The effects of positive action, a character curriculum, on the social and emotional development of elementary children

Abstract

Reduced peer interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to higher rates of psychopathologies, suicide rates, and negative affect in elementary-aged children. The current study examined the effects of Positive Action (PA), a character education curriculum, on the social and emotional skills of K-3 students from two school districts receiving 60 minutes of daily recess in addition to a 15-minute daily PA lesson. The study sample included K-3 children (N=2,000): 1,000 children from a north Texas school district and 1,000 children from a central Texas school district. PA lessons focused on developing social-emotional learning (SEL) skills such as empathy, respect, honesty, trust, confidence, and self-esteem. Throughout the school year, teachers delivered the Positive Action 15-minute daily character development lessons and provided four 15-minute child-directed, outdoor recesses daily. At the end of each semester, SEL skills were tested using xSEL, a web-based computer assessment that examines four subscales in early elementary students: emotion regulation (understanding what others are feeling), social problem-solving (ability to think through social challenges), social perspective-taking (understanding others’ thought and intentions), and self-control (ability to modulate thoughts and feelings to achieve a goal). School districts scheduled a specific week that teachers would collect xSEL data for their classes in both semesters. The teachers took the children to the computer lab where they would sit at individual computers and respond to facial expressions and social situations on-screen that related to the four xSEL subscales. The test took approximately 25 minutes. Once completed, the assessment was submitted online directly to the xSEL database for data analysis. The data was accessible by the researcher once completed. The independent variables of the study were school district, age, and sex, and the dependent variables were the four xSEL subscales. A repeated measures MANOVA was used to determine score differences among the independent variables and change scores between Fall and Spring semesters. Results showed differences in subscale scores by district and grade but were similar between sexes and races across time. Children need more time in the school day to play and receive daily character guidance to develop their emotions and social skills. Positive Action is helping children of all races, sexes, grades, and geographic location get back on track developmentally; they are able to use the character lessons as a model to practice positive emotional and social skills with each other during recess and in the classroom.