Abstract

This study was designed to investigate how implementing social interaction opportunities and emotional skill instruction could improve the overall mental health and self-efficacy levels of students in a kindergarten distance learning classroom. Due to the worldwide pandemic, COVID- 19, students were forced to participate in a distance learning format. This meant that students utilized a technological device to participate in schooling through online meetings with teachers and classmates. The research that was conducted focused on kindergarten students as the participants to see what could be done to improve their overall mental health; increasing levels of positive emotions such as happiness, and decreasing the levels of negative emotions such as stress, worry or sadness. After implementing emotional skill instruction and increased social interaction opportunities, some positive effects were seen in the kindergarteners’ overall state of mental wellbeing. Significant increases in levels of happiness and decreases in feelings of stress were seen throughout the data collected throughout this study.

Date Action Research Paper Completed

6-2021

Document Type

Action Research Paper

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education

Department

Education-Rochester

Capstone Advisor

Joel Traver

Location

Rochester

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