Educational contexts are increasingly shaped by emotional, relational, and organizational demands that influence both children’s learning experiences and school staff’s professional well-being. In preschool education, these demands intensify the need to better understand how adult social and emotional learning (SEL) is experienced and supported in everyday professional contexts. This SSHRC-funded collaborative research study, conducted in partnership with a public school service center in Québec (Canada), sought to examine the organizational and relational conditions shaping adult SEL in preschool settings.

Using purposive sampling, 27 professionals were recruited on a voluntary basis through the partner school service center to participate in four semi-structured focus group interviews (180 minutes each). Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis supported by qualitative data analysis software. Drawing on the CASEL framework (2021) as an analytical lens, three interrelated dynamics emerged: constrained professional autonomy in decision-making processes, relational climates marked by fear of judgment, and persistent ambiguities in professional roles that challenge collaboration.

Findings suggest that adult SEL is not merely an individual competency but a relational and organizational phenomenon embedded in professional interactions and institutional structures. Implications are discussed for professional development, collaborative practices, and organizational leadership in preschool education.

Authors:
Marie-Andrée Pelletier, Université TÉLUQ, Canada

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Posted by James Alexander Gordon

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

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