Baiba Martinsone

Bio: Baiba Martinsone is an academic researcher from University of Latvia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Psychology & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 5, co-authored 15 publications receiving 73 citations.

The Development of Teachers' and Their Students' Social and Emotional Learning During the "Learning to Be Project"-Training Course in Five European Countries

Abstract: In recent years, the school curricula in many European countries have introduced social and emotional learning (SEL). This calls for the teachers to have SEL competencies. The present study evaluates teachers´ and their students´ readiness for SEL during an intervention in five European countries. The participants were teachers (n = 402) in five European countries; Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Spain. The pre- and post measuring points for both the intervention and the comparison group were at approximately the same time before and after the intervention. Comparison data consisted of 159 teachers in the same countries. The training for the intervention group lasted 16 hours for the teachers and a maximum of 16 hours for the principles and headmasters. An additional 9 hours of further monitoring took place. There were two student groups participating in the study: the age group of 8-11 years (pre puberty) and the age group of 12-15 –years (adolescents). Students, whose teachers had participated in the intervention, formed the intervention group (n =2552). Those students, whose teachers did not participate in the intervention, formed the comparison group (n = 1730). The questionnaire data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the school year for both age groups. The results indicated that there was a favorable development in the intervention group in some of the measured skills among students, but the effects were different for the two age groups. This study adds to both theoretical and practical development of continuing teacher training about SEL and its possible role in reducing problem behavior among the students.

Promoting Sustainable Social Emotional Learning at School through Relationship-Centered Learning Environment, Teaching Methods and Formative Assessment.

Abstract: Abstract How to promote social emotional learning (SEL) at school depends largely on teachers. Mostly teachers implement specific programs, but they have difficulties in incorporating SEL into the regular curriculum. The main aim of the paper is to present the conceptual model of sustainable integration of SEL into everyday teaching practices in every subject. This approach has been developed in the project ìLearning to Be: Development of Practices and Methodologies for Assessing Social, Emotional and Health Skills within Education Systemsî. This initiative is based on the premise that the assessment of learning at school should go beyond grading studentsí knowledge and should include practices for observing young peopleís personal growth, social skills, attitudes and other general competences. The novelty of this conceptual approach is associated with integrating SEL standards, formative assessment and classroom instruction into a single sustainability-oriented model. The relationship between SEL standards (ISBE, 2003) and formative assessment strategies established by Wiliam (2011) is described, providing a detailed description of specific classroom activities. The objective of this approach is, therefore, towards building emotionally strong and flexible individuals who can deal with complex challenges through prosocial behavior that encourages human prospering and the attainment of the United Nationsí Sustainable Development Goals.

The effectiveness of a school-based, universal mental health programme in six European countries

Abstract: As children and young people today face ever increasing social, emotional and mental health challenges, schools, as one of the primary systems in children’s lives, are called to broaden their agenda and help to address these challenges. This paper discusses the evaluation of a school-based, universal mental health promotion programme developed recently for the European context. The programme provides a universal curriculum from early years to high school, aiming to promote social and emotional learning and resilience and prevent social, emotional, and behavioural problems in children and adolescents. A total of 7,789 students (and their teachers and parents) from kindergarten to high school across 6 countries in Europe were recruited from 434 classrooms in 124 schools, making use of cluster sampling. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme on students’ outcomes by comparing the groups’ outcomes within times (pre-test vs. post-test) and between groups (experimental vs. control group). A total of 779 classroom teachers completed pre-and-post scales measuring students’ social and emotional learning, mental health and academic achievement. Results indicate that the experimental group had significantly larger increase in social and emotional competence and prosocial behaviour, and a decrease in mental health issues (externalising and internalising problems). No significant impact was found for academic outcomes. The findings are discussed in view of the limitations of the study and areas for further research.

