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The need for social and emotional learning (SEL) has never been so clear. The growing understanding of its benefits has been made more evident by the stronger focus of state, district, and school leaders, educators, and families to leverage SEL as a strategy to promote emotional well-being, to combat systemic and interpersonal inequities, and to engage students in positive learning environments. With this urgency to use SEL practices, now is the time to ensure a focus on creating environments and experiences that promote social and emotional development and deepening understanding of the motivational factors that promote student and adult success. Motivation researchers have been studying the motivational elements – and associated interventions – that better equip youth and adults to engage in their learning environments, suggesting the importance that the two fields learn with and from each other. The introductory chapter of the volume, Motivating the SEL Field Forward Through Equity, explores the intersections and accelerators of the two fields to create optimal learning environments and experiences for all youth. Specifically, we provide a high-level overview of the two fields, including ways each field takes into account personal development in relation to context and culture. We further explore ways in which the two fields intersect, elevating the importance of understanding the role of equity and excellence in research and practice. We then focus on one approach that we believe elevates equity of voice in research – research–practice partnerships. Finally, we highlight how this volume is organized.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is critical for students' social and academic success. Students' SEL is often contingent on their teachers' social and emotional competencies and capacities (SECC; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Chapter 5) and teacher preparation to facilitate SEL in classrooms (Schonert-Reichl, Kitil, & Hanson-Peterson, 2017). Concerningly, teacher training to facilitate SEL is frequently predicated on a color-evasive perspective that ignores the ways structural racism impacts the schooling experiences of racially minoritized students and associated academic and SEL outcomes (Jagers, Rivas-Drake, & Borowski, 2018; Jagers, Rivas-Drake, & Williams, 2019). In order to support SEL for students from racially minoritized communities, we assert that teachers' social and emotional competencies and capacities must incorporate a culturally responsive pedagogical approach that explicitly acknowledges and addresses issues of race and justice (Jagers et al., 2019; Ladson-Billings, 2014; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). In this chapter we (1) provide an overview of culturally relevant pedagogy in relation to teacher social and emotional competencies and capacities; (2) outline existing models that support a culturally relevant approach to teacher social and emotional competencies and capacities; and (3) discuss future directions for education research, practice, and policy.

Educators who work in K-12 educational settings have only begun to make sense of the many consequences the COVID-19 pandemic has had for students. Months of remote teaching and learning have made one thing quite clear; the academic, physical, and mental health benefits of in-person schooling are difficult to replicate through online learning. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) as children have experienced substantial reductions in social contact with peers while attending school remotely. Given the profound impact this past year has had on children’s social emotional (SE) health, it has never been more important for educators, parents, and caregivers to support student’s SE health. While it may be tempting to put student’ SE well-being on the back burner as we scramble to make up for lost learning; we stand at a crossroad. We can radically weave SEL into the school day to ensure students continue to develop critical SE skills in a socially distanced world or we can fall back on business as usual.

Black males often are raised in poverty, exposed to violence and toxic environments that create different levels of trauma that can cause social emotional problems which lead to mental health problems. These problems along with a lack of adequate relationships with teachers can affect their schooling and attainment. No wonder, black males often suffer disproportionately from poor achievement, high suspension, exclusions, and drop-out rates. Young people who struggle in school often lack the social and emotional skills (or “soft skills”) needed to succeed academically, deal with anger, make sound choices, and handle challenging situations constructively, ethically, and manage behaviors that prevent them from being suspended/excluded from school. It does not help that teachers who are often afraid of them, and do not know how to relate to them and lack emotional literacy (EL) themselves. Unfortunately, because of these challenges schools will often place black males in special education classes.

There is a cognitive/non-cognitive divide in education. Most of the school curriculum/pedagogy focus on cognitive aspects of education/learning (e.g., memory-based education) when compared to non-cognitive aspects of learning (social and emotional skills/learning). If our young people are to realize their full potential in our schools, it is crucial we begin educating the “whole child” and increase social and emotional provisions in our schools. It is the cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of learning combined that make young people successful. We need a new educational paradigm/mind shift. After all, educating the whole child makes good sense of course, all learning has an emotional base.

While there has been a proliferation of social and emotional learning programs in schools in recent years, social and emotional learning programs that focus on black males and cultural competence are limited. Therefore, we propose a new framework for social and emotional development/learning model for black males that focus on cultural competence. Our EL/cultural competence model is called teacher empathy, which focuses on relationship black males have with their teachers and therefore focuses on both the pupil/student EL and the teachers. The aim/goal of our model/curriculum is to: improve academic performance, motivate and help both black males and teachers, regulate and manage their behaviors more effectively, and reduce suspensions, exclusions, and drop-outs.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an important driver of student well-being, academic achievement, and future success. Despite decades of work on motivation theory and frameworks to promote student motivation and achievement outcomes, connections between motivation and recent frameworks and measures of SEL could be stronger. The purpose of our chapter is to help address this shortcoming. First, we begin by reviewing which theories of motivation currently appear in major SEL frameworks. Second, we introduce how a more comprehensive theory of motivation (based on an expectancy–value–cost framework) could be incorporated into SEL frameworks to advance their overall impact. Third, using examples from our ongoing research in STEM classrooms, we show how a broader knowledge of motivation can inform practitioners on how to promote key SEL competencies and subsequent achievement and engagement for students, especially to address inequities for historically marginalized and minoritized students. Finally, we close with recommendations for future directions for research and practice.

