Research On The Cultivation Of American K-12 Students’ Social And Emotional Competence

The concepts of Social and Emotional Learning(SEL for short)and Social and Emotional Competence(SEC for short),when proposed by United States in the 1990 s,has been emphasized that education should not only focus on the academic achievement of students,but also on their physical and mental health as well as personality development.With the widespread implementation and impact of SEL programs over the past three decades,SEC is increasingly considered as a key skill for learners in 21 st century.At present,many national and international organizations pay attention to SEC,and they have incorporated the cultivation of SEC into their educational policies and curricula.SEC are the knowledge,skills and attitudes necessary for individuals to succeed in life.They are essential for enhancing the quality of life in society now and in the future,and are vital for a person to adapt to society and develop a sound personality,as well as being an important means for the country to develop outstanding citizens.The United States is one of the first and most effective countries to develop Social and Emotional Education.Whether it is from the theoretical research of SEL,or the systematic implementation practice,it provides a useful reference for the development in the Social and Emotional field for students around the world.This study aims to provide experience for the development of SEC at the elementary education stage in China,by systematically and thoroughly analyzing and investigating the system of developing SEC of K-12 students in the United States,combined with the actual educational situation in China.This study is conducted in the following five parts.The first part explains the motivation and development of SEC for K-12 students in the United States.Firstly,the main motivations are the school crisis,the problematic behaviours of students and the shortcomings of educational reform;secondly,the development of SEC for K-12 students in the United States is divided into three stages after information classification: the infancy stage,the early stage of formation and development,and the rapid development stage.The second part firstly summarizes the targets of SEC development for K-12 students in the US,covering both the personal and social dimensions,and secondly discusses the specific curriculum and teaching of SEC cultivation for K-12 students in the US.It is mainly through specialized courses on SEL,penetration courses on SEC and out-of-school educational activities courses,as well as selecting effective teaching strategies and methods in the classroom to enhance students’ SEC,and taking the necessary SEC assessment to reflect on and improve the teaching and learning of SEC.The third section analyses the multi-force mechanism of SEC development for K-12 students in the US.The development of students’ SEC is a systematic project that requires the support and protection of the government,social organizations,schools,families and communities in order to promote the development of students’ competence in a scientific and effective manner.The fourth part explores the experience and characteristics as well as challenges faced by the United States in cultivating K-12 students’ SEC.The main characteristics can be summarized as the comprehensive cultivation method,the systematic cultivation process and the continuity of the cultivation stage of K-12 students’ SEC.The main challenges include the time conflict between SEL and academic learning;how to best combine courses such as SEL specialized courses with SEC penetration,and how to maintain the quality of SEL in large-scale practice.The fifth part summarizes the development trend of cultivating K-12 students’ SEC in the United States and its reflection and enlightenment to China.According to the current situation of implementation and future prospects of the United States,the development trend of K-12 students’ SEC cultivation mainly involves the following aspects: combined with career and workforce development;greater focus on educational equity in SEL;continue to deepen and advance the area of SEC assessment and technical support in SEL.At last,combined with the current situation of SEC development of students in China,proposals were made for reform at the national,school and societal levels.