Social Emotional Learning: Implementation of Sustainability-Oriented Program in Latvia

Abstract: This article is focused on the description of the content and the implementation process of an originally developed, culturally appropriate and sustainable social and emotional learning program in Latvia. The article also includes the teachersi self-reflected experience illustrated through the perspective of the programis sample activities. The general goal of the program is to develop the emotional and social competencies of pupils, and at the same time to introduce to schoolteachers the principles necessary for combining academic and social emotional learning. As a preventive approach this program is aimed at all ages of pupils (from primary forms to secondary grades). During the school years 2012/ 13 and 2013/14 the social emotional learning program was introduced in 39 schools in Latvia (a total of 12 699 pupils). The participants implementing the program were 630 classroom teachers (614 female and 16 male with the mean age 45.04 years). As a result of the program implementation, social and emotional learning principles became a common approach for the entire school; the teachers became well versed on social emotional issues and received materials for conducting class lessons at each level; regular teacher supervisions were provided; regional supervisors were trained to sustain the pedagogical practice.

Social Emotional Competence, Learning Outcomes, Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties of Preschool Children: Parent and Teacher Evaluations

Abstract: This paper addresses the role of social emotional competence in the emotional and behavioral problems and learning outcomes of preschool children based on their parents’ and teachers’ evaluations. In this study, we compared the perceptions of teachers and parents when evaluating the same child using the multi-informant assessment. First, the associations and differences between both the informant evaluations were investigated. Second, the correlation of the social emotional competence and emotional, and behavioral difficulties among preschool children was analyzed, separately addressing their parents’ and teachers’ evaluations. Third, the role of the preschool children’s social emotional competence in their emotional and behavioral problems, and learning outcomes was investigated building the regression and mediation models. The sample consisted of 507 preschool children (3–6 years, mean age 4.85 years, SD 0.82) and their parents and teachers. Both informants completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Social Skills Improvement System Social-Emotional Learning Brief Scales, and teachers reported on each child’s learning outcomes (by completing a three-item Learning outcomes measure). When comparing both informants’ evaluations, positive associations were found between teacher and parental evaluations of prosocial behavior and emotional, and behavioral difficulties of preschool children, as well as self-management. Parents evaluated their children higher than teachers in conduct problems, hyperactivity, prosocial behavior, and total difficulty, while teachers evaluated children higher than parents in social emotional competence. According to teachers, the social emotional competence of preschool children was negatively correlated to all difficulty scales, and positively related to the prosocial behavior scale. The demographic variables, as well as parental socioeconomic status and children’s belonging to a vulnerable group were not found to be significantly associated with the preschool children’s learning outcomes. However, social emotional competence remains a significant variable in teacher-rated learning outcomes of preschool children even if sociodemographic variables are controlled. Our findings indicate that a higher level of social emotional competence and lower levels of social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties are related to a higher preschoolers’ academic learning in their teachers’ evaluation. This suggests the importance of early facilitation of social emotional competence as a key factor for academic success and more positive behavioral outcomes.

Annual Research Review: Shifting from 'normal science' to neurodiversity in autism science.

Abstract: Since its initial description, the concept of autism has been firmly rooted within the conventional medical paradigm of child psychiatry. Increasingly, there have been calls from the autistic community and, more recently, nonautistic researchers, to rethink the way in which autism science is framed and conducted. Neurodiversity, where autism is seen as one form of variation within a diversity of minds, has been proposed as a potential alternative paradigm. In this review, we concentrate on three major challenges to the conventional medical paradigm - an overfocus on deficits, an emphasis on the individual as opposed to their broader context and a narrowness of perspective - each of which necessarily constrains what we can know about autism and how we are able to know it. We then outline the ways in which fundamental elements of the neurodiversity paradigm can potentially help researchers respond to the medical model's limitations. We conclude by considering the implications of a shift towards the neurodiversity paradigm for autism science.

