THE OBSERVED BEHAVIOURAL EFFECTS OF A UNIVERSAL SOCIALEMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM IN AN ELEMENT ARY SCHOOL
SETTING
by

Jenna Johnston
B.A., University of Northern British Columbia, 2010
B.Ed., University of Northern British Columbia, 2012

THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
IN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP

UNNERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
February 2016
© Jenna Johnston, 2016

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Abstract
In this thesis, I identified and addressed the need for social-emotional skill development
in schools by creating and implementing a tailored social-emotional learning program in
an inner-city, faith-based school. Evaluation of the program was done by using
quantitative and qualitative methods through a questionnaire, survey, and interviews.
This thesis aimed to answer the question: In what ways does implementing the prosocial,

leadership and self-regulation-based ROAR program affect elementary school student
behaviour? The program was found to have positive effects on the school community
across various domains including community building, leadership and social-emotional
awareness.

Keywords: prosocial behaviour, self-regulation, peer leadership, social emotional
learning

lV

Research Timeline

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

38

Data Analysis

46

Creation of Themes

47

Trustworthiness

50

Ethical Considerations

50

Conclusion

51

Results and Discussion

52

Administrator Questionnaire Results

52

Survey Results

54

Results of Interviews

60

Pre-ROAR

60

Post-ROAR

64

Administrator Interview

68

Discussion of Results

71

Conclusion

77

Conclusion, Implication, and Recommendations

78

Recommendations

81

Reflections

83

Bibliography

85

Appendix A Administrator Questionnaire Consent

92

Appendix B Administrator Questionnaire

95

Appendix C Participant Survey Consent

98

Appendix D Survey

101

Appendix E Participant Interview Consent

103

Appendix F Interview Questions

106

Appendix G Administrator Interview Consent

107

Appendix H Administrator Interview Questions

110

Appendix I Catholic Independent Schools Approval

111

Appendix J Staff Information Sheet

112

V

Appendix K Parent Information Sheet

115

Appendix L Family Brainstorm Sheet

118

Appendix M Leadership Referral Form

119

Appendix N Parent Leadership Consent Form
Appendix O Presentation Criteria Sheet

121
124

Vl

List of Tables

Table 1: Research Timeline

38

Table 2: Administrator Questionnaire Results

53

Table 3: ROAR Survey Results: participants' relation to the school

55

Table 4: ROAR Survey Results: participants' weekly presence at the school

57

Table 5: ROAR Survey Results: participants' responses to survey statements

58

Table 6: Pre-ROAR: codes and themes from interviews

61

Table 7: Post-ROAR: codes and themes from interviews

65

Table 8: Administrator Interview: codes and themes

69

Vll

Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude for the dedication of my colleagues, administrator,
and superintendent for their advocacy for our students and belief in the ROAR program.
The support from my school community throughout this process has made this all
possible.
I would also like to thank my family for supporting me and encouraging me to be a lifelong learner. I appreciate their pride in my accomplishments and the way they have
instilled our family values in me and all that I do. From them I have learned the value of
respect, acceptance, hard work and determination and for that I am grateful.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge my supervisor for providing his expertise and
guidance throughout this process. I am grateful for the time he spent helping me to edit
my work and his ability to respond to my pleas for help within minutes despite his busy
schedule. I am thankful that he made my learning and advancement a priority. In
addition, I am fortunate to have had the privilege of working with a talented and highly
respectable supervisory committee. I appreciate their guidance and influence and
commend them for their dedication to life-long learning as well.

1

Chapter 1: Introduction
As a teacher, I have observed that education systems today place a great amount
of focus on professional development for teachers. Teachers are exposed to the new and
trending ways of assessment and training for improved student achievement on
standardized testing, all the while teaching to individual learning styles. Often the goal of
professional development is for the academic success for all learners. While these foci are
necessary in student academic achievement, the success of these practices is dependent
upon positive and receptive behaviours within the learning environment. In many
instances, academic success is related to students' readiness to learn by which I mean a
student's overall emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing, allowing them to learn to
their highest potentials.
As adults, we have many stresses in life which can cause us to perform less than
adequately at work, or cause deficiency in sleep and, therefore, loss of focus in carrying
out daily activities, as well as negative impacts on our moods. A fact that sometimes goes
unacknowledged, though, is that children go through their own life stresses which, like
adults, impact their performance, attention, and focus during activities, as well as their
overall behaviour. As world events continue to demonstrate, we are all in danger when
our students receive academic knowledge but grow up lacking necessary social and
emotional skills such as compassion and empathy (Schonert-Reichl & Hymel, 2010).
In my experience as an elementary school teacher, I have observed that when
students perform poorly or act inappropriately in the classroom, teachers are often quick
to blame the student and, in many cases, punish the student for the behaviour. Instead of
addressing the reason for poor overall performance, a troubled student may find himself

2
spending time in the principal ' s office with piles of extra work. Adults can often
recognize when their stress levels are increased and begin affecting negatively their lives.
They can choose a method of stress relief, whether it is a glass of wine or couple ' s
counselling. Children are often not aware of their stresses; they are not always able to say
what has affected their performance or behaviour, let alone choose a stress-relieving
strategy that helps to reduce the negative impacts on their lives. Children experiencing
life stresses need to be taught strategies to both recognize and de-escalate stress in their
lives in order to be more successful at school. I believe there is an urgent call for selfregulatory and prosocial initiatives for children in schools to positively impact behaviour
and student performance in a way that targets the root of the problem and increases
students ' readiness to learn. It has been the goal of my thesis, and ultimately my passion,
to create such a program in the school at which I teach.

Research Questions
Through creating and implementing a program based on social emotional learning
and self-regulation, I planned to answer the following question:
•

In what ways does implementing the prosocial, leadership- and self-regulation-

based Respect Optimism Acceptance Rejoice (ROAR) program affect elementary
school student behaviour?

Background to the Study
In identifying the lack of prosocial behaviour in our school and in comparing this

deficit to the adversities facing many of our students, the last three years have included a
collaborative push for stronger school community. The work toward school unity has
entailed school pride shirts, "hoodies" for students and staff, and staff lanyards and laptop

3
bags, all displaying the school logo and panther mascot. Students also strive to earn hats
and toques displaying the school logo . These "panther" items have provided some
incentive for positive behaviour as well as a concrete representation of school unity. Over
these three years, we have held monthly school spirit days, meet-the-teacher potluck
dinners, school-wide turkey dinners at Christmas time, and most recently, a Family Fun
Night. These items and events have helped to unify our students, families, and staff in a
positive way that is meaningful to our school community.
Having invested multiple efforts from a staff and administrator perspective,
unifying the school has become a key focus as our enrollment continues to increase. Not
only are we receiving more families, but also we continue to receive families of diverse
backgrounds, adversities, and unstable home lives. With a growing population, we have
witnessed an influx in access to counselling, behaviour intervention plans, referrals to the
principal for inappropriate behaviour, as well as individualized education plans.
Acceptance of others, providing safe space at our school, and welcoming others in a
respectful way have become very important in our community. With strides toward
school unity, the incorporation of a universal prosocial and self-regulatory program was a
logical next step for our students.
Throughout this study, students were informed of some incentives to developing
this program in their school. One incentive was having ownership over the acronym
"ROAR" through processes of brainstorming, voting, and presenting class ideas to the
school. A second incentive included having the acronym added to a new school logo
painted on the gym wall. Other incentives included class parties and program leader
toques reserved for those students who received one-on-one and group training in self-

4

regulatory and prosocial techniques who became peer leaders of the program. These
incentives were integral to the success of the program in terms of peaking students'
interests as well as continuing the ongoing efforts to foster school pride.
The diverse population in this school can be represented by the number of
families using subsidies for tuition, the number of single-parent or divorced families,
those families who speak English as a second language, recent immigrants, as well as
identified First Nations families. This school currently has 11 % of families living below
the poverty level. Of the families whose children are enrolled in this school (Catholic
Independent Schools, 2015), 28% receive subsidized tuition in either partial or full
amount. These students represent those vulnerable families of low socioeconomic status.
Single parent families represent 31 % of the school's population. Children of these
families either live with the mother or the father, the grandparent or other family member,
or spend their time split between two or more households. Of the school's total
population, 16% are English-as-second language learners and 35 families are recent
immigrants to Canada in the last three years. This school has 15 families who identify as
Aboriginal as well.
Many students within the school are affected by familial stresses and individual
risks that warrant extra support through either in-school or outside resources. The schooloffered resources often include meeting basic needs such as clothing and food, offering
learning assistance and support through educational assistants (EAs), access to a
counsellor, or referral to external supports. Currently, 10% of the school's population
accesses a part-time school counsellor. Due to deficits in learning, medical alerts, special
needs, or other challenges, 41 % of the student population is on individualized education

5

plans (IEPs). Due to challenging behaviours, lack of self-regulation or lack of prosocial
behaviour, 10% of the students are on behavioural plans developed by school-based
teams including the respective classroom teacher, principal, and learning assistance
teacher.
Personal Location
I have devoted my career to working with children. I have 12 years of experience
working in northern British Columbia with at-risk youth facing adversities such as
various special needs, poverty, race, and separated families. I have worked with these
children in varied capacities including coaching sports, running after-school activity
programs, child care, summer camp coordination and implementation, and now, as a
teacher. I have a vested interest in the wellbeing of the children in this community as I
have spent essentially my life ' s work dedicated to their healthy development and
education.
I currently work as a full-time teacher at the school in which I carried out this
study on prosocial and self-regulatory behaviour. I have identified a lack of socialemotional understanding and consideration in many of the students with whom I
currently work and, in my opinion, it has caused multiple barriers to students' social
interactions with one another and with adults, as well as lowered self-esteem, little selfawareness and a limited level of academic engagement. It has become my goal and my
passion to promote prosocial behaviour in children in order for them to rise to their
individual potentials and become as successful as possible in all endeavours despite
adversities they may face. I strongly believe that by integrating a well-planned universal

6
school program focused on social-emotional learning, social behaviour in this school
demonstrated some positive change.
I took on the role of teacher-researcher during this study. During the three years I
have worked at the school, I believe I have created positive relationships with the
students, not only with those whom I teach directly, but students from kindergarten
through Grade Seven. I have worked with students in each grade through various
academic and extra-curricular activities including the development of a school-wide
performance choir, coaching intermediate sports, providing support and supervision for
lunch time clubs, and promoting intermediate and primary partner work between classes.
Because I have engaged in multiple school-wide activities with the students, I feel their
familiarity with me promoted positive interactions during this universal initiative. The
nature of this study was such that, although I am a researcher, I feel I was not seen as a
traditional outsider. The children, instead, continued to view me as a teacher.
I believe the greatest assets I have had during this study are the relationships I
have developed with the students as well as my colleagues. The nature of this study
required that I not only work one-on-one with students, but also relied on the support of
my peers. During my time at the school, I have worked to develop strong working
relationships with my colleagues which I believe have been beneficial to working with
the staff in terms of gaining involvement, participation, and effective communication
during this process. Though interaction with a peer-turned-researcher could be construed
as intimidating or conflicting, I believe the nature of this study was such that it has not
greatly affected my professional relationships with my colleagues because the study itself
was for the benefit of all our students.

