Data Collection
The SEAK Phase III Atlantic Research Evaluation & Knowledge Translation (AREKT) team engaged in the following data collection strategies:
Literature Reviews
AREKT has conducted systematic reviews of existing Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and scale-up scholarly and grey literature. Literature within the Atlantic region, provincial curriculum guides, policy documents and information on SEL programs and initiatives that have or are taking place, are also being gathered and reviewed.
Interviews and Focus Groups
Throughout Phase III, AREKT conducted interviews and focus groups with SEAK regional partners and provincial stakeholders. This qualitative approach will provide project stakeholders with the opportunity to share their roles and experiences with the SEAK project, and identify facilitators and barriers for SEL scale-up locally, provincially and regionally.
Interviews and/or focus groups were conducted with SEL pilot school coaches, teachers, school administrators, parents, and students to explore how SEL is integrated into a whole school approach. This process documents the experienced impacts of SEL on school climate, student health and well-being.
A new child/youth assent process was developed and implemented for the SEAK student focus groups. This visual approach is based on best practices in theoretical and methodological child and youth assent processes. The goal is to engage children throughout the assent process. More information on the development of child assent in research can be found at
http://katetilleczek.ca/white-papers/
From the AREKT student assent process, powered by Prezi.
Participant Journals
Regional Stakeholders completed journals to reflect on the progress of the scale up, interactions with provincial partners, and project meetings.
Surveys
Teachers were invited to complete the Teacher Satisfaction Survey at the end of each school year that SEL was implemented in their school.
Collaborative Meetings
The research team engaged in participant observation of SEAK collaborative meetings. These include but are not limited to meetings of the provincial partners, steering committee, the capacity and implementation group, provincial coordinators, provincial resource teams, SEL coaches, and any new committees or groups that may form as a result of the scale-up process.
Analytic Framework
The analysis of data is an ongoing and emergent process. Data was analyzed within an analytic framework based on SEL literature including PHAC, WHO, and JCSH guidelines discussed in the Phase III Research page.
AREKT Analytic Framework
The three main analytic categories for both horizontal and vertical scale-up are Readiness to support scale-up, Implementation of programs in schools and in policy, and Progress/Process of program quality, training, and sustainability at all levels.