions we asked, it is one that has important intended and unintended consequences for various stakeholders in teacher education, including beginning teachers, mentor teachers, administrators, teacher educators, higher education institutions, and policy makers. Emergence of Value-Added Models for Teacher Education The rise of interest in VAM for teacher education is related to the search for the definition of teacher quality that has emerged as a primary factor in determination of K-12 student performance, probably as a confluence of a number of events (see Knight, 2011). The Tennessee study (Sanders & Horn, 1998), a landmark study using random assignment of teachers and students to classrooms, firmly established the advantage for students of having a high-quality teacher over a number of years. For many years, educators had struggled with the seemingly intractable socioeconomic factors related to poor student performance. The notion of teacher quality appeared to be manipulable and constituted a viable approach for closing student achievement gaps. Not only do teachers make a difference but their effectiveness can potentially be assessed, rewarded, and improved through recruitment, incentives, and/or professional development. No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top funding and legislation served to popularize the VAM approach for determination of teacher quality. Given the emphasis on teacher professional development as a contributor to teacher quality, the application of VAM approaches for teacher education accountability may have appeared to be an obvious connection to policy makers (see Floden, 2012 [this issue]). Despite the rather limited evidence of the impacts of teacher preparation programs on student achievement (Duckworth, Quinn, & Seligman, 2009), many policy makers concluded that the quality of teacher education preparation, as with individual teachers, can potentially be assessed, rewarded, and improved--or removed if necessary. However, just as VAM applied to determination of individual teacher quality resulted in a number of methodological, ethical, and other concerns, VAM used to determine the quality of teacher education programs carries similar concerns as well as others specific to teacher education. Possibilities and Limitations of VAM for Teacher Education In February 2012, Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) sponsored a Major Forum at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting in Chicago that featured research using VAM for assessment of the quality of teacher education programs in several states and commentaries that focused participants on both the possibilities as well as the limitations of this approach. Participants agreed that the framing of VAM as a policy issue is important and that much is at stake as we consider the education of teachers and the education of young people in this country. Federal and state governments are investing a great deal of money in value-added assessment systems, and the consequences of policy implementation are complex and significant. …

In this presentation I propose children’s literature as an effective tool to teach social emotional learning in the classroom. Social emotional learning has increasingly become a focus in many Canadian schools. Social emotional learning has been defined in many ways but is usually accepted to be a combination of developing children’s abilities to self-regulate their feelings, understand and display empathy and make responsible choices. These are skills that can benefit children in a variety of ways that includes increasing self-esteem, reducing conflicts with peers or family members and developing resiliency. Although social emotional skills like empathy are essential for the adequate moral development of children, there is little communication as to the ways qualities like empathy can become teachable skills. This poses a challenge to classroom teachers who are not receiving training or professional development from Social Emotional Learning organizations or research bodies but wish to incorporate elements of the theory into their existing practice and routines. Although some organizations offer scripted lessons and programming to be used in the classroom, programs alone may not be enough. Locally developed resources created for peer-to-peer sharing amongst teachers allow for greater integration and have the added benefit of being customized for each teacher’s unique learning community. This presentation will focus on the integration of social emotional learning at the classroom level using a children’s literature approach. I share some of the resources I have created for this purpose.

PurposeRecently, the pace of pedagogical change in the field of social-emotional learning (SEL) has increased worldwide; hence, there is a greater need to understand and promote social-emotional elements in education systems. The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of SEL content and practices in the curricula of teacher-education courses while being mindful of the principles underlying teacher–student relationships.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative methodology, data were collected from 55 students enrolled in three courses taught at a college in Israel. The participants wrote reflections on their SEL experiences, which were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe students’ responses revealed various practices and themes that significantly affected their personal and professional development, among them, the relationships in the classroom, both among the preservice students themselves and between them and the teaching staff. The participants also noted that the SEL components of the course influenced the quality of learning and the development of a professional identity that is actively attuned to elements of SEL.Research limitations/implicationsBy introducing SEL early in the preservice stage, preservice teachers learn to create safe and supportive environments for their future students, thus improving students’ academic achievements, behavior and well-being.Originality/valueThe study underscores the importance of embedding SEL in the teacher-education curricula and its influence on both preservice teachers’ learning experience and the formulation of their image as future teachers while highlighting the significant role of teacher–student relationships in promoting healthy personal and professional development.

<title>Abstract</title> <italic>In the context of growing concerns over learners’ mental health and disengagement in test-driven environments, there is an urgent need to reimagine assessment as a catalyst for holistic development. This study examined the impact of integrating Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies into classroom assessment on pupil well-being, academic engagement, resilience, and mental health outcomes in basic schools across Ghana. Conducted in six public schools from three geographically diverse regions (urban, peri-urban, and rural), the study utilized a pre-test/post-test control group design involving 360 pupils aged 10–15 years. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 180), which received SEL-integrated assessment practices, or a control group (n = 180), which continued with traditional assessments. Standardized psychometric instruments the MHC–SF, SEI, CD-RISC-10, and DASS-21 were used to assess key outcomes at two time points. Results showed significant improvements in overall well-being in the SEL group (F(1, 357) = 15.62</italic> , p <italic>&lt; .001, η² = 0.08</italic> , d <italic>= 0.57), with increases across emotional (η² = 0.07), social (η² = 0.06), and psychological (η² = 0.07) subdomains. Regression analysis indicated that SEL exposure significantly predicted higher well-being (β = 0.42</italic> , p <italic>&lt; .001</italic> , R² <italic>= 0.24), with stronger effects among females (β = 0.19</italic> , p <italic>= .045). Academic engagement also improved substantially (F(1, 357) = 18.74</italic> , p <italic>&lt; .001, η² = 0.09</italic> , d <italic>= 0.61), with gains in cognitive (β = 0.37), behavioral (β = 0.35), and emotional (β = 0.40) engagement (</italic> R² <italic>= 0.26). Teacher–pupil relationships (β = 0.38) and peer collaboration (β = 0.36) were also significantly enhanced. Regarding resilience, the SEL group scored higher overall (F(1, 357) = 10.45</italic> , p <italic>= .001, η² = 0.06</italic> , d <italic>= 0.49), particularly in emotional regulation (β = 0.33), adaptability (β = 0.32), and confidence under pressure (β = 0.38). Most critically, SEL-integrated assessment significantly reduced pupils’ mental health symptoms, including stress (F = 10.83, β = -0.34), anxiety (F = 11.67, β = -0.36), and depression (F = 12.90, β = -0.38), with an overall reduction in emotional distress (F(1, 357) = 12.78</italic> , p <italic>&lt; .001, η² = 0.07</italic> , d <italic>= 0.52). Resilience was found to significantly moderate the relationship between SEL exposure and improved mental health (β = -0.31</italic> , p <italic>= .004</italic> , R²Δ <italic>= 0.05). These findings affirm the transformative power of embedding SEL competencies into assessment practices, offering robust evidence for policy adoption in Ghana’s basic education system under SDG 4.7. The study recommends teacher training and systemic alignment to foster holistic development across cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial domains.</italic>