7

Significance of Study
Children who experience high levels of stress are often those of low
socioeconomic status. Poor outcomes in terms of self-regulatory and prosocial behaviour
are most likely among children who both show individual risk, such as early aggressive
behaviour, difficult temperament, and low IQ, and those who experience stressful family
circumstances such as low socioeconomic status and family violence (Dodge & Pettit,
2003). A 2011 statistics report on British Columbia poverty statistics revealed the child
poverty rate to be 18.6 per cent using Statistics Canada' s Low Income Cut-Offs before
tax as a measure of poverty (First Call, 2013). Families most susceptible to living in
poverty include those with single mothers, Aboriginal descent, recent immigrants and
refugees, and those with disabilities (Ivanova, 2011).
Of the 150 students in the inner-city school at which I work, there are over 10
recent immigrant families, two international students, 10 funded special needs students,
and approximately 15% of our students self-identify as First Nations. Families living in
poverty, especially in an inner-city setting, are often those which have less access to
nutritious food, health care, and other services. Available research suggests lack of these
basic needs in a child ' s life can cause the stresses that impact performance academically
and behaviourally and may be associated with undesirable change in personality (Hart,
Atkins, & Matsuba, 2008), yet the stresses go beyond simply not having money or good
food. In single parent families, for example, there is often a lack of familial structure
which can leave children feeling lonely, unwanted, or depressed. Absence of either a
mother or father in the home life of a child can have an immense impact on their identity,
their world view, and how they treat others. A longitudinal study conducted by Hart et al.

8
(2003) reported that children living in households with risk factors such as low income,
many siblings, father absence, and poor home environment were more likely to transition
from the resilient personality type, identified as having positive relationship skills and
high self-esteem, at ages 3--4 to the under-controlled personality type, characterized by
aggression and delinquency, at ages 5-6 (Hart, Atkins, & Fegley, 2003). There is plenty
ofresearch like the study conducted by Hart, Atkins, and Fegley, which focuses on the
negative behaviours that stem from the adversities many children face but most recently,
there has been a shift in behavioural research to focus on the positive behavioural
attributes that lead to greater mental-health and wellbeing (Schonert-Reich! et. al, 2009).
As a result of this paradigm shift, there has been a recent surge in development and
implementation of programs which are aimed at positive emotional development and
growth in children despite adversities (Schonert-Reich! et. al, 2009). There are additional
stresses that accompany having English as a second language, not being familiar with the
structure or world view represented in the school environment, and the overall inequality
felt by minorities currently and throughout history. Educational research in neurobiology
has demonstrated that neglected children, as well as those who have experienced physical
or emotional adversities, often experience alterations in brain development resulting in
stress hormones which tend to degenerate the areas of the brain that control emotional
development (Jensen, 2009). Evidence from this study reinforces much of what past
researchers have reported.
Programs with the goal to improve social emotional skills are integral at the
elementary school level. Children in the elementary school years are at a critical stage in
their social development, regardless of their socioeconomic status, as their social circle

9
spreads from their families to a broader school community which includes new adults,
children, and relationships. Differing from the first five years of a child' s life where the
influence of family is most central, it is during middle childhood in which there is an
increasing influence of outside, and in some cases unfamiliar, environments on children' s
social interactions and development (Bianchi & Robinson, 1997). Because the family
structures, adversities, and familiar social environments of students vary greatly, it is
integral to create a school environment which fosters respect, positive relationships and
responsibility.
The adversities some children face today can result in larger issues such as
bullying, victimization, and depression. In a Canadian study of youth aged 10 to 16, it
was found that 33% of boys and 30% of girls reported having been bullied within the
previous few months (Boyce, 2004). Increasing rates of social victimization among
children combined with individual risks and family status affirm the inherent need for
prosocial behaviour and development of socially aware life skills. It is the lived
experience of the individual child which shapes how they will perform in their
educational environment.
Context of Study

This study involved the development and implementation of a social-emotional
program aimed at improving prosocial and self-regulatory behaviour in an inner-city
school in northern British Columbia. As previously mentioned, there are currently 150
students enrolled from kindergarten to Grade Seven. This school is faith-based and
welcomes families from diverse backgrounds, which has created a population that is both
multicultural and representative of varied familial structures. This diverse population is

10
representative of the adversities in British Columbia in terms of poverty, single parent
families, immigrant status, as well as First Nations heritage.
Theoretical Framework
This study was conducted within the conceptual lens of the social-emotional
learning core values and goals outlined by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
Emotional Learning (CASEL) as well as Goleman ' s fundamentals of emotional
intelligence, both including self-management, social awareness, and the ability to manage
relationships (Goleman, 2006; CASEL, 2015). With its roots in social-emotional
learning, the purpose of the ROAR program was to promote students' self-awareness,
strengthen individuals' social awareness, foster children ' s relationships and responsible
decision-making skills, and to improve attitudes and beliefs about self, others, and school
(CASEL, 2015). The ROAR program meets the standards of social emotional-learning as
outlined by CASEL by coinciding with the components of emotional intelligence which
involve persistence during frustration , controlling impulse, regulation of one ' s moods and
distress, and to empathize (Goleman, 2006).
Summary of the Study
The program was applied universally in the school setting. Every student from
kindergarten through Grade Seven had exposure to the program and was involved in its
development and implementation in some capacity. The student population was
responsible for deciding which social-emotional value would be assigned to each letter in
the acronym "ROAR", and was held accountable to behaving within the ROAR values
with the assistance of peer leadership. There are seven classroom teachers, one

11

administrator, and seven educational assistants who were also essential in supporting this
study.
The school represented in this study is located in a low socioeconomic part of the
city. In addition, this is a faith-based independent school. Being an independent school, it
is not fully government funded and works in partnership with the parish associated with
the school. As a faith-based institute, the school is governed by the mission to honour the
inherent goodness of each student as a child of God, and to cultivate their physical,
artistic, academic, emotional, moral, and spiritual growth. Simultaneously, the school
works with the vision statement that asserts the role of the school community to form
exceptional leaders using Christ as our model. Through initiating a universal socialemotional learning program, it was hypothesized that prosocial and self-regulatory
behaviour would improve while continuing to build the school family through faith,
collaboration, caring for one another, and promoting self-awareness.
This chapter has presented the subject of inquiry of this study, and the research
question I intended to answer as the teacher-researcher carrying out this exploration. This
chapter discussed the rationale behind the study, as well as the setting and population
demographics of the study. The next chapter will outline the professional literature in
relation to the central research question. The third chapter will present my research
design. Chapter four will include the results and discussion of my research. Finally,
chapter five will present the conclusion of my study.

12

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Before the creation and implementation of a prosocial initiative such as the
ROAR program, it was integral to analyse the research that exists on the subjects of
social emotional learning and universal prosocial programs. In order to inform the design
of the program and how it would be carried out, an analysis of similar successful
programs took place. The purpose of this literature review is to discover what has led to
previous successful implementation of universal prosocial school programs as well as to
inform the study with sound theory to support the research that was carried out.
The goal of this literature review is to explore the current literature and research
surrounding social emotional learning as well as the implementation of universal
prosocial programs in elementary schools. The literature review includes the definition,
influential theory, and development of social emotional learning. Influential factors of
social-emotional deficits are discussed as well as successful social emotional programs.
Research cited in this literature review involves elementary school student behaviour and
the implementation of universal programs targeted at strengthening prosocial behaviours
in schools. This chapter also includes the researched benefits of implementing a program
involving peer leadership as well as a discussion on the connection of social-emotional
learning to the current British Columbia curriculum.
Social-Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning can be defined as the process of acquiring the
competencies to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others,
establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging
situations effectively (Elias, 2006). The Fetzer group first introduced the term social and

13
emotional learning (SEL) as a conceptual framework to address both the needs of young
people and the fragmentation that typically characterizes the response of schools to those
needs (Elias et al. , 1997). They believed that SEL programming and curriculum could
address underlying causational factors of problem behavior while assisting in academic
achievement, unlike the many other prevention programs which target specific problems
such as addiction, depression, and illness. Though most school mission statements assert
the importance of fostering both academic and social development in tandem, the
emphasis in schools today commonly resides in academic achievement. There is a push
for higher levels of performance on standardized tests and lack of focus on social
development despite the need for social skill development alongside academics.
Research, however, is telling us that if we want our children to succeed in both school
and life, we need to promote their social and emotional skills (Schonert & Hymel, 1996).
Social-emotional learning works in a way to better prepare students for the tests of life,
not a life of tests (Elias, 200 I). Social emotional learning is sometimes called "the
missing piece", because it represents a part of education that is inextricably linked to
school success, but has not been explicitly stated or given much attention until recently
(Schonert-Reichl & Hymel, 2010).
There are many positive reasons for incorporating social-emotional learning into
schools. Social-emotional learning works to the benefit of all students. Though the
obvious concerns in a school setting may be reducing inappropriate or challenging
behaviour, or promoting respect for others so as to minimize disruptions throughout the
day, there are five specific goals and essential competencies of social-emotional learning:
developing self-awareness, developing social awareness, promoting self-management,

14
strengthening relationship skills, and fostering responsible decision-making (CASEL,
2015).
Conceptualization of social-emotional learning. In light of the recent push for
social-emotional learning in schools, more universal prosocial programs have been
implemented and evaluated in schools. The findings of such research have demonstrated
the benefits of universal social-emotional learning programs. These benefits include
reduced negative behaviour, increased positive social interactions, as well as higher
academic achievement in many cases (Payton et al., 2008). The predominant findings in
research surrounding SEL programs suggest and assert that school-based prevention
programming based on coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning should be
integral to preschool through high school education due to the positive effects of such
programs in communities facing adversities such as increased economic and social
pressures on families; weakening of community institutions that nurture children's social,
emotional, and moral development; and access by children to media that encourage
health-damaging behavior (Greenberg et al., 2003).
The Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Curriculum (PATHS) is a
universal elementary school-based prevention program targeted at reducing students '
anti-social behaviour by promoting the development of social emotional skills (PATHS
Education Worldwide, 2015). The curriculum is based on a model of development which
focuses on the developmental integration of cognition, affect and emotion language, and
behaviour in the fostering of social competence (Riggs et. al, 2006). The PATHS
curriculum is primarily aimed at improving social competencies by incorporating
elements of neuropsychology and the interaction of left and right hemispheres of the

15

brain during social interaction, conflict resolution, and emotional recognition. In a
fundamental study of the effectiveness of the PATHS curriculum, Greenberg et al. (1995)
reported that the prevention program led to significant improvement in students' ability to
identify and understand emotion, fluency in communicating feelings, and increased
ability to manage emotions. In another study involving a trial of 48 randomized schools
in the United States, PATHS was shown to significantly decrease disruptive behaviour in
grade one students after six months of implementation based on observations and
improved quality of classroom social environments (Riggs et al., 2006). A study
involving the implementation of PATHS aimed at discovering the relatedness of
neurocognitive ability and teacher-reported incidents of disruptive behaviour, conducted
by Riggs et al., showed that children exposed to the curriculum demonstrated increased
inhibitory control as well as verbal fluency. This study used a control group in order to
compare behaviour of those students exposed to the PATHS curriculum to those who
were not. Along with the curriculum, teachers of the program received three training days
on social emotional learning and were required to teach the curriculum two to three times
per week for 20 to 30 minutes. Students involved in the PATHS curriculum were IQ
tested and tested for inhibitory control using a Stroop Test which involved the
administration of three color word trials. Verbal fluency and child behaviour were also
assessed and analysed using a quantitative method. The findings of this study suggest that
development of prosocial programs acknowledge the importance of the interplay between
emotional competence and neuropsychology (Riggs et al., 2006).
While not all universal social emotional programs are primarily concerned with
neuropsychology, some are aided in classrooms by a curriculum similar to PATHS,

