The Internal World of Classroom Teachers: Understanding the social and emotional experiences of middle school teachers working with students with histories of reading difficulty.
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Authors
Bacon, Stephanie
Issue Date
2024
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
doubt , emotional schemas , social and emotional competence , social and emotional learning , students with histories of reading difficulty
Alternative Title
Abstract
AbstractTeachers face a variety of challenges in their profession: designing lessons, managing student behaviors, and teaching students with a wide range of skills and abilities. Recently, teachers have been asked to teach social and emotional skills in addition to academic skills. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of middle school teachers who support students with histories of reading difficulty. In addition, the study explores teacher experiences within the modern context of policies aimed at increasing student social and emotional well-being and current research on teacher social and emotional competence. The multiple case study design included five middle school teachers in a semi-rural resort area in the Western US. Individual and cross- case analysis yielded three themes. Teachers experience their role supporting students with histories of reading difficulty emotionally. The most common emotions fell under the category of doubt: doubt that the teachers had the skills to meet the needs of the students, doubt of the appropriateness of teaching standards, materials, schedules, and models, and doubt that students were learning. In addition, the theme of I emerged; the act of hiding inner experiences to demonstrate an acceptable outward appearance. Lastly, the tension between the ideals of programs and policies versus the realities of implementation in school settings was highlighted. Implications include a call for research to assess teacher SEC and the need for teacher experiential learning of social and emotional skills.