School Principals and Teachers’ Perceptions of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Lebanon

Abstract

Despite the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) for students, programs that promote SEL are scarce in Lebanon. The absence of a definition of the concept of SEL in the country has contributed to this void. Hence, this study has examined principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of SEL and its impact on students’ academic achievement in schools in Lebanon. Qualitative data was collected through interviews from eight principals and 22 teachers from schools in Lebanon that implement SEL. The findings suggest that educators have a positive attitude towards SEL and its impact on students’ academic achievement. Even though the Lebanese curriculum does not provide established programs for SEL, the results showed that these programs are developed on individual basis by the school staff in the form of classroom activities, extracurricular activities, plays, reflections, and more. Nevertheless, these services are preliminary in nature and vary in scope in each of the participating schools. The current study provides insight into the importance and implementation of SEL in schools in Lebanon.