16
called the MindUP Curriculum. MindUP is a research-based social emotional learning
program which is centred on developing and promoting conscious awareness of the
present moment by focusing attention and controlling breathing, learning to reduce stress
and optimizing the learning capacity of the brain (The Hawn Foundation, 2011). Like the
PATHS program, the MindUP curriculum is a product of research that suggests the skills
that social-emotional development interventions attempt to promote are dependent upon
parallel constructs at the neurocognitive level (Greenberg et al. , 2004). The studies that
have shaped neuropsychological programs for children demonstrate that controlling
impulsive behavior requires intercession by the prefrontal cortex to inhibit impulsive
thoughts and actions and children ' s ability to verbally mediate problem situations
depends on the left hemisphere of the brain (Riggs, 2006). The MindUP curriculum was
designed for teachers to create focused classrooms filled with focus students with social
emotional awareness. The curriculum has its base in social emotional learning through
neuropsychology and aims to teach students the specific parts of the brain that are
responsible for their stress management and focus in order to better control their
behaviour and social awareness. The curriculum lessons are presented in simple language
for students of all grade levels to understand. With the help of visual aids and 15 core
lessons, students learn about the connection between body and brain, the outcome of
which is a group of resilient students who are aware of their impulses, thoughts, feelings,
and behaviour resulting in higher levels of self-esteem, happiness, and ownership of their
learning (The Hawn Foundation, 2011).
Although research about the successful implementation of the MindUP
curriculum is not plentiful, it has been shaped and influenced by leading researchers and

17
experts in the social emotional field such as Goleman, Durlak, Greenberg, and CASEL
(The Hawn Foundation, 2011 ). Most of the research which supports the success of social
emotional learning has been linked to academic achievement. The MindUP program has
been influenced by the recognition of the importance of social emotional learning with
regard to academic achievement by many researchers including Caprara et al. (2000),
who found that the academic success of students in the eighth grade could be predicted
by assessing the social emotional development of the same students in the third grade
than from their academic competence in the third grade. While there are many links
between social emotional learning programs in schools and academic success, the social
benefits of MindUP and other such programs include the reduction of peer-to-peer
conflict, development of students ' prosocial skills, such as compassion, patience,
generosity, and empathy.
The Roots of Empathy program is another successful social emotional learning
initiative centered on the prosocial development of children. The Roots of Empathy
program is evidence-based and was developed for the classroom in order to reduce levels
of aggression, raise social emotional competence, and foster empathy in children (Roots
of Empathy, 2015). The program is designed for elementary school classrooms where a
parent and an infant from the neighborhood visit the classroom on a monthly basis. A
Roots of Empathy instructor coaches the students to observe the interactions between the
infant and the parent in order to better understand the attachment that forms between the
two and to recognize the empathetic responses and feeling between the two (Gordon,
2003). The children record the infant' s development over 27 lessons throughout the
school year and learn to recognize the baby' s cues and temperament while learning to

18
recognize feelings in others. The implementation of the Roots of Empathy program has
shown that children learn to take the perspective of others and become less likely to bully
and exclude others while building skills in democracy and gaining a sense of justice in
the classroom (Gordon, 2003). Children demonstrate their learning through meaningful
reflection, often through artwork which displays their interpretations of why the infant
cries at certain times, for example. Through the reflections and artwork, students are able
to express themselves in a positive and creative way while taking perspective of others.
In a study of the effectiveness of the Roots of Empathy program in six to eight

year old children, Schonert-Reich! found a decrease of aggression in the Roots of
Empathy group and a rise in the aggression of a comparison group not exposed to the
Roots of Empathy program with significant decreases in peer-to-peer conflict and
increased prosocial behaviour reported by students and teachers (Gordon, 2003).
Schnoert-Reichl et al. (2011) conducted a more recent study of the Roots of Empathy
program which was concerned with specific social emotional skills such as sharing,
helping, cooperation, and kindness in the evaluation of the success of the program, as
well as aggression rates of both proactive and reactive nature. The study involved 28
participating schools, 585 students total, from across Canada spanning from the fourth to
seventh grades. Of the schools, 14 implemented the Roots of Empathy program and 14
schools were in a control group where the Roots of Empathy program was not
implemented. The study was designed in a way to minimize differences of age, gender,
socio-economic status, and race between the program implemented and the control
groups. In order to make this quasi-experimental study trustworthy, T-tests and chisquare was performed, the results of which demonstrated little variance among the type

19
of students in each group. Instructors of the program were given an intensive three day
training workshop in order to ensure consistency in the delivery of the lessons and
programs. The results of the study demonstrated that children exposed to the program
gained significant improvements in their ability to generate causes for infants' crying that
reflected attention to the emotions of the baby, children in the Roots of Empathy group
were more likely to be nominated by peers as having prosocial ability than those of the
control group, and the program students significantly decreased in levels of aggression
(Schonert-Reichl, 2011).
While there are many universal social emotional learning programs being
successfully implemented in schools, the PATHS, MindUP curriculum, and Roots of
Empathy seem to be most pertinent as well as most research-based. It is important to note
that these are but a few of the many programs targeted at promoting prosocial behaviour
among students.
Self-Regulation and Prosocial Behaviour
Self-regulation can be defined as the ability to stay calmly focused and alert
which often involves self-control (Education Canada, 2015). It is becoming more and
more widely understood that the better a person is able to self-regulate, the better he or
she is able to achieve and demonstrate more complex higher-order thinking skills
including social conflict resolution and interactions, as well as academic tasks within a
school setting. Self-regulation is conducive to positive adjustment and adaptation, as
reflected in positive social relationships, productivity, achievement, and positive selfesteem (Blair and Diamond, 2008). Children who lack self-regulatory skills struggle with
paying attention, ignoring distractions, inhibiting impulses, regulating emotions, and

20
maintaining a state of being calm, focused, and alert (Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative,
2015). Self-regulation concerns various levels and aspects of a person 's interactions with
his or her environment. Shanker (2015) outlines the five levels or domains of selfregulation as biological (how well a person regulates his or her arousal states), emotional
(how well a person monitors and modifies his or her emotional responses), cognitive
(how well a person can sustain and switch attention, deal with frustration, inhibit
impulses), social (a person's functional understanding of social norms and rules), and
reflective thinking skills. These domains are not separate from one another but rather
affect and are influenced by one another. Often in classroom settings it can be easy to
misinterpret compliance for self-regulation. Many teachers prefer a quiet classroom
where students are silent and presumably listening and learning. This is the type of
classroom which some may think represents a self-regulated atmosphere but Shanker
(2015) would argue this is not the case, particularly in contrast to a noisy classroom
where each student is actively engaged in a small group, hands-on learning activity.
Classrooms that are quiet are not necessarily classrooms where children are selfregulated. Students in these classrooms can be quite off-task in terms of daydreaming or
general disengagement. Students in active learning environments often seem outwardly
chaotic but at closer glance tend to have the most engaged learning behaviour. This
example provides a reminder to educators that compliance is not interchangeable with
self-regulation.
Self-regulation is not an isolated skill and it can be inherently linked to prosocial
behaviour due to the fact that in order to self-regulate one must respond to a given
situation with a combination of communication systems, for example, language in a

21
social context (Florez, 2011 ). Children must learn to respond to stimuli in an appropriate
manner especially in schools where an inappropriate reaction could result in harm of
another child. In order to promote self-regulation in children, Florez (2011) suggests
three teaching strategies that are critical for scaffolding children ' s development:
modeling, using hints and cues, and gradually withdrawing adult support. With these
three strategies, students can learn to recognize appropriate behaviour, actively
participate in guided prosocial behaviour, and eventually be able to identify and put the
learned self-regulatory skills to use independently.
Blair and Diamond (2008) assert that in many studies of prekindergarten students
across the United States, expulsion rates for behavioural problems have exceeded those
of elementary and secondary schools since the tum of the century. In one such study
10.4% of prekindergarten teachers reported expelling at least one child over a 12-month
period and 19.9% reported expelling more than one (Blair and Diamond, 2008). The
children being expelled from prekindergarten programs were unable to follow directions,
teachers overwhelmingly reported struggles with children being unable to communicate
wants, needs, and thoughts verbally, to be enthusiastic and curious in learning, and
children were not sensitive to other children's feelings (Blair and Diamond, 2008). Using
the United States as a similar demographic comparison to Canada, these rates of
expulsion are cause for concern for educators as some children are coming to school illequipped for school life. Influx in the number of children lacking these skills upon
entering kindergarten places a large obligation on schools to model and teach selfregulatory skills.

22

Socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to affect
children's behaviour, academic achievement, and executive functioning. Many studies
have shown that children from higher SES families consistently perform better on
executive functioning tasks such as impulse control and conflict resolution (Rochette &
Bernier, 2014). Children from low SES households often struggle with the ability to
control impulsivity in social situations as well as the ability to respond appropriately to
social conflicts. Research over the last decade has demonstrated that children of
vulnerable families are at higher risk for developmental delays in health, cognition, and
social-emotional skills (Rochette & Bernier, 2014). The low cognition, social skills, and
academic aptitude in children from low SES families could be due in part to elevated
truancy and absenteeism at school as well. In a study of 21 schools within a large
Midwestern district involving 16, 418 students, low SES students were shown to be at a
much greater risk for truancy and the risk of truancy was shown to increase between 14%
and 78% over every additional year for low SES students in particular (Nolan et al. ,
2013). Because most academic topics are designed in a spiral curriculum, that is concepts
taught in one lesson are built upon in following lessons, students who miss school
frequently are more likely to lack understanding when they return. In addition, lack of
engagement with other children due to being away from school is not conducive to
promoting prosocial behaviour among peers. Truancy has also been identified as an early
warning sign of negative and criminal behavior (Nolan et al. , 2013). Due to the
correlation between family and school factors, economic influences, and student variables
such as mental health (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2005),

23
social-emotional programs are essential to the development of the skill-building that most
low SES students in particular are not receiving in their home lives.
Studies of the effective of social-emotional programs on low SES student
behaviour have been consistently positive. In a qualitative study of 28 inner-city
elementary schools implementing peer mediation social-emotional programs across the
United States, results demonstrated a 25% decrease in low SES students ' violent and
disruptive behaviour (Bickmore, 2001 ).

Family structure. Almost as prevalent as the link between SES and children ' s
behavioural and academic performance is the correlation between those levels of
achievement and the quality of parent-child relationships (Rochette & Bernier, 2014).
Self-regulation is one of the most notable social skills affected by parent-child
relationships (Jennings et al., 2008). The correlation between parent-child relationships
and social-emotional skills including self-regulation may be due to the parental modeling
of such skills in a child ' s home life. While it is noted frequently in schools that children
learn from teacher-modelled behaviour, it is crucial to remember that behaviours are
modeled by adults at home, outside of school, and within the family whether positive or
negative as well.
As a result of influx of divorce, decrease in marriage, non-marital fertility and
other various changes in family demographics, children are more likely to be raised in
multigenerational households (Pilkauskas, 2014). Due to decreases in parents' support systems
through traditional marriage, more and more parents look toward their own parents for help in
raising their children for various reasons including childcare and finance. Grandparents are able
to positively influence the development of children in many ways that affect social-emotional
skills such as discussing behaviour and emotions, monitoring behaviour, and role modeling

24
(Pilkauskas, 2014). Alternatively, grandparents could also negatively impact the social-emotional
development of children. Additional family members in a household could potentially create a
drain on finances, interfere with parenting, and create conflict potentially resulting in less parentchild time which is crucial to child development and behaviour (Gershoff, 2013).

