Date of Conferral

4-1-2025

Date of Award

April 2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Kimberley Alkins

Abstract

Educators have agreed that an education should include the development of social-emotional competencies and conflict resolution (CR) skills. However, only some social-emotional learning (SEL) programs are designed to promote mastery of CR skills. The problem this study addressed was the increase in behavioral incidents in public Colorado elementary schools despite incorporation by kindergarten to sixth (K–6) grade teachers of SEL instruction to prevent student conflict. The purpose of this study was to explore Grade K–6 teachers' successes, challenges, and suggestions for improvements to incorporate CR instruction into SEL curricula at public Colorado elementary schools. Bandura's social learning theory and the collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning served as the study’s frameworks. Two research questions addressed K–6 teachers’ successes and challenges incorporating CR instruction and their suggestions for improved implementation of CR instruction into SEL curricula at Colorado elementary schools. In this basic qualitative study, semistructured individual interviews were conducted with 10 K–6 teachers with 2 or more years of experience implementing SEL curricula. Data were inductively analyzed, resulting in four themes. Aligned with the first research question, two themes described implementation obstacles, namely ineffective curriculum and a lack of partnership with the home environments. Aligned with the second research question, two themes identified teachers’ desire for targeted training and the support of expertly trained personnel. This study’s findings drive positive social change in both classroom and community through supporting more effective implementation of SEL curricula, specifically CR instruction, in the elementary classroom.

Download

Share

 
COinS