ERIC Number: ED655777
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun-28
Pages: 88
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Supporting Social-Emotional Development in Preschoolers: Implementation Evaluation of the PEDALS Program. Research Report. RR-A3269-1
Elaine Lin Wang; Nastassia Reed; Christopher Joseph Doss; Jill S. Cannon
RAND Corporation
Though early childhood educators have a long history of emphasizing learning through play to foster the development of the whole child, including social-emotional competencies, the proliferation of formal social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula first seen in kindergarten to 12th grade has expanded to prekindergarten. This report presents initial implementation findings of the Positive Emotional Development and Learning Skills (PEDALS) program, an SEL program in prekindergarten classrooms in Western and Central New York and Southeast Michigan. PEDALS is a two-year program that combines the Second Step Early Learning SEL curriculum with comprehensive supports for teachers and site directors. Findings indicate that educators perceived the Second Step curriculum, PEDALS training, and PEDALS coaching support very favorably; strongly believed in supporting children's social-emotional development; and had a strong sense of self-efficacy for doing so. Observations indicated that educators were highly skilled in implementing Second Step lessons; however, teachers used strategies less consistently when children were having a difficult time or experiencing interpersonal conflict. Educators identified PEDALS resources for developing children's social-emotional competencies as the factors that provided the most implementation support; meanwhile, they identified some contextual factors, such as children's challenging behavior and lack of planning time, as the factors that most hindered implementation. Preliminary findings suggest that many preconditions for effective SEL instruction were met. This implementation study is a part of a larger evaluation of PEDALS that also will estimate the effect of the program on children's SEL and executive functioning skills. A second report will be published at the study's conclusion. [Additional funding from the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York.]
Descriptors: Preschool Children, Social Development, Emotional Development, Social Emotional Learning, Curriculum Implementation, Curriculum, Teacher Attitudes, Barriers
RAND Corporation. P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138. Tel: 877-584-8642; Tel: 310-451-7002; Fax: 412-802-4981; e-mail: order@rand.org; Web site: http://www.rand.org
Related Records: ED662320
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation
Authoring Institution: RAND Social and Economic Well-Being; RAND Education and Labor
Identifiers - Location: New York; Michigan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A