Faith development. Religion can play an important role in the way children
develop as the values reflected in faith development are linked to the way children treat
others and the way they behave in social interactions. Wenner (2008), in reviewing a
study by Bartowski, argued that children whose parents are part of a faith community
often have access to more social support in their role as parents. This study also affirmed
that families who practice faith often hold faith values that are self-sacrificing and profamily which are, in turn, traits that are positively viewed in school communities. Values
of acceptance, understanding and empathy are values often resonating throughout most
religions. The development of such values would require that students study religion in
depth, as a live option for understanding their world and the people in it (Feinberg, 2013).
Passe and Willox (2009) argue that teaching religion in public school should be
mandatory in the United States despite the separation of church and state, especially with
the noted influx in religious animosity since 9/11. In public schools, religion can be
taught as part of the social studies curriculum thereby teaching children about religion
and promoting tolerance while minimizing ignorance of other faiths as the current state of
public schools leave students religiously ignorant (Feinberg, 2013). Children who have
been exposed to forms of religious teaching are more likely to be accepting of diversity
and multiculturalism (Passe & Willox, 2009). Advocates for the integration of religion in
schools argue that religion in schools is so important that specific religious courses
should be mandatory and, in some cases, take precedence over mandatory mathematics

25
classes (Feinberg, 2013). The goal in the mandatory instruction of religion in public
schools in these cases would work toward the goal of the development of responsible,
active citizens. In addition, the inclusion of religion in schools in a well-planned effort
may lead to a stronger society, one in which religious differences are understood,
appreciated, and even celebrated (Passe & Willox, 2009). Children in faith-based schools,
especially those which are not exclusively comprised of students from one specific
religious background, have the privilege of being immersed in such an environment that
promotes inclusion and acceptance of others and demonstrates low tolerance for
exclusion.

Peer Leadership
Young students are capable of learning to help each other to resolve interpersonal
conflicts in school through peer support, tutoring, leadership, and mediation (Bickmore,
2001 ). The use of peer leadership to promote successful learning in schools has been
linked to the success of students in multiple arenas. Nath and Ross (2001) suggest that if
elementary school children are taught leadership and tutoring skills as part of their
involvement in cooperative learning in groups, their academic achievement will increase
while strengthening their social interactive skills. Studies of promoting student leadership
skills within physical education have demonstrated that leadership in the context of team
sports activities works to decrease off-task behaviour and the skills taught in the physical
education setting often generalize to include other venues in the school, most notably the
classroom setting (Sharpe, Brown, & Crider, 1995). A study of the effectiveness of peer
leadership in literacy development demonstrated that students exposed to the peer
leadership program demonstrated increased collaborative skills across 16 observed traits

26
including praising and encouraging others, and active listening (Nath & Ross, 2001).
Triangulation was achieved in this study by combining both qualitative and quantitative
methods. MANOVA testing was used to analyse the similarities and differences between
the effect of the program on the control and program oriented students. Interviews of the
teachers were held in this study in order to further explain the observed effects of this
program and, although the teachers did not witness an increase in academic achievement,
they did indicate that their students had grown socially.
Conflict in schools is often seen as an undesirable and negative behaviour. While
it can cause disturbances, Bickmore (2001) argued that conflict is inevitable in human
life, and can be a positive force for learning and development. Students must understand
at a young age that conflict is normal but they must learn appropriate and practical ways
of solving disputes and disagreements. One of the most successful forms of conflict
resolution and intervention in schools has been peer mediation where a third unbiased
party helps to talk about and work through disagreements (Bickmore, 2001 ). In order to
develop a school environment where peer mediation can be successful, it is crucial for the
staff to be modelling positive conflict resolution. Sometimes this type of transformation
begins with the adults which extends beyond becoming familiar with SEL practices and
theories and requires them to take action in their exploration of personal assets in SEL as
well as areas of improvement (Elias, 2006). Once students learn from watching the adult
leaders in their school community, they are better able to demonstrate the leadership
qualities needed in order to be peer mediators and essentially role models in their schools.
Leadership must be distributed, and ideally, each member of the school environment will

27
see that the mantle of leadership touches everyone who has a vested interest in the school
(Elias, 2006).

Connection to Curriculum
With increasing evidence of the importance of social emotional learning and
capability, education systems have recently been placing greater focus on integrating
social emotional practice into curriculum. Here in British Columbia there is a newly
designed curriculum being introduced in both the elementary and secondary levels of
education. This new curriculum plan focuses less on specific prescribed learning
outcomes and content and shifts to the incorporation of ' big ideas' to ensure inclusivity of
all learners and greater flexibility in both teachers and students (BC Ministry of
Education, 2015). The newly designed curriculum is based on three guiding core
competencies which are thinking, personal and social, and communication. These
competencies are inherently linked to social-emotional development which further
weaves the importance of such programs and recognition in education.
The goals and outcomes highlighted by SEL programs are best accomplished
through effective classroom instruction; student engagement in positive activities in and
out of the classroom; and broad student, parent, and community involvement in program
planning, implementation, and evaluation (Greenberg, 2003). These goals are echoed in
British Columbia' s current curriculum in its focus on experiential learning outside the
classroom as well as the shift in focus to individualized learning with the guiding
practices of SEL-inspired core competencies of communication, creative thinking, critical
thinking, positive personal and cultural identity, personal awareness and responsibility,
and social responsibility (BC Ministry of Education, 2015) . This transformation in British

28
Columbian education represents a shift from the traditional assessment of only academic
achievement to the assessment of interpersonal interaction and capabilities. This new
curriculum emphasizes not only the importance of academic performance but also how
students treat and feel about one another as well as themselves. The BC Ministry of
Education website (2015) describes the competency of personal awareness and
responsibility, for example, as including the skills, strategies, and dispositions that help
students to regulate emotions, respect their own rights and the rights of others, manage
stress, and to persevere in difficult situations. These are all goals within the realm of
social-emotional learning. This shift in educational concern in schools to accommodate
and acknowledge the need for SEL represents a stride toward holistic education for
children; teaching to the whole child in an attempt to address every need so that the
highest quality of academic learning possible can take place.
Conclusion

Developing a program based on social-emotional learning requires reviewing
current literature around the topic with regard to the main goals presented in the CASEL
framework. These goals include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness,
relationship skills, and responsible decision making. The presence or lack of these skills
can be influences by a child ' s socioeconomic status, family structure, and faith
background. Schools in lower socioeconomic, faith-based communities are at higher risk
for children lacking in these fundamental social-emotional skills.
Studies have demonstrated social-emotional programs involving peer leadership
and mediation are successful in promoting positive behaviour and social skills. Programs
with a leadership aspect also contribute to confidence building in students. Leadership

29
programs begin with teachers as role models and eventual independence for students in
terms of self-regulation and conflict resolution.
The transformed curriculum in British Columbia has core competency roots in
social-emotional learning. With increasing interest in social-emotional learning, the
demand for programs surrounding this topic has increased as well, particularly in innercity schools. In addition to promoting social-emotional skills in schools, the new
curriculum also aims to include all learners and meet diverse needs, thereby promoting
inclusion and acceptance of all students.
This chapter has presented the main areas of research necessary for investigation
in order to carry out and evaluate a universal prosocial program in a school setting. The
following chapter will present the research design involved in carrying out this study.

30
Chapter 3: Research Design
The topic of this study required a collaborative and focused research design. The
goal to improve the social-emotional capacity of students is one which works to the
benefit of everyone in the school community including students, teachers, principal, and
parents. Because this study could be of value to all involved, the participation of the
school community in decision-making and feedback were crucial to the program' s
effectiveness.
This project took the form of a mixed methods action-based inquiry which was
targeted at seeking the effect of promoting prosocial behaviour through leadership and
self-regulation on elementary school behaviour. This was done in a way which was made
clear to students, parents, teachers, and administrators involved and required everyone ' s
cooperation through the use of questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. The core values
of the program, centred on social-emotional learning, became common language in the
school environment in order for staff and students to fully understand and make use of
the program itself.
There are many benefits to applying mixed methodology in research, especially in
the field of education and social action. Though quantitative and qualitative methods
differ in the phenomena which they aim to examine, both are committed to improving the
human condition and for spreading knowledge for practical purposes (Sale, Lohfeld, &
Brazil, 2002). This research methodology was desirable in the current study due to the
intention of collecting multiple perspectives through a quantitative approach while
simultaneously using small purposeful samples through a qualitative approach to gain
important insight that might inform and support the quantitative data collected.

31
Quantitative and qualitative research can inform and strengthen one another (Archibald et
al., 2015). Employing the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches utilizes
the strengths of both types ofresearch and, due to the complex nature of social sciences, a
combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology allows for exploration on
various levels to address this complexity (Creswell, 2009).

Action Research Inquiry
Action research at its very basic level can be understood as research that involves
taking action which can be applied to both the people taking part in the research as well
as the system on which it is acting. This action can manifest itself in many different ways
within the realm of action research but the common idea of any action associated with
this approach is to bring about meaningful change. This trait is arguably one of the most
unique that separates action research from its methodological counterparts. Action
research poses a collaborative and transformative approach to scientific studies and can
be affective in many different fields, most notably those involved in social matters.
During his seminal work in 1946, Lewin likened the idea of collaboration through
action research to integrated approaches of psychology, sociology, cultural anthropology,
and possibly economics, to solve international problems because neither could exist
solely on its own. Lewin asserted that action research must be an ongoing and
transformative process wherein rational social management proceeds in a spiral of steps
each of which is composed of a circle of planning, action, and fact-finding about the
result of the action to promote further inquiry and action (Lewin, 1946). Lewin' s ideas
and those of his contemporaries challenged and were essentially born from the frustration
caused by the limitations of common scientific and empirical ways of understanding and

32
addressing complex human problems (Minkler, 2000). Action research represented a
revolutionary way of thinking about and addressing social change. Action research is a
collaborative process between researcher and participants that involves four core steps to
critical problem solving: plan, act, observe, and reflect. These steps are applied to a
common problem experienced by a collaborative group of people who, working equally
with a researcher, follow the steps in a repeated and revisionary cycle until a suitable
solution is reached.
Action research redefines the traditional role of researcher as a co-learner through
this process and places a heavy emphasis on community participation for the common
interest of bringing about change. Action research is participatory and cooperative in
nature and it engages community members and researchers in a joint process in which
both contribute equally (Minkler, 2000). In addition to social change for common
betterment, the way in which action research is presented reasserts the value of good
communication, the positive impact of collaborative sharing of knowledge, focuses on
the benefits of experienced evidence-based research, emphasizes the potential for positive
unexpected outcomes, and promotes an ongoing commitment to the collaborative process
(Stratton, 2008).
Ontologically, action researchers believe in the empowerment of people to
influence and change social structures. They attempt to find new and creative ways of
accommodating different values and interests in stakeholders. Though values in one
location can differ greatly from one's own beliefs, researchers understand their own
beliefs, make them known to participants and continue to be aware of those biases
throughout the research process for the success of the research being done (McNiff,

33
2002). Action research involves the understanding of social constructed realities and the
possible and tangible shifting of those realities. Action researchers believe
epistemologically that knowledge is something that is living and changing based on
individuals ' lived experiences. Knowledge, therefore, is forever changing and is never
complete (McNiff, 2002). This understanding is linked inherently to the cyclical structure
of the action research and inquiry process.
The strengths of action research are many. With its basis in critical theory, action
research decentralizes and democratizes the research process (Karim, 2000). Through this
process, participants gain empowerment and ownership of the research as well as the
positive change brought about by the research. It offers an opportunity for community
members to share their voices which are often silenced by the status quo in a creative
way. This type of research gives engaged communities the ability to shaping their
environment. Action research promotes social participation, self-determination, selfreliance, and empowerment (Dickson, 2000). These are the cornerstones of community
development. Action research offers strategies for increasing relevancy and reducing
inequities which previously were felt by real people in real life hardships. It is often noted
that individuals demonstrate personal growth through the support, programming,
leadership, networking, and relevance of action research. Frequent retrospective reports
state that individuals involved in action research project demonstrate stronger leadership
skills, are more inclined to take on community roles, and are more inclined to take part in
more action research projects because of their experience with critical thinking and
problem solving (Dickson, 2000). Action research provides opportunity to feel active in

