Comparing the Effectiveness of Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum of Strong Kids on Sense of Belonging to School among Primary School Children of Affluent and Deprived areas of Hamedan

Sense of connectedness with school is defined as individuals’ attitudes that enhance their affinity with school environment and is improved through social-emotional Learning. The current research aimed to assess the effectiveness of strong kids’ social-emotional learning program in the sense of belonging to school of primary school students in Hamedan’s affluent and deprived districts.

The study was carried out by following quasi-experimental unequal groups design. To choose the sample from the statistical population of male five graders in the academic year of 2017-2018, the researcher selected four five-grade classes, purposively chosen from deprived (2 classes and 51 subjects) and affluent (2 classes and 45 subjects) districts and randomly assigned as control and experimental groups. As a pre-test, sense of belonging to school questionnaire (Brew, Beatty, Watt, 2004) was administered, followed by the treatment which included 12 instructional sessions (each continuing for 60 minutes in a 3-month period) and covered strong kids’ social-emotional learning program for the experimental groups. Finally, the same questionnaire was administered as a post-test across the four groups.

The results indicated that sense of connectedness with school and its constituent components (teacher support, engagement in the broader community, the observation of fairness and respect at school, relatedness of self with school, academic engagement, positive sense to school) are higher in experimental groups than those of control groups (p<.05). In addition, it was found that strong kids’ social–emotional instruction influenced sense of connectedness with school and its constituent components (teacher support, engagement in the broader community, fairness and safety, relatedness of self with school, academic engagement, and positive sense to school) equally benefitted the students in deprived and affluent district’s students.

The staff who provide an environment that allows students to grow emotionally, socially, mentally, and educationally, reinforce the sense of belonging to school. If the students feel to be cared and supported by the school, they will have better educational progress and show a decrease in risky behaviors.