Social, Emotional Education (SEE) Teacher Professional Development Programme: A strategy to increase wellbeing in the South-West of England

Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)

Dr Eleni Dimitrellou was awarded a ESRC IAA Impact Co-creation award to work with Devon County Council to co-develop the Social, Emotional Education (SEE) Teacher Professional Development Programme, equipping teachers with the training and skills needed to build stronger relationships with students facing social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH). 

The challenge

Recent research indicates a decline in children’s well-being in the UK over the last decade, with SEMH the second most common need for special education support. Students with SEMH difficulties are likely to be absent from school either due to fixed-term exclusions or because they choose not to turn up.  

Simultaneously, teachers’ own mental health needs have also increased, with over half reporting high levels of stress caused in part by disruptive classroom environments and low self-efficacy in managing students' behaviour. Consequently, a recent UK survey indicates that 16% of teachers plan to leave in two years, and 41% plan to be gone within five, highlighting the pressing nature of the matter.  

Research has shown that teachers who have developed a set of social and emotional competencies are in a better position to overcome challenges. Meanwhile, meta-analytic evidence suggests that students who develop a set of socioemotional learning (SEL) skills are more likely to demonstrate positive behaviour, maintain regular school attendance, and achieve academic success. This highlighted the need for a programme that promotes SEL skills and resilience in both teachers and students.  

What was done to help

Knowledge exchange between the University of Exeter project team and various external consultants and educational psychologists, including those provided by Devon County Council, led to the co-creation of a course structure. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with teachers to determine exactly which areas the course should target and content and activities were decided upon. 

“We know that social and emotional learning is a critical component of a young person’s development. By giving teachers the right tools, strategies and resources they need, we can cultivate supportive and inclusive classrooms that nurture a sense of belonging for every student.”

Dr Eleni Dimitrellou, senior lecturer at the University of Exeter School of Education 

The course aimed to enable secondary teachers to develop their own socioemotional learning, learn different strategies to develop a safe classroom environment, consider a range of different pedagogies that can be used to foster student SEL in their regular teaching practice, and gain understanding of how to explicitly infuse socioemotional-oriented teaching in their subject topic. 

Two webinars were held initially to promote the course, titled, “The power of Us: Relational Approaches to Teaching and Learning” and “Supporting Those Who Support: Enhancing Teachers’ Mental Health through SEL” respectively, with a combined 147 attendees.

The results 

“It's helped my teaching and who I am as a teacher. Rather than me forcing them to do it… I was able to get them to almost want to do it themselves” Student teacher 

Before the course, 66% of participants rated a range of SEL competency skills, knowledge and embedding into practice as poor. After the course, 0 participants selected the poor rating with an overall increase of the good to very good ratings, suggesting that all participants that engaged in the course increased in their confidence and beliefs.   

“Much of it reinforced our approach but it has also enabled us to structure potential new staff CPD in line with the same structures as the course.  It has also enabled us to create and review some aspects of our work - around reflection specifically” Teacher

85 teachers enrolled on the course at launch, and the course will be live for a further 2 years. To find out more information or enrol, click here. 

The project increased exposure and awareness of the course within the education community, increased the number of organisations willing to support a future funding bid and strengthened relationships between academic and non-academic institutions, highlighting the value of knowledge exchange.