34
the success of social change due in part to owning the overall experience and being seen
as the expert instead of the object being studied.
This project did not follow a strict participatory action plan as an area of need had
already been identified and a research question had been stated; however, the researcher
in the study is a part of the community and not an outsider. The voice of the researcher in
this study is, therefore, two-fold and the concern in the area of behaviour in the school is
valid and shared. Following the steps of action research, participation came from staff
and parent surveys and interviews, as well as student leader referral forms which teachers
used to identify which students would be best suited as leaders of the program. Surveys
and interviews with the staff and administrator provided time to share observations of the
program's progress, as well as opportunity to share experiences and reflections of the
process in order to adjust approaches as needed.
Students also had the empowering opportunity to help shape the plan for success
through creating and voting. The students were actively involved in leadership
throughout the process. This project not only involved staff and students at the school,
but included the greater community of parents as well through means of making the
project common knowledge as well as parental surveys to help get a holistic view of the
effect of the posed solution to the problem. As part of the action research design, parents
were also asked to suggest how the ROAR program might be adapted for success going
forward. The success of this project, in true action research form, was strongly dependant
on participation of staff, students, and parents.
The methodology of this study followed Sagor's (2000) model of action research
for guiding school improvement. Sagar stated that action research always involves the

35
same cyclical seven steps: selecting a focus , clarifying theories, identifying research
questions, collecting data, analysing data, reporting results, and taking informed action.
Selecting a focus for school improvement involves thoughtful reflection on what
elements of teaching practice or what aspect of student learning is the target of
investigation. In the current study, the focus was student social-emotional learning. The
second step of clarifying theories took place in the form of a staff meeting in this study
which will allow for staff to express their beliefs about how social-emotional learning
could best take place in the school based on their observation and experience. The
research question for this study had already been identified by a staff member who
functioned as the researcher in this case as well. Data collection applies to informing the
research question in terms of triangulation, or using multiple independent sources to
answer research questions (Sagor, 2000). Data collection in this study came from the
literature review in the thesis as well as surveys and interviews based on the observations
of the success of the program that was implemented. Data analysis must have taken place
in order for staff to reflect on the story the data tells and why things happened the way
they did (Sagor, 2000). The answers to these questions have led to grounded theory
which will inform taking action. Formal results of this research were to be reported in
both qualitative and quantitative methods. Informally, staff were given the opportunity to
share their learning and experience of the process as well. Perhaps the most important
step of action research is taking action after implementing a posed solution to a research
question. In the current study, this step will require the staff to reflect on the
implementation of the program, make adjustments based on valid and reliable data, and

36
move forward with another cycle of action research for the betterment of the school
environment.

Development of the ROAR Program
This program was developed based on goals associated with social-emotional
learning. One of the first stages in the implementation of this program was the students'
creation of the ROAR values by deciding what the acronym "ROAR" would represent.
As a school community and through multiple voting and decision-making processes, the
acronym was identified as Respect Optimism Acceptance and Rejoice. This process
promoted student ownership of the program. The acronym had been predetermined in
order to keep the quantity of values minimal, as well as to maintain the consistency of
"Panther Pride" which has been established at the school through various efforts toward
building school spirit, family and unity. The use of the word ROAR connects the school
mascot to the acronym and provides an easy way for students to recall that "Panthers
ROAR" when reminders of appropriate behaviour are needed.
Program peer leaders were trained to complement and reward observed peer
behaviours which followed the ROAR values over a four month period. Leaders were
also trained to help peers at times when ROAR values were not being followed. The
development of this program was tailored to the observed social-emotional skill needs in
the school and incorporated the school mission and vision statements. The program was
also conducted in a way which includes faith development as it took place in a faith based
school.

Participants. As a universal elementary school program, ROAR affected all
students from kindergarten to Grade 7 in the school. The research data came from the

37
participating teachers, administrator, and parents who agreed and consented to taking part
in the study. In accordance with the collaborative nature of action research, the
participants were asked in a survey to describe the observed behaviour after the
implementation of the program and were given the opportunity to participate in a semistructured interview following the survey if they so chose. In addition, the staff
participants helped to form the design of the program during staff meetings and informal
communication with the teacher-researcher. All interviews were audio-recorded,
transcribed and analysed by the researcher using qualitative coding and theming methods.
The adults of the school community were chosen as participants in this study in
order to provide data that is representative of witnessed daily behaviours. Adults were
chosen to be participants in this study because they would fully understand the goals of
the research, were able to attest to witnessed changes in behaviour, and, along with the
students, potentially benefit from the study if prosocial behaviours in the school increased
due to the implementation of the program.
The identity of all students, parents, staff, administration as well as the name of
the school remained confidential in the presentation of the data. Mention of the teachers '
comments made during interviews was specified only by using either "a primary teacher
of the school" or "an intermediate teacher of the school" . This is similar for surveyed
information obtained from parents as they are identified not by name but as being a
parents of a primary or intermediate student. The administrator is referred to as "the
administrator" for the purposes of reporting data.

38
Table 1
Research timeline
Research Dates
September 8, 2015
September 11, 2015
September 18, 2015
September 18-24, 2015
September 24-0ctober 1,
2015
October 2, 2015
October 5-16, 2015
October 19-30, 2015
November 2-13, 2015
November 16-27, 2015
November 30-December
4,2015
December 11, 2015
December 12-January 20,
2016
January 20, 2016
January 20-February 9,
2016

Research Procedures
Staff meeting-ROAR Introduction
School ROAR Assembly 1
Information and sent home to parents
Staff refer ROAR leaders
Home brainstorm ROAR sheets returned to school
Individual class brainstorms and vote on ROAR
First one-on-one session with leaders
Individual class ROAR presentations being made
School ROAR Assembly 2-presentation of voted class
ROAR acronyms
Second one-on-one session with leaders
Third one-on-one session with leaders
Fourth one-on-one session with leaders
Fifth one-on-one session with leaders
Sixth one-on-one session with leaders
Survey made available to parents and staff
Administrator Questionnaire
Continued additional focused work with leaders based on
administrator questionnaire responses
Survey made available online for staff and parents
Interview Participants
Interview Administrator
Analyse data-transcription by researcher, Microsoft
Excel for quantitative
Include analysis results and conclusion to thesis

Data Collection

Data was collected in a variety of both qualitative and quantitative ways (see
Table 1). The first piece of data to be collected was in the form of a questionnaire which
was completed by the administrator. The purpose of this Likert-scale questionnaire was
to determine the common social behaviours occurring within the school. The second
piece of data collection was a survey that was completed by staff and parents of the
school community. The purpose of this survey was to gain insight into the observed

39
student behaviour changes witnessed since the implementation of the program. The third
data collection process was a set of five interviews of the staff and parents. The surveyed
participants had the option to participate in an interview meant to further inform the study
of observed changes within the school environment. The number of interviews was
limited to five. The fourth piece of data that was collected was a final interview with the
administrator which provided a point of reflection for the initial questionnaire and insight
into the experience of the administrator in contrast to other staff and parents.

September-Staff Meeting. This universal initiative was posed to the school
staff during a meeting at the beginning of the school year. The researcher asked questions
in order to identify areas of weakness in social behaviour within the classrooms, on the
playground, in assemblies, and in the church. The program was introduced as being
aimed at developing prosocial and self-regulatory behaviour. In an attempt to make these
ideas more concise and manageable for both staff and students, the representation of
these ideals was set in the form of the acronym ROAR. The process of selecting values to
represent each letter in this acronym was ultimately determined by students, however, in
order to better demonstrate the acronym selection process for staff, teachers had the
opportunity to brainstorm ideas on what each letter should stand for in light of the
purpose of the acronym. Teachers were provided with an informational sheet which
outlined the steps and procedures of this project and had an opportunity to ask questions,
provide feedback, and offer any suggestions which could enhance or inform the success
of the project as a whole.

September-School ROAR Assembly 1. A school assembly was held in order to
introduce the concept of ROAR to the students. Though data was not collected in this

40

stage of the program, it was important to introduce the concept of ROAR to the students
at the beginning of the year as the program would be used to monitor student behaviour
throughout the year. Because the school year can be very busy once it begins and in order
to promote consistency it is integral to present new program ideas at the beginning of the
school year. The researcher introduced the plan to the students with the help of the school
principal. This was done with a sense of positivity and team building, making reference
to the family of Panthers and school pride. A handout with information about the project
was given to each student as well as a family brainstorming sheet. To begin the
ownership process, students were challenged to take the information home and discuss it
with their parents. The brainstorm sheet had a place for families to write their ideas about
what positive behaviour in school should look like and what they think ROAR should
stand for in action at the school. Students were given one week to discuss this and return
the sheets to class. Of the 150 students in the school, 73 family brainstorm sheets were
returned. When the family-constructed acronym ideas had been returned to the school,
the teacher-researcher recorded the most common values and students discussed and
voted as individual classes which acronym they thought best applied to promoting
positive school behaviour based on the two most common words suggested for each letter
of ROAR in that class.
The teacher-researcher used prep time to go into each individual classroom to
facilitate a discussion and the voting process for the most common acronyms the students
developed at home. The researcher took the place of the classroom teacher at this time to
ensure follow-through of this initiative as well as consistency across the delivery of the
program. This also helped to alleviate any additional stresses and program obligations

41

from classroom teachers. As a class, the students voted on their favorite representation of
ROAR and criteria for presenting the class ideas of ROAR to the school at the next
assembly was clearly explained as per the criteria sheet that was provided. Criteria
included ROAR needing to be linked to specific positive behaviour in school as well as
kindness and consideration for others. Students also had to be able to identify what each
of the four values would look like in practice in various school settings including
hallways, playground, assemblies, and church. Presentations were limited to four minutes
each.

October-Referral to ROAR program. Teachers were given ROAR leadership
referral forms soon after the first school-wide assembly. These forms asked teachers to
refer students they felt would particularly benefit from self-regulatory and prosocial skill
building for one-on-one training to be a leader. The teacher-researcher suggested that
these were students who are not currently receiving funding for special needs, not
accessing counselling, or on an individualized education plan or behaviour intervention
plan. The referral sheet asked the teachers to explain the behaviours being displayed by
the student, as well as some likes and dislikes of the child. It was noted on the form that
the one-on-one training would not be a counselling session, nor would it take the place of
any other external or additional support the student may need. Each teacher was one
form, identifying one student who may benefit from peer leading the program. The one
exception to this was in the kindergarten class where the teacher suggested there be two
leaders so as to minimize any nervous feelings the five year olds my feel as well as
adding additional support for the youngest leaders.

42

Return of referrals. Once teacher referrals had been returned, informed consent
letters were sent home with the individual students selected to be program leaders. The
projected time frame for this step in the process was early to middle of October. Parents
were informed that their child had been referred to the program by their teacher, they
were told that as peer leaders they would be trained to use simple stress coping strategies
that may help other students as well as themselves, and that they would be role models
for the program at the school. Parents were also informed that no information about their
child specifically would be included in the research being conducted, that they had the
option to withdraw from the program at any time, information about the research would
be held in a confidential and safe manner and that the school would not be specified in
any of the research. Contact information for the teacher-researcher was provided on the
consent form as well.

Contact with ROAR Leaders-October-January. One-on-one sessions were
held with ROAR leaders beginning in the middle of October. Each leader had one session
per week for six consecutive weeks, until Christmas break. While the intent was to have
all sessions one-on-one, there were an additional four leadership group meetings during
the ROAR decision-making process. Also, due to time restrictions with regard to research
and ethics approval, the students received an unanticipated additional few sessions of
training in groups. During the first three sessions, rapport was built with the students
through offering snacks, playing games, handing out leadership toques, and explaining
the ROAR program. Their role as ROAR leaders was explained to be such that they offer
help other students that seem to be frustrated on the playground, or need helpful
reminders to be on task in assembly or to behave appropriately while in the hallway, or to

43
follow the ROAR values. Their job was also to be able to compliment and congratulate
students who the leaders feel are doing a good job following ROAR values on their own.
During the final three one-on-one sessions, each leader was given one or two de-stressing
strategies that they could offer to a peer in need. By training the students to look for signs
of stress in others, the leaders would be better able to identify those feelings in
themselves as well. The main goals of working with the leaders was to build confidence,
strengthen relationships, and develop prosocial skills.

