Perceptions of Social–Emotional Learning Among K-12 Teachers in the USA During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social–emotional learning (SEL) is the process of acquiring and applying knowledge, skills, and attitudes to achieve long-term relational and emotional goals. Teachers often implement SEL strategies in the classroom; however, shifting to online schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted teachers’ perceptions of their abilities to implement SEL. This study was designed to identify whether and how teachers’ perceptions of SEL changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers (N = 637) in the USA completed a demographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and rated their beliefs about SEL during the pandemic on a modified version of the Comfort and Culture subscales of the Teacher SEL Beliefs Scale. Data were collected between September 2020 and March 2021. Teachers indicated that they felt neutral to comfortable with SEL and that they felt neutral to supported by their school culture for SEL during the pandemic. Lower depression symptoms, greater school poverty, and perceived general support (not specific to SEL) from the administration were associated with higher teacher comfort with SEL. Further, greater general support from the district and colleagues was associated with greater school culture supporting SEL during COVID-19. Results suggest that addressing teachers’ internalizing symptoms and fostering a supportive work environment is important in aiding teachers in SEL implementation.