Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Implementing A Social-Emotional Learning Program

Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs have gained attention in K-12 education for their role in supporting students’ social development, emotional well-being, behavioral development, and academic success. While SEL programs have been widely studied in elementary schools, there is a gap in research regarding their implementation and effectiveness in middle schools. This descriptive qualitative multiple-case study explored middle school teachers’ perceptions of implementing the CharacterStrong SEL program. It focused on the program’s perceived benefits, challenges, and impact on middle school students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. Guided by the CASEL framework for SEL and Self-Determination Theory, data were collected through four focus groups and 12 middle school teachers from a rural district in North Carolina who have implemented the CharacterStrong program for at least three years.
Findings indicated that SEL is valuable for fostering students’ emotional regulation, resilience, and interpersonal skills. Participants reported improvements in student behavior and classroom climate and identified challenges related to teacher training and time constraints. Teachers also emphasized the importance of aligning SEL instruction with content curriculum and the need for ongoing professional development to enhance program fidelity. This study offers valuable insight for school leaders, policymakers, educators, curriculum developers, school counselors, and mental health professionals by providing strategies for improving SEL implementation, enhancing professional development, and shaping future studies on social-emotional learning in middle schools.