October-ROAR Assembly 2. After classes voted on their favorite ROAR
acronyms, another assembly was held wherein classes presented their idea of ROAR to
the school community. Students were accustomed to hosting and presenting at school
assemblies as this is required of one class monthly throughout the school year. Once all
seven classes presented their acronym, based on common ideas or words, ROAR was
able to be narrowed to one specific universal acronym. With the amount of adult-guided
discussions and common language of positive behaviour, there was clear overlap in ideas
between classes. Because many classes presented similar words and ideas, a school-wide
pep rally and barbeque lunch was given to the whole school in celebration of the ROAR
program as opposed to only one class receiving a celebratory reward.

December-Administrator Questionnaire. Following the introduction of the
ROAR program to staff and students, the administrator was given an informed consent
letter and a questionnaire which provided information about common student behaviour.
The purpose of this questionnaire was to attain data concerning common observed
student behaviour the administrator had dealt with over the previous year. While serious
student behaviour having grounds for suspension and expulsion are recorded at the

44
school, there had not been a consistent log of minor social behaviour infractions at the
school, therefore, a reflection of student behaviour on the administrator' s part was
required.
The questions on the administrator questionnaire were designed in such a way that
would not only identify common challenging social behaviours in the school but help to
identify the frequency of the behaviours arising in the school as well. A Likert scale was
used in this questionnaire in order to denote the frequency at which the behaviours
described in the questions had been taking place, despite the fact that this questionnaire
would not yield significant statistical information as it was only completed by one
participant. For example, a question asked to state the level of frequency that students
were unable to solve conflict with peers without adult interjection where 1 is almost
never, 2 is sometimes, 3 is often, and 4 is frequently. The use of the modified Likert scale
allowed for a suggestion of frequency in behaviour and the question allowed for insight
into common behaviours within the school. Though this questionnaire was not be used
for data collection purposes, the results of the questionnaire helped to inform the content
of the one-on-one sessions with the ROAR leaders as well as insight as to areas of
improvement for the future of the program.

January -Final survey. A final survey was made available to all parents and
staff online. The survey included Likert rating scales of aspects of the ROAR program
based on individual experience and observation while at the school as well as at home
during the implementation of the program. The survey provided each participant the
option to be involved in an interview with the teacher-researcher to further discuss the

45
effects of the program. The data from this survey was analysed using a quantitative
method.
The survey began with the participant identifying him or herself as a school staff
member or a parent of a primary or intermediate student. This identification was
necessary as the experience of staff and parents would differ, as would the time spent at
the school during the implementation of the program. The identification of the staff and
parents of primary or intermediate students also offers the potential correlation of
behaviour to age. All questions applied to the time when the ROAR program was
implemented until the time the survey had been completed, September 2015-January
2016. The bulk of the survey was based on a Likert scale referring to level of agreement
to the posed statements where 1 is strongly disagree, 2 is disagree, 3 is agree, 4 is
strongly agree, and 5 is not applicable. The increments of agreeability allowed for
participants to demonstrate how strongly they feel about their opinions and observations
while the option to select not applicable allows for questions particular to the behaviour
witnessed in the classroom or home settings. The final questions on the survey asked the
participants specifically whether in their opinion the ROAR program has positively
impacted student prosocial behaviour, self-confidence, and school behaviour with
possible responses of yes, no, or no opinion.

January- Interviews. The final formal contact with participants took place in
the form of individual interviews. The participants for these interviews included two staff
members and three parents who indicated their willingness to participate on the survey.
Staff A interview and Staff B interview were both approximately ten minutes long. Parent
A interview lasted approximately five minutes, Parent B interview was approximately 13

46
minutes and Parent C interview was approximately 12 minutes long. The researcher
facilitated the five interviews by asking guided questions about the ROAR program's
effectiveness and observed effect on behaviour based on the participants' responses to the
final survey. This gave willing participants the opportunity to give feedback and share
experiences of the ROAR process and its impact on students. The interviews were audio
recorded on a password protected recording device for theming and analysis using a
qualitative coding method.
The interviews took place in a semi-structural format. The interview questions
appealed to the success of the program and asked participants to elaborate on the
questions posed on the surveys. Though the participants' survey responses were not be
able to be linked to the participants in the survey, the interview questions were gauged to
further explain the observed effectiveness of the ROAR program. For example, in
searching for more information about the ROAR leaders, the researcher asked, "Can you
comment on the effectiveness of the ROAR leaders?" These types of questions allowed
for more information to build upon and support answers provided on the survey. The
interviews also provided the researcher the opportunity to ask for suggestions to improve
the program, allowing for the cyclical nature of action research to occur.

January-Administrator interview. The final formal contact with the
administrator was in the form of an interview. The interview took place in the principal's
office and was audio recorded for theming and analysis. Interview questions were similar
to those of the individual interviews and included questions geared to the number of
referrals to the office for anti-social behaviour since ROAR had been implemented.

Data Analysis

47
The survey data was analysed using a quantitative method which focused
primarily on the calculation of the mode for response frequency for each statement. Using
the mode for statistical purposes with this survey was the most effective quantitative
point of analysis because it revealed the highest frequency of answers for each statement
where the responses strongly disagree, disagree, agree, strongly agree, and not
applicable were indicated. This type of analysis was most helpful in comparing results of
the survey between participants. While the mean could have been used for this survey,
the average response between only five possible non-quantitative statements would not
yield any additional imperative information in terms of the information required to
answer the research questions in this study. The median would not be as useful as the
mode either because the middle point in this set of data would not reveal any additional
information because statements which required responses on the survey differed in
subject matter. For example, one statement referred to participants ' previous knowledge
of social-emotional learning while another statement referred to participants' opinions of
the effectiveness of ROAR leaders as role models. The difference in the various
statements on the survey provided little necessity for comparison between statement
responses in this regard. The statistical analysis focused primarily on the mode of each
separate statement on the survey for this reason. The results are presented in a table in the
results chapter of this document.
Creation of themes

The interviews were analysed using various methods of coding and theming.
Repeated words and phrases throughout the interviews were logged as codes as well as
words or phrases that may not have been repeated but were relevant to the effectiveness

48
of the program. Intensity coding was also used where the researcher felt the interviewee
had expressed high levels of passion and interest in response to interview questions.
Moments of the interview were logged as high intensity if the participant spoke at great
length about a certain topic, if the participant was visibly animated and engaged in the
interview process, and if the participant used elaborate examples or extensive vocabulary
to respond to the interview questions. In addition, versus coding was used where
participants would describe conflicting values in response to a question. For example, a
parent participant explained that previous to the ROAR program the school had
seemingly intended to build leadership in students but focused that leadership skill
building on the students who did not seem to need it. This statement was logged as
natural leaders versus periphery leaders, using language from the participant in order to
label the code.
The five interviews were analysed on three separate occasions. Upon the initial
analysis, there were 102 codes. In order to condense this list and narrow the possible
number of themes stemming from the codes, the researcher grouped together the codes
that pertained to a specific timeframe. For example, a group of identified codes stemmed
only from a question referring to common social behaviours prior to the implementation
of the ROAR program whereas the majority of the other codes were in reference to the
changes in behaviour after the implementation of the ROAR program. For this reason,
codes and themes for the time prior to the ROAR program were logged on a separate
table than those pertaining to the time after the implementation of the program. After the
separation of codes based on timeframes, there were 36 codes describing the time before
ROAR was implemented and 66 codes describing the effect of the ROAR program after

49
implementation. The 36 codes before the ROAR program (pre-ROAR) was started were
gathered into three recurring themes of Disruption, Need for Emotional Awareness, and
Inclusivity. Codes of Disruption were noted on 28 separate occasions; codes describing
the Need for Emotional Awareness were logged 11 times, and Inclusivity was also
referenced 11 times. The 66 codes "post-ROAR" were gathered into the themes of
Leadership in Community Building, Communication, and Ownership. Leadership in
Community Building was referenced on 82 occasions throughout the five interviews.
These codes ranged from terms involving team building, references to ROAR leaders, as
well as confidence building. Communication codes were evident 44 times during the
interviews. These codes described the common language offered by the program as well
as the social interactions observed during the implementation of the program. Ownership
was referenced in codes 13 times throughout the interview process. These codes included
the involvement of students and families in creating the program as well as the personal
choices involved in social-emotional learning as described by the participants.
The administrator interview was analysed separately from the staff and parent
interviews due to the unique perspective of the administrator. The administrator interview
questions differed from the staff and parent interview for this reason. While the
interviews were both focused on the effectiveness of the ROAR program, the
administrator interview provided a closing point of reflection for the initial administrator
questionnaire as well as provided the researcher with the feedback from particular
interactions and experiences unique to the administrator during the process of
implementing the ROAR program. The administrator provided insight into a more global,

50
school-wide perspective and was able to provide suggestions and plans based on that
perspective for the future implementation of the program.
The administrator interview yielded 18 codes. This set of codes was derived in
much the same way as the staff and parent interviews, using the same types of coding and
theming. The 18 codes were gathered together based on similarities of subject and
content and were gathered into two major themes of Community Identity and Creation of

Values. Codes correlating with the Community Identity theme occurred on 31 separate
occasions during the administrator interview. Codes corresponding to the theme of
Creation of Values were present twelve times.

Trustworthiness
As a mixed-methods approach, this study has strengths in supporting evidence of
results both qualitatively and quantitatively. The interviews were analysed using a
qualitative content approach (Saldana, 2013 ). The quantitative analysis of the surveys
involved robust parametric testing.

Ethical Considerations
Working closely with children in a school setting as a teacher researcher poses
minimal risks. There was a possibility of a student becoming embarrassed by being
nominated by a teacher to be a leader in the school-wide program. It is my job as both a
teacher and a researcher to inform the students they could not be forced to be a school
leader, this was their own choice. I was also obliged to make them feel comfortable and
safe in the environment which they work in. Because of the one-on-one sessions in the
leadership aspect of this program, there was the potential for students to self-disclose a
serious incident. If disclosure did take place, it is my obligation as a teacher to report

51

such admissions in order to protect the child. The adult participants of this study stood no
potential risk for harm. While complete anonymity could not be guaranteed, as the study
took place in a small school within a small community, confidentiality in terms of
documentation was ensured by securing all information on a password-protected device.
Conclusion
This project took the form of an action research inquiry. The development of the
program involved the cooperation of the whole school community. The program was
under constant revision and the school community contributed to the changes needed for
the unique setting.
The development of the ROAR program happened in various phases throughout
the first four months of the school year. These phases included introducing the program
to staff and parents, brainstorming the acronym, referring ROAR leaders, and working
one-on-one with leaders. Each phase involved the collaboration of staff, parents, and
students.
Data was collected through an administrator questionnaire, participant survey,
interviews with parents and staff and an interview with the administrator on the
effectiveness of the program. The interviews were analysed using various types of coding
and theming resulting in themes relating to witnessed behaviours prior to ROAR, after
ROAR, and from the administrative perspective.
This chapter has presented the methods by which data was collected and analysed,
as well as the procedure for the implementation of the program, trustworthiness, and
ethical considerations of the study. The next chapter will present the results of the
described survey and discussion of interviews.

