Master of Arts (Counselling & Guidance)

Studies into primary to secondary school transition tend to focus on its impact on academic attainment and curricula demands than on the importance of social and emotional needs from the perspectives of the young boys and girls. Transition marks the end of childhood and herald the beginning of adolescence (Humphrey & Ainscow, 2006) for the adolescents. Coinciding with a convergence of biological, personal, social, familial, and cultural developments (Rutter, 1980), the transiting adolescents leave behind a familiar and indulgent environment and childhood friends to enter an emotionally challenging and academically demanding environment – unready socially and emotionally. Losing friends is another challenge since peer group membership plays a critical role in providing support, sense of belonging, reassurance, and security at this stage in their schooling (Pratt & George, 2005).

Research has shown that the adolescents needed help to develop appropriate social and emotional coping skills (Qualter, Whiteley, Hutchinson, & Pope, 2007) and that Social Emotional Learning (SEL) intervention programs have helped students to better manage their emotions and cognitive processes (Zins, J.E., Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004).

This is the subject of my study which investigated and measured the effects of exposure to SEL in the initial weeks of the students’ entry into their new school, a critical period (Gillison, Standage, & Skevington, 2008). Results after participating in the 8-session researcher-developed intervention program, tentatively named, “You and Your Changing World – the SEL Way,” showed positive and meaningful effect on all four subscales of social, emotion, self-awareness and self-management. The almost full participants’ attendance and positive answers to semi-structured interview questions provided further evidence of success of the program in the introduction of SEL awareness and competencies.