Research has extensively underlined the positive impact of emotional, social and cognitive competencies on leadership effectiveness. Despite the fact that literature acknowledges that these competencies can be learned from different experiences over a person’s lifetime, research has mainly focused on leadership development in adulthood. Through the case study of the Ca’ Foscari Competency Centre, this chapter advances the understanding on how higher education can favour leadership development at the early stage, in terms of identity formation and self-regulation, through the implementation of the intentional change theory, considering that this learning process varies according to different developmental trajectories.

To explore the feasibility of utilizing the Bar-On mixed model of emotional–social intelligence as a framework for the competencies and traits needed for reference and information services librarians. Through a survey of the literature, the author created a baseline list of competencies, which was compared and contrasted with the abilities, traits, and competencies that comprise the Bar-On model of emotional–social intelligence. The author conducted a pilot study with a small group (n = 10) of reference and user services librarians who took the EQ-i 2.0. The competencies and traits of reference and user services librarians identified in the literature compare favorably with those measured by the EQ-i 2.0. Overall, a majority of the participants (70%) obtained a total score on the EQ-i 2.0 in the mid or high range. Composite scales with the highest overall mean scores were decision-making and self-perception. Subscales with the highest scores included the following: impulse control, self-actualization, social responsibility, problem solving, and reality testing. As a pilot study, it was conducted using a small population of academic reference and user services librarians. Further research should be conducted utilizing a larger population of reference and user services librarians or librarians who have been recognized as exemplary in reference librarianship. The findings of this study could assist pre-service and in-service reference and user services librarians in further developing their emotional–social intelligence competencies and abilities by identifying areas where improvements could occur.

Empirical research has demonstrated that web-based classes offer similar learning outcomes as face-to-face classes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the unintended effects of delivery method (web-based or face-to-face) on student learning, competency development, and student engagement.

Exam grades and a survey were collected from 180 undergraduate business students at a public university in the Southern USA. All students were enrolled in the same course, taught by three instructors.

One-way analysis of variance of the mean showed that declarative and procedural knowledge attained was not statistically significantly different for web-based or face-to-face instruction. However, students in the face-to-face sections reported higher attainment of cognitive intelligence competencies, social intelligence competencies, overall student engagement, emotional engagement, cognitive engagement in class, and cognitive engagement out of class although these outcomes were not specifically targeted as learning outcomes.

Research participants all came from one course, at one university.

There are potentially beneficial, unintended outcomes associated with face-to-face courses. Web-based learning courses may require a redesigned approach that addresses these benefits by adding course elements and tasks that increase student engagement and creates opportunities for development of cognitive and social intelligence competencies.

Little research has been conducted on unintended learning outcomes such as competency development and student engagement. Therefore, this study demonstrates that educators should consider factors beyond learning assessment when comparing web-based to face-to-face courses.

The purpose of this research is to examine the interactions between individuals and the social environment as individuals engage in self‐directed learning, a predecessor to intentional change theory. The individuals are graduates of a part‐time MBA program and the social environment is the life sphere framework introduced with this study. Self‐directed learning refers to the learning agendas that these people outlined for themselves when they first entered the MBA program.

Longitudinal assessment data were collected using the critical incident interview, the learning skills profile, and the life sphere interview. Correlations were run testing the hypotheses: as the number of life spheres, relationships, or activities increases, so will the demonstration of the targeted competencies; and if the participant is able to work on developing these competencies in the life sphere that he or she designates as primary to the learning goal, then the demonstration of these competencies will improve.

The number of life spheres, relationships, and activities does impact positively on the demonstration of these competencies and those participants for whom the work organization life sphere is primary to learning goal achievement showed improved demonstration of the targeted competencies.

The study needs to be replicated with a larger sample size. This initial study was merely exploratory in nature.

As society approaches the virtual office it makes sense that it will get what it needs, when it needs it – no matter where one is or to whom one is talking. With these changes has come the need to find resources in places and from people that may not have been considered previously. The relationships and activities in one's social environment are more critical than ever before.

Business schools have a moral responsibility to educate students who will behave both ethically and effectively in the workplace. Educating business students to address the complex challenges of the modern business world requires more than helping students understand content; it requires aiding them in developing the social and emotional competencies that they will need to apply regardless of the role or industry in which they work. Viewing the classroom as a complex adaptive system (CAS) can create opportunities to experiment with activities, exercises, and assignments that allow students (and the professor) to develop skills related to self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, and responsible decision-making. This chapter first explores the necessity of social–emotional learning (SEL) for today’s business leaders. Then it considers how a mental model of the classroom as a CAS facilitates a mindset of experimentation and activity development that contributes to student SEL. The chapter concludes with examples of activities that professors have used to facilitate SEL using a mental model of the classroom as a CAS and suggestions for experimentation in the classroom.