52

Chapter 4: Results and Discussion
This study used a quantitative administrator questionnaire, a quantitative teacher
and parent survey, and qualitative interviews to communicate the observed effectiveness
of the ROAR program in this school setting. The questionnaire was only completed by
the administrator of the school and was not used for data collection but rather to inform
the development of the program in the school. Though no data from this questionnaire is
reflective of the effectiveness of the program, results of the questionnaire are indicated
within this chapter due to its vital impact on the creation of the program as a whole and as
it provided a reference point for some of the more common school-wide behaviour
witnessed before the implementation of the ROAR program.
Results of the survey are presented in this chapter and discussion of these results
is based on the majority responses, or modes, of each set of data. The data reflects the
relationship of the participants to the school as well as the average amount of time each
participant spends at the school. The results reflect the most frequent responses indicated
for each statement with regard to the effects of the program on the survey. Also included
in this chapter are the results of the coding and theming used to analyse the interviews.
These are broken into "Pre-ROAR", "Post-ROAR", and "Administrator" categories as
separate sets of data to distinguish between and among timeframes in the program as well
as to provide separate analysis for the administrator interview based on the differentiated
questions asked.

Administrator Questionnaire Results
The questionnaire was given to the administrator on December 11 , 2015 (see
Table 2). While the ROAR program had already been in effect since September, the

53
Table 2

Administrator Questionnaire Results: Numbers Reflect Administrator Reflections on the
Frequency of Common Student Behaviour Prior to the Implementation of the ROAR
Program.
Behaviours of Students Referred to the Office

Frequency of Behaviours

Anti-social or socially inappropriate behaviour

4

Speaking disrespectfully to staff
Unable to solve conflict without adult interjection
Speaking disrespectfully to peers or bullying
Engaging in arguments with staff or students
Appear angry
Appear sad
Appear anxious
Describe an unrelated reason for upset
Seem contrite after meeting with principal

2
4

3
3

4
4

4
4

4

I = almost never, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, 4 = frequently

administrator was asked to reflect on the behaviours among the students over the
previous school year, prior to the implementation of the ROAR program. For each
statement regarding common student behaviour referred to the office over the past school
year, the administrator circled numbers on a modified Likert scale where 1 = almost
never, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, and 4 =frequently. The most-frequent student
behaviours referred to the office included anti-social or socially-inappropriate behaviour

and students being unable to solve conflict with peers without adult interjection. In
addition, the instances of intermediate boys sent to the office were reported as frequent
while girls and primary students were almost never sent to the office for undesirable
behaviours. Frequent visible emotions demonstrated by students referred to the office
included anger, sadness, and anxiety. The administrator also indicated that students
frequently describe an external or seemingly unrelated reason for the outburst despite the

54
conflict and frequently seem contrite after meeting with the principal and discussing the
issue. The administrator also indicated in writing that approximately 12 students per
week were sent to the office for disruptive behaviour with two or three recurring students.
In addition, the principal also indicated that student referrals to the office increased near

major school breaks such as long weekends, Christmas, spring break, and summer. This
questionnaire revealed elevated levels of emotional distress among students in the school
as well as apparent external factors for such distress.

Survey Results
The survey was made available online through UNBC FluidSurveys to the parents
of 150 students as well as the 18 staff members of the school for a period of three weeks.
A hard-copy newsletter about the survey and survey website address was sent home to
each family in the school and a similar information sheet was posted in the staffroom for
the duration of the survey as well. For additional ease of accessibility, staff were sent an
email with the link to the survey attached. Teachers were asked to ensure students were
writing notes to parents in their planners reminding them about accessing the survey. In
addition, a verbal reminder about completing the survey was given to students in daily
morning announcements in the school.
The survey was made accessible and the newsletter was sent home to parents on
January 20th, 2016. Within the first 24 hours, six participants had completed the survey
and one participant had indicated willingness to take part in an interview. By January
22°ct, there were 10 completed surveys and two confirmed interview participants. On
January 25th, the responses grew to 14 with one additional interview participant and by
January 28th, there were 21 total surveys completed and five confirmed interview

55
Table 3

ROAR Survey Results: Participants ' Relation to School. Numbers Reflect Total Number
of Participants who Identified Being a Parent, Teacher, or Educational Assistant.
Participant Relation to School
Parent of primary student
Parent of intermediate student
Parent of primary and intermediate student
Primary teacher
Intermediate teacher
Prep teacher
Educational assistant

Number of
Participants
6

8

3
3
2
1
2

participants. There were originally six total interview participants but one participant
decided to withdraw prior to the scheduled interview. When the survey was closed on
February 11, there were 25 completed surveys and five voluntary participants had taken
part in an additional interview.
The majority of participants in the survey were parents of intermediate students in
the school with a representation of 32% of the total number of participants (see Table 3).
These participants, combined with those who identified as parents of both primary and
intermediate students, collectively represented 44% of the total number of participants.
Second highest to the parents of intermediate students was the participation of parents of
primary students in the survey. Parents of primary students alone represented a quarter of
the total number of participants. Combined with parents of both primary and intermediate
students, the representation of primary parents was 36% overall. Lower participation
rates were found among teaching staff and educational assistants. Due to fewer people in
this particular pool of participants, especially in comparison to the school population of
the parents of 150 students, there were evidently scarcer staff participants than there were

56

parent participants. Within the limited number of staff, there were only four primary
teachers in the school, three intermediate teachers, four prep teachers and seven
educational assistants. These numbers indicate that in the primary sector of the school,
only one teacher did not participate in the survey. Within the intermediate sector all
eligible teachers participated in the survey bearing in mind the teacher-researcher is also
an intermediate teacher in the school. Researcher participation in the survey, despite
being teaching staff and having first-hand experience of the program, has the potential to
present greater bias in the data. For this reason, the teacher-researcher did not take part in
the survey. Based on the number of completed surveys, the educational assistants had the
lowest participation rate at just under a third of the total number of possible participants.
These data demonstrate the rate of participation from various types of participants in the
survey as well as provides a lens from which to view subsequent data in consideration of
the majority population relation to the school.
In addition to the relationship of participants to the school, the participants were

asked to indicate how many times per week they visited the school (see Table 4) . This
number allowed the researcher to determine the frequency at which the participants were
able to observe student behaviour. In addition, this question provided the researcher with
an idea of how well informed the subsequent responses regarding observed behaviour
would be. Frequency of visits to the school denoted the level of participants ' exposure to
student behaviour and was important in understanding the responses of the participants in
the context of observed behavioural effects of the program. To that end, nine participants
indicated they had the opportunity to witness student behaviour between zero and two

57
Table 4

ROAR Survey Results: Participants ' Weekly Presence at the School. Numbers Reflect the
Total Amount of Participants Who Indicated Respective Amounts of Time at the School
over the Course of the Program since September 2016.
Participant Presence at School
Less than three times per week
More than three times per week
Five times per week

Number of
Participants
9

7
9

days per week, seven participants reported being in the school community three or four
times a week, while the nine other participants spent time at the school every day of the
school week. Approximately one third of the participants indicated they are at the school
five days per week. It can be deduced that the majority of these participants were teachers
or staff due to the fact that all staff work full time except for part-time teachers. This
deduction allows for one or two parents to have indicated their presence at the school to
be a full five days per week. Most parents indicated they were at the school less than
three times per week which means these participant observations were limited to one or
two weekly exposures to student behaviour. Though the majority of parent participants
spent less than three times per week at the school, there were only two fewer participants
who experienced the school environment more than three times per week. Staff and
parent participants combined, 64% of participants who completed the survey responded
to the posed statements based on experience at the school over three times per week.
The survey statements regarding the effectiveness of the ROAR program were
designed in such a way to demonstrate the participants' prior knowledge of socialemotional learning prior to describing the influence of the program (see Table 5). This
provided insight into the familiarity participants had with the social behavioural content

58
Table 5

ROAR Survey Results: Data Representing Responses of 25 Participants on the
Effectiveness of the ROAR Program. Numbers Reflect the Total Amount of Participants
That Indicated Each Respective Statement in Response to the Observed Effects of the
Program.
Survey Statement

Response
SD

D

A

SA

NA

I have previous knowledge of SEL

1

4

14

4

2

I am aware of what the ROAR program is

0

0

14

11

0

The purpose of the ROAR program is clear in the school
community

0

2

11

12

0

The children seem excited about the ROAR program

0

1

11

13

0

I have heard children use the word ROAR to describe
appropriate school behaviour

0

3

18

3

1

ROAR leaders are visible in the school community

0

1

12

8

4

ROAR leaders are role models to their peers

0

0

16

7

2

I have witnessed ROAR leaders helping others with
conflict

0

4

11

4

6

I have seen children respond positively to ROAR leaders

0

1

15

4

5

Children are following ROAR expectations

0

1

19

2

3

I have noticed children demonstrating improved selfregulation skills

0

2

13

5

5

Children seem to communicate effectively

0

1

17

5

2

Children use the ROAR acronym language outside of
school

0

6

10

4

5

Children need less adult-intervention for behaviour

0

12

8

2

3

Students stop disruptive behaviour in class when reminded
of ROAR

0

2

15

2

6

59
Children speak to adults respectfully

0

0

19

5

1

Children speak to one another respectfully

0

1

21

1

2

Students are more attentive in class

0

4

14

Children are more attentive in assembly

0

1

13

4

7

Children are more attentive in mass

0

2

11

4

8

6

SD = Strongly Disagree, D = Disagree, A= Agree, SA= Strongly Agree, NA= Not Applicable

of the survey statements. Nearly three-quarters of the participants agreed they had prior
knowledge of social-emotional learning, leaving only seven participants without
knowledge in this area. All participants agreed they had knowledge of what the ROAR
program is and of the participants, 92% indicated that the purpose of the ROAR program
was made clear in the school setting. When asked about the student interest in the ROAR
program, 24 of the 25 participants agreed or strongly agreed that students were excited
about the program. This excitement may have been demonstrated by the students vocally
in the school as roughly 84% of the participants indicated having heard students use the
word ROAR to describe appropriate behaviour at school. The survey statements
regarding recalling times of specific witnessed behaviours have higher rates of "not
applicable" as 16% or more of respondents selected this response in eight questions
regarding the observed behaviours in the school. . The highest frequency of agreeance was
to the statement concerning ROAR leaders as role models to their peers. Of the 25
participants, 92% (n=23) agreed or strongly agreed that ROAR leaders are role models to
their peers Ninety-six percent of participants agreed or strongly agreed that students
spoke to one another respectfully after the implementation of the ROAR program.

