Content Analysis of Social and Emotional Learning in Mathematics-Related Children’s Literature

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Date of Award

Fall 2022

Abstract

Domitrovich et al. (2017) linked social and emotional competence at a young age to adulthood success. Although research indicates a gap regarding how social and emotional skills can be taught in different content areas (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Binkley et al., 2011; Denham & Brown, 2010; Jones & Bouffard, 2012; Shear et al., 2011; Soland et al., 2013; Voogt & Roblin, 2010; Wilson et al., 2013), other studies discuss how to integrate social and emotional skills in content areas (Heath et al., 2017; Wajjid et al., 2013); little research addresses mathematics. This study used qualitative content analysis to analyze mathematics-related children’s literature for characteristics of CASEL’s social and emotional learning competencies by counting their frequency of occurrence. The following questions framed this study: What is the frequency of occurrence of CASEL’s five social and emotional learning competencies in mathematics-related children’s literature? How do CASEL’s social and emotional learning competencies appear in mathematics-related children’s literature? What are the social and emotional learning competencies manifested in mathematics-related children’s literature that were not identified by CASEL’s five social and emotional learning competencies? The findings indicated that all of CASEL’s 5 social and emotional learning competencies were evident over the 12 mathematics-related children’s books in this study. Social awareness was the most evident competency; self-awareness was the least evident competency. Social awareness was the only competency that appeared in all 12 books selected for this study. There were more latent occurrences than manifest occurrences of CASEL’s 5 social and emotional learning competencies. This is significant because the examples of social and emotional learning represented in children’s books can help readers understand how the characters think, feel, and deal with certain situations they encounter. Readers can learn from the characters and apply that knowledge to their own lives. Mathematics-related children’s books can also help readers gain deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics topics.

Advisor

Joyce Miller

Subject Categories

Early Childhood Education | Education

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