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Jennifer Wong-Powell, JWP Consulting – Inspired by Children, EthiopiaAbstract
Compelling research and literature demonstrate the significant impact of social and emotional learning (SEL) on young children. There is a strong correlation between well-developed social and emotional skills and positive academic outcomes, healthy relationships, and the competencies children need to navigate the unfolding future. Adults play a central role in fostering social and emotional skills. Equally important are the environments created for and with children. Emotional, psychological, and physical environments shape children’s well-being; their sense of safety and belonging; as well as their engagement and motivation to learn. Environments have the power to facilitate SEL. Why leave it to chance? Using an action research approach, this presentation details trends emerging from a workshop series titled “The Power of Environments in Social and Emotional Learning”. Through a thematic examination of data, key findings from this research contribute to a deeper understanding of: 1) the application of frameworks to plan for SEL with intentionality and consistency; 2) a focus on building psychological safety in an early years context; and 3) the messages spaces convey about children’s social and emotional learning and development. These findings provide a foundation for further exploration of approaches, strategies, and tools to enhance SEL in early years settings.
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Conference: ACE2025Stream: Learning Experiences
This paper is part of the ACE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Wong-Powell J. (2026) The Power of Environments in Social and Emotional Learning ISSN: 2186-5892 – The Asian Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 439-451) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.34
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2026.34
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