A study into the role of social emotional learning resources for supporting social and emotional development in Australian preschool contexts

This thesis designed, trialled, evaluated, and revised a social emotional learning resource package, to support children’s social and emotional development in Australian preschools, through a cultural-historical theoretical lens. The resource, comprised of evidence-based social emotional learning instructional practices, was designed to consider the dynamic relations between the resource and an Australian preschool educator. Intervention occurred in one preschool group, with one control group. Findings indicate the resource had a significant effect on children’s social and emotional development, was usable to an Australian preschool educator, and enhanced SEL intentional teaching practices. This has significant implications for Australian preschool education.