Background Information
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a part of education meant to guide children and adults towards prosocial behavior. It is the process through which one acquires and utilizes knowledge meant to understand and manage emotions with the aim of setting and achieving positive goals, feeling and showing empathy, establishing and maintaining positive relationships, and making responsible decisions (CASEL, 2021). An effective SEL intervention leads to improved student behavior, reduced classroom disruption, and better academic success (PATHS, 2021). It guides children to have self-control, self-esteem, better understanding, and better social relationships.
An Evidence-based SEL intervention is an intervention that shows effectiveness through documented field trials in that there is enough proof to show that the specific SEL intervention works. Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) program is an evidence-based SEL intervention that enhances conflict resolution, emotional development, and responsible decision-making (CASEL, 2021). PATHS is designated for use in learning from kindergarten through sixth grade. Each grade has its kit that guides the learning process, with lessons of each grade ranging from forty to fifty-two. PATHS is applicable in the school, classroom, and family levels. In this paper, however, the focus shall be on its application at the classroom level.
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PATHS
Social-emotional learning focuses on five core competencies. These are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. An effective SEL intervention will therefore have to meet at least one of the core competencies. PATHS meets all of these competencies. Using PATHS, learners can develop emotional regulation and empathy, conflict resolution skills, and responsible decision-making. As such, learners will be able to have self-awareness as each learner understands themselves emotionally. Understanding one's own emotions will be a stepping stone towards social awareness as a learner will empathize with those around them. Through empathy, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution skills, a learner will be expected to relate better with those around. Emotional maturity and conflict resolution skills will also imply better decision-making skills by the learner. PATHS, therefore, achieve all the core competencies of a SEL intervention.
PATHS seeks to provide several skills upon implementation. These skills are in three major conceptual domains: self-control, feelings and relationships, and social problem-solving. Emotional regulation and empathy skills equip learners with self-control skills as learners can take control of their emotions. These skills also enable learners to know more about their feeling and consequently have better relationships among themselves. Emotion regulation, conflict resolution skills, and decision-making skills enable learners better approach social problem-solving.
Components of PATHS
The PATHS intervention has several components that are essential for it to work. CEBC (2014) explains each of these components. The first and main one is the PATHS curriculum, which contains kits for each grade level from preschool to grade 5/6. Each kit has “one or two binders of lessons, an instruction manual, and most materials needed” (CEBC, 2014). Next are the logic models, which include the “social cognitive neuroscience, psychoanalytic neuroscience, attachment theory and the ABCD (Affect-Behavior-Cognition-Dynamic) Model of Development” (CEBC, 2014). Each grade level has between forty and fifty-two lesson which delivered by classroom teachers or counselors. The classes are for at least thirty minutes and get conducted twice a week. The concepts in each class build up year to year. Generalization techniques get used to promote the integration of social-emotional learning with academics. Handouts and letters get used “to keep parents informed and promote generalization of skills at home” (CEBC, 2014).
Implementing PATHS
Implementation of a social-emotional learning intervention is guided to ensure the program's full benefits are gained. According to CASEL (2021), there are four key focus areas when implementing a social-emotional learning intervention. These include building foundational support and plan, strengthening adult social-emotional learning competencies and capacity, promoting social-emotional learning for students, and lastly, reflecting on data for continuous improvement.
PATHS has set guidelines for its implementation. An institution planning to implement a social-emotional learning intervention will first decide on the intervention. It is in this step that PATHS will be selected. The next step will be conducting PATHS training. From the Cleveland Metropolitan School District PATHS Implementation and Outcome Study Final Report by Faria et al. (2013), it is seen that this session begins with an initial day of training followed by six to eight weeks of instructions for teachers to test the PATHS curriculum in classes. This section is then followed by another training day. The initial training is entirely interactive, and it features role modeling techniques to imitate PATHS lessons. The second training day evaluates how PATHS implementation has been for each teacher by sharing the achievements made and the challenges experienced during execution.
PATHS coaching is the next step of implementation. It supports teachers, administrators, and support staff. In this case, the coach helps coordinate PATHS supplies, integrate PATHS into the curriculum, and provide general implementation support. The full and more detailed implementation guide gets availed with each curriculum kit.
Evaluating PATHS
The success of PATHS implementation has to be checked. Data is required for such an evaluation. This data gathering is aimed at checking whether PATHS achievements are being met. Surveys are mainly used to gather feedback. Surveys provide a way of getting first-hand information from respondents about their experience with the PATHS intervention. The surveys focus on ratings such that respondents rate their experiences based on the scaling measurements provided.
PATHS implementation will only be considered a success if it improves students' social, emotional aspects. Based on a review of a previous study by Faria et al. (2013) and CEBC (2014), the following are the expected achievements of a well-implemented PATHS intervention:
Increased students’ ability to plan how to solve complex tasks
Improved students’ cognitive abilities
Improved students’ scores on cognitive skills tests
Improved reading achievement for young deaf children
Reduced aggressive behavior by students
Increased number of students exhibiting self-control and emotional regulation
Increased emotional vocabulary by students
Improved students’ problem-solving ability and use of effective conflict-resolution strategies
Reduced depression and sadness among students
Fidelity of Implementation
Initial implementation of the PATHS intervention will most likely be done with fidelity. However, teachers' belief that they have mastered the intervention program might make them skip or change some of the PATHS' steps or lessons. Data gathering frequency will be higher at first, reducing with time so as to maintain the fidelity of implementation. Initial data collection can be twice a week and slow down over time depending on the data received. CEBC highlights an Implementation Record and Evaluation Form as part of the PATHS Evaluation kit.
PATHS Target Population
As seen earlier, PATHS intervention is suitable for several students ranging from preschool to sixth grade. CEBC (2014) adds that the type of students also targeted is universal such that all children “including those with more serious behavior problems and/or cognitive challenges” are eligible for the use of PATHS intervention.
Limitations of PATHS
PATHS is an effective tool for social-emotional learning as it meets all the core competencies. However, it has a few limitations that can arise during implementation. According to Faria et al. (2013), there is often too much reliance on teacher ratings to evaluate PATHS implementation and student outcomes. The implication is that the non-independence of major measures is not the best.
Conclusion
Social-emotional learning is essential in enhancing prosocial behavior. PATHS is an efficient evidence-based SEL intervention that applies to a wide range of children. It is embedded with an evaluation tool and therefore enables one to check its success over time. PATHS qualifies as one of the best evidence-based SEL interventions for application as long as one follows the set guideline well.
References
CASEL - CASEL. (2021). Retrieved 24 February 2021, from https://casel.org/
CEBC. (2014). Promoting alternative thinking strategies (PATHS). CEBC . https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/promoting-alternative-thinking-strategies/detailed
Faria, A. M., Kendziora, K., Brown, L., O’Brien, B., & Osher, D. (2013). PATHS implementation and outcome study in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. American Institutes of Research. Retrieved April , 30 , 2020.
PATHS Program LLC - Social Emotional Learning for Pre-K, Elementary, and Middle School. (2021). Retrieved 24 February 2021, from https://pathsprogram.com/