The Development of Teachers' and Their Students' Social and Emotional Learning During the "Learning to Be Project"-Training Course in Five European Countries

Abstract: In recent years, the school curricula in many European countries have introduced social and emotional learning (SEL). This calls for the teachers to have SEL competencies. The present study evaluates teachers´ and their students´ readiness for SEL during an intervention in five European countries. The participants were teachers (n = 402) in five European countries; Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Spain. The pre- and post measuring points for both the intervention and the comparison group were at approximately the same time before and after the intervention. Comparison data consisted of 159 teachers in the same countries. The training for the intervention group lasted 16 hours for the teachers and a maximum of 16 hours for the principles and headmasters. An additional 9 hours of further monitoring took place. There were two student groups participating in the study: the age group of 8-11 years (pre puberty) and the age group of 12-15 –years (adolescents). Students, whose teachers had participated in the intervention, formed the intervention group (n =2552). Those students, whose teachers did not participate in the intervention, formed the comparison group (n = 1730). The questionnaire data were collected at the beginning and at the end of the school year for both age groups. The results indicated that there was a favorable development in the intervention group in some of the measured skills among students, but the effects were different for the two age groups. This study adds to both theoretical and practical development of continuing teacher training about SEL and its possible role in reducing problem behavior among the students.

Transforming Consumer Behavior: Introducing Self-Inquiry-Based and Self-Experience-Based Learning for Building Personal Competencies for Sustainable Consumption

Abstract: Despite growing educational efforts in various areas of society and albeit expanding knowledge on the background and consequences of consumption, little has changed about individual consumer behavior and its detrimental impact. Against this backdrop, some scholars called for a stronger focus on personal competencies, especially affective–motivational ones to foster more sustainable consumption. Such competencies, however, are rarely addressed within the context of education for sustainable consumption. Responding to this gap, we suggest two new learning formats that allow students to systematically acquire affective–motivational competencies: self-inquiry-based learning (SIBL) and self-experience-based learning (SEBL). We developed these approaches at Leuphana University Luneburg, Germany, since 2016, and applied them within the framework of two seminars called Personal Approaches to Sustainable Consumption. Conducting scholarship of teaching and learning, we investigated the potential of SIBL and SEBL for cultivating personal competencies for sustainable development in general and sustainable consumption in particular. Our results indicate that SIBL and SEBL are promising approaches for this purpose.

Social Intelligence : The New Science of Social Relationships, Daniel Goleman : book review

Abstract: This text comprises six parts and involves an innovative attempt by the author in proposing the concept of 'social intelligence', its components, and forms of socially unhealthy behaviour within a multidisciplinary perspective. A major strength of this book is the attempt to integrate research in fields such as developmental psychology, social psychology, neuroscience, and evolution, within the nexus of social intelligence.

Promoting Sustainable Social Emotional Learning at School through Relationship-Centered Learning Environment, Teaching Methods and Formative Assessment.

Abstract: Abstract How to promote social emotional learning (SEL) at school depends largely on teachers. Mostly teachers implement specific programs, but they have difficulties in incorporating SEL into the regular curriculum. The main aim of the paper is to present the conceptual model of sustainable integration of SEL into everyday teaching practices in every subject. This approach has been developed in the project ìLearning to Be: Development of Practices and Methodologies for Assessing Social, Emotional and Health Skills within Education Systemsî. This initiative is based on the premise that the assessment of learning at school should go beyond grading studentsí knowledge and should include practices for observing young peopleís personal growth, social skills, attitudes and other general competences. The novelty of this conceptual approach is associated with integrating SEL standards, formative assessment and classroom instruction into a single sustainability-oriented model. The relationship between SEL standards (ISBE, 2003) and formative assessment strategies established by Wiliam (2011) is described, providing a detailed description of specific classroom activities. The objective of this approach is, therefore, towards building emotionally strong and flexible individuals who can deal with complex challenges through prosocial behavior that encourages human prospering and the attainment of the United Nationsí Sustainable Development Goals.