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
Recommended Citation
Taraba, Sarah, "How Social Interaction Opportunities and Emotional Skills Instruction Affect Kindergarteners’ Self-Efficacy and Mental Health within the Distance Learning Model of School" (2021). Education Masters Papers. 9.
https://openriver.winona.edu/educationmasterspapers/9
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons
