Promoting social and emotional learning in schools: An investigation of massed versus distributed practice schedules and social validity of the Strong Kids curriculum in late elementary aged students.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This dissertation study investigated an evidence-based social and emotional learning curriculum---Strong Kids---as a universal program to better understand how to best implement social and emotional learning programs for optimal outcomes. Specifically, student and teacher outcomes were evaluated using Strong Kids in mass and distributed practice schedules with two differing experimental conditions: a mass practice schedule of two lessons per week for 6 weeks where there is less rest time between lessons, and a distributed practice schedule of one lesson per week for 12 weeks where there is more rest time between lessons. Pilot studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Strong Kids, but there has not been a study to date that has examined practice schedules of the Strong Kids curriculum under two different treatment conditions. Efforts examining social validity are also limited. A large sample of 4th and 5th grade students in 10 general education classrooms participated. Pre and post measures were conducted to examine student outcomes. Social validity through teacher interviews and student surveys were evaluated. Results of this study indicated statistically significant increases in knowledge of social and emotional concepts and decreases in symptoms from both study groups. Effect size analyses showed clinically meaningful effects only for knowledge. Significant differences were not found between the two treatment groups. Overall, teachers and students indicated strong user satisfaction and social validity of the Strong Kids curriculum. The Distributed Condition of the 12 weeks schedule practice was viewed as having greater feasibility than the Mass Condition of 6 weeks. Implications for practice, applicability, continued refinement of the Strong Kids curriculum, study limitations, and future research efforts are discussed.