Preschoolers’ social emotional learning in children’s museums and community playgrounds

Abstract

Interest in social emotional learning (SEL) is higher than ever, as parents, educators, and policymakers recognize that children need more than cognitive skills for later life success. However, most SEL research has been conducted in formal education settings. This article describes results from an empirical study of 4–5 years old SEL in two informal learning settings, including children’s museums and community playgrounds. Members of the Children’s Museum Research Network observed 606 preschool children using the Revised/Shortened Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC-R/S). Findings show that preschool children engaged in SEL in both settings, but that significantly more instances of SEL were seen in children’s museums compared with community playgrounds. We argue that children’s museums may provide an important, peer-to-peer opportunity for children to develop and practice their SEL, one that is unique from the more common teacher-child interactions provided in schools.

Informal Social-Emotional Learning in Gaming Affinity Spaces: Evidence From a Reddit Discussion Thread on Elden Ring

“…Moreover, it contributes to the field of SEL by shifting focus from formal contexts to informal learning environments: to SEL in the wild. While a limited number of studies have explored informal SEL using the CASEL framework, such as Luke et al’s (2022) investigation of preschoolers’ SEL in children’s museums and community playgrounds, few have explicitly applied the concept of SEL to a type of gaming affinity space. An exception is Reitman et al’s (2020) study on academic and social-emotional learning in high school esports.…”

“…Consequently, we assert that the investigated affinity space acts as a facilitator for the acquisition of social-emotional competencies. Nonetheless, from a methodological standpoint, it is crucial to emphasize that, similar to Luke et al (2022), our measurement focused on observing the demonstration of social-emotional competencies rather than directly assessing the learning processes or outcomes. Fourth, the research design we employed, specifically the a priori thematic analysis, was not appropriate for investigating the temporal development of comments, which would necessitate a different approach such as sequential analysis.…”

“…Certainly, according to developmental psychology, the foundations of emotional and social skills are established during childhood and adolescence (Denham, 2018). However, it is important to recognize that SEL is a lifelong process (e.g., Akcaalan, 2016; Arslan & Demirtas, 2016), which takes place in diverse settings and contexts, including informal education (e.g., Chen, 2009; Luke et al, 2022). Consequently, we understand that scholarship in this area should increasingly consider informal learning sites, in both physical and virtual spaces, that are relevant not only for childhood and adolescence but also for adult learners, where they can acquire, strengthen, and practice social-emotional competencies.…”

Family visits to a biodiversity exhibit: An analysis of emotional responses during free visits and visits mediated by explainers

“…Luke et al (2022) analysed social and emotional behaviour during the interactions of 606 4- and 5-year-old children at 14 children's museums and 12 community playgrounds. In their analysis, the authors made use of categories centred around four socio-emotional abilities: (a) emotional expression, which registers instances of positive and negative feelings; (b) emotional regulation, which registers instances of positive and negative reactions to frustration; (c) behavioural regulation, which registers positive and negative involvement with age-appropriate activities; and (d) relational abilities with peers.…”

“…Noteworthy among these results is the observation that social emotions (those demonstrated during play with other children) and emotional regulation were expressed with more negativity at science museums than at playgrounds. Luke et al (2022) suggest that this may be a reflection of museums as spaces constructed for play that allow children to make (and fail) multiple attempts at completing tasks, becoming frustrated in the process. As such, science museums provide opportunities for children to practise these important social abilities.…”