60
The results of the survey most notably revealed that students are excited about the
ROAR program and are speaking respectfully to staff and peers. Ninety-six percent of
participants indicated student excitement about the program in comparison to the one
participant who did not while 100% of the participants who found the question applicable
indicated students were speaking respectfully to adults. In addition, the survey indicated
that the program is well-known and its purposes are clear in the school community. Rates
of reported adult-intervention in social conflict among students did not decrease
according to the survey where nearly half of the participants indicated disagreement with
the statement regarding students needing less adult intervention. The presence of the
ROAR leaders as role models was noted in the 100% agreement from the participants
who found the statement applicable to their observations as was the effort of students to
follow ROAR expectations after the program ' s implementation.
Results of Interviews
Six semi-structured interviews took place with staff, parent, and administrator
participants. Two teaching staff members were interviewed (Teacher A and Teacher B),
three parents (Parent A, Parent B, and Parent C) and the administrator. One set of
questions was used in the teacher and parent interviews and a separate set of questions
was used in the administrator interview (see Appendices [HJ). The interviews were
transcribed and analysed by the researcher using qualitative coding and theming methods.
The codes and themes of the interviews were separated into the categories "Pre-ROAR",
"Post-ROAR", and "Administrator" (see Table 6).
Pre-ROAR. One of the first items on the list of interview questions for staff and
parents asked participants to describe some of the common social behaviours they may

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Table 6

Pre-ROAR: Resulting Codes and Themes From Staff and Parent Interviews Describing
Observed Behaviours Before the Implementation of the ROAR Program and the Number
of Times They Verbally Occurred Within the Interviews.
Theme

Disruption

Need for
Emotional
Awareness

Inclusive

Code
impulsivity
picking on
fights
squabbles
disruptive
getting on someone else's case
frustrating
difficult
sassy
overwhelmed with homework
needed extra attention
attachment
violence
deal with own emotions
emotions
feelings
emotion of the week
co-regulating
identify how they are feeling
making themselves better
mad
empathy
stress
crymg
inclusive
helping
anti-bullying
friendly
natural leaders vs periphery
leaders

Frequency

4

2

2

4

2

6

have witnessed prior to the implementation of the ROAR program. Because this question
did not specify a type of behaviour, responses included both positive and negative

62
behaviours. While a combination of positive and negative behaviour were represented in
the responses, the majority of descriptions of witnessed behaviour prior to the ROAR
program corresponded to the theme of disruption. When discussing observed negative
behaviours, participants noted many conflicts among students including fights and
squabbles as well as students requiring, and sometimes demanding, extra attention from
teachers and other adults in the school. These rates of disruptive behaviour were implicit
across all interviews and the frequency of the codes relating to the disruptive theme
outnumbered the other two themes in the pre-ROAR category by nearly double with the
next highest reported theme indicating the need for emotional awareness.
Disruptive. Participants described negative behaviours from students as those

which frequently interrupted classroom routine. These types of disruptive classroom
behaviours were described by Teacher Bas, " [some students] need to be the centre of
attention in class by making jokes and calling out". Teacher B continued to describe other
sorts of disruptive behaviour between students as, "acting out violently, kids getting
stressed out and kind of like crying" . Teacher A also eluded to disruptive behaviour and
fighting amongst students saying, "there ' s always picking on and fights and squabbles on
the playground." Teacher A went on to explain that, "there ' s a lot of impulsivity in a lot
of our students. And I think that tends to happen especially with children who are of a
lower sort of socioeconomic area that they come from". While teacher participants
reported more events of disruptive behaviour in class, parent participants described more
social disruptions that could be witnessed on the playground or before and after school.
Parent A described her observations of, "lots of fighting, lots of arguing. Lots of going up
to the teachers to help resolve and lots of kids on the wall". Parent C described some

63
social situations where she had seen exclusion taking place where, "you would get certain
kids that as a group would exclude somebody and you could see that whether it was
because of interest or whatever but I could see that" .

Need for emotional awareness. The theme for students needing emotional
awareness was reflected through many repeated codes relating to students being unable to
regulate emotions. This theme is quite connected to the theme of disruption in that
students displaying lack of regulation skills has the potential for creating disruptive
environments in the school setting, however the two themes were separated so as to
reflect the identification of areas of specific weakness for the students ' social-emotional
development. The participants described a multitude of visible identifiers for emotional
distress including anger, stress, crying, and the inability to deal with one ' s own emotions.
This seemed to be a common concern for the adults in the school community with twelve
recurring indicators of similar expressions of concern.
When describing the need for emotional awareness, Teacher B described how, "if
a child is not doing well socially, if their social and emotional state is not in good health
then they are not going to be able to learn or to be able to do any of the higher skill
functioning that you want them to do as a teacher because they' re too stuck on their
emotional needs". In addition, Teacher A explained, "the importance of children being
able to kind of identify how they' re feeling and have that metacognition and be able to
like respond so that you as a teacher don 't have to be co-regulating every child in your
classroom" . Teacher A reiterated the importance of emotional awareness in stating that
students need to know, "how to treat each other and how to deal with their own
emotions".

64

Inclusive. The most positive behaviour descriptive responses reflected values in

inclusivity at the school. Participants frequently described the school as having a
welcoming and inviting atmosphere where children were included in activities across age
and grade groups. The school's anti-bullying efforts and student helping was highlighted,
as well as the strengths of the natural leaders among the students in the school. Every
interview participant referenced the inclusivity of the students at the school.
Parent C described in detail the inclusive environment endorsed at the school
through her experience as a member of the parent support group and parent of three
children in the school. She felt the school has always been, "Very inclusive, a lot of
inclusive behaviours, lots of friendly comments. Greeting, like lots of children excited to
see each other and expressing that and I didn't often hear or wasn't able to say, "Oh, you
can't play"." Teacher B also remarked on the inclusivity of the students in the school
stating, "I think our kids are always really good at being inclusive and being inclusive
across the grades is I think a big one because even at recess time you'll see it's not
always the same grade groups that interact and intermingle with one another".
Post-ROAR. In the interview, participants were asked to describe any changes in

behaviour they may have witnessed over the course of the implementation of the ROAR
program (see Table 7). While overall the participants expressed they had not seen a
marked change in the general population of the school, they all spoke to the improvement
of leadership in community building, particularly within the experience of the ROAR
leaders, the positive aspects of using common language for expectations within the
school setting, and the powerful nature of student and school community ownership of
the program.

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Table 7

Post-ROAR: Resulting Codes and Themes from the Staff and Parent Interviews
Describing Observed Behaviours After the Implementation of the ROAR Program and the
Number of Times They Verbally Occurred within the Interviews.
Theme

Leadership in
Community
Building

Communication

Code

Frequency

ROAR leaders
potential
clarify
confidence
responsibility
thrived socially
student of the month
positive
team
self-regulate
student participation and
ideas
involving families
sense of community
school pride
values
school culture
fostering leadership
every child
general population
together
staff
more involved
expectations
terminology
talking to students
language
schema
say something to a kid
respond
social
social emotional learning
connect more easily
unified
help
interactions
excited
acceptance
respect
resolve

12
3
5
9

3
7

2
3

8

2
7

4

5
3
10

3
3
3
3
7
3

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Ownership

playing
how to treat each other
children need to learn
children being able
do it on their own
self-regulation
metacognition
5 point scale
focus on themselves
our own thing
job
choice
point of view

2

2

3
2

Leadership in community building. Across the five interviews of staff and
parents, each participant expressed the positive impact of the program on leadership and
community development. Codes pertaining to the theme leadership in community
building appeared over 140 different times across the five interviews. In many cases the
participants went on at length about the sense of community and leadership within the
roots of this program and for this reason four of the five interviews were coded as high
level intensity in discussions involving this particular topic. Four of the five interviews
were over ten minutes in duration and all four of those participants spent approximately
50% of the interview alluding to leadership in community building within the program. In
response to the question asking about the major strengths of the program, all five
interview participants described leadership and community as the most apparent effect of
the program.
On the topic of leadership in the ROAR program, Parent B explained her
perspective on the selection of leaders as, "the main thing is that these are kids that
wouldn 't normally get centered or put in the leadership role for things because they are

67
not excelers". This sentiment was expressed again by Teacher Bin her opinion on the
effect of the program on the ROAR leaders, "just to see them really blossom. I think that
they have come a long ways in what I have seen in just that they take it very seriously
and that it's really kind of like a feather in their cap that they have been chosen to be a
ROAR leader". This statement also supports the confidence building that was noted by
other participants. Parent C commended the program's leadership aspect in saying, "I
think identifying it early and starting to plant the seeds of what leadership looks like as
they are growing is key especially in the primary grades and I think the school did do
well" . Parent C also mentioned the collaboration in terms of teamwork in her comment,
"I think that there is more of a team approach with them, like at the beginning of the year
when the ROAR program was being introduced and the idea of contributing to a school
spirit like a broader school perspective". In addition, Teacher B commented on the
community building nature of the program in stating, "that's really good to then not just
include students but then having the families to buy in to hopefully have that sense of
community and culture cultivated at the school".
Communication. Communication was the second highest recurring theme

throughout the interviews at a frequency of 56 corresponding codes across the five
interviews. Communication in this context was noted when participants discussed
language, respectful verbal interaction, communication with parents, and the importance
of clarification of expectations in a school setting. The most frequently recurring code
within this theme was that of language. With the exception of respect, language was
discussed on average five times more frequently than any other code under the umbrella
theme of communication. The most common dialogue around language was that of the

68
necessity of common language used throughout the school and at home through the use
of the ROAR values. While parents seemed to appreciate the labeling of specific values
to follow at home and at school, teachers expressed appreciation of the potential for
common language across the classrooms as well. As Teacher A explained, "[the ROAR
program] has a lot of potential to be like a stepping off point for all sorts of social
emotional learning and language and changing a lot of things in our school and I like
that" .

Ownership. The final theme in the Post-ROAR category of witnessed behaviour
during the interview process was identified as ownership. Many participants eluded to the
fact that because the program had been essentially developed by the students and their
families, there was more buy-in and sense of greater ownership than if it were developed
by teachers alone, for example. Participants chose to describe the ROAR process as being
a powerful ownership piece in that students ' choices were reflected in the values and their
points of view were taken into consideration in the development of the program. Teacher
B in particular noted the unique value of the program in saying, " it' s really positive
including student ideas and student participation and trying to create a program that is not
all top down and is kind of grass roots". The participants expressed that not only was the
program developed in collaboration of the whole school community, the basis of the
program allows for ownership of one' s own feelings and emotions as well. The program,
according to the participants, allows for students to be more cognoscente of how they are
treating one another and to take ownership of their interactions, reactions, and feelings.

Administrator interview results. Of the six total interviews, the administrator
was most expressive and engaged in the interview. The administrator used expressive

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Table 8

Administrator Interview: Resulting Codes and Themes from the Administrator Interview
Describing Observed Behaviours after the Implementation of the ROAR Program and the
Number of Times They Verbally Occurred within the Interviews.
Theme

Code

Frequency

Community/Identity

culture
community
faith community
panther
panther pride
family
leadership
common language
reflection

3

Creation of Values

creating values
direct involvement
individual impact

7
3
6

8
7
7
5
8

4

3

language in her description of the effects of the ROAR program and her passion was
made evident through her body language as well as her descriptions and answers to the
posed questions (see Table 8). The administrator took part in this interview with a visibly
positive and interested attitude and seemed excited to be discussing the effects of the
ROAR program in her school. While the administrator disclosed the ROAR program has
not been in the school quite long enough to see a marked difference in every student yet,
"the biggest strength of the program is that clearly we have changed through this program
the school culture of our school and that is no small task".

Community and identity. Among the most prevalent descriptors the
administrator used to describe the effects of the ROAR program in the school was the
powerful sense of community and identity building in the school. Within the principal' s
fifteen minute interview she made reference to community identity building 4 7 times.

70
The high frequency of this theme is echoed in the rate of the similar theme of leadership
in community resulting from the staff and parent interviews. The theme of community
and identity building was coded as such in descriptors such as school identity upon
mention of the Panthers, family, and community. The administrator often used the term
family to describe the school community and used these common phrases when
explaining the positive impact of the ROAR program in the school setting. One of the
most important features of the ROAR program in meeting the school vision and mission
statements for the principal was answering the question, "have we taught our students
who don't have family networks that are kind, respectful, loving, and accepting and
rejoice in their own gifts, have we taught these people the important values of what
families are all about?" In addition, the administrator affirmed the role the ROAR
program has had on continuing to develop the faith community in stating, "not only the
values have been created but now they' re starting to be lived out and they are starting to
be established and worked right through and are weaving through our faith community".
The administrator reported that the ROAR program is a step toward bringing together the
school family for those students who need it most.
Creation of values. The second and final theme of the administrator interview
was centred on the importance of the creation of values. Again, this theme can be viewed
in connection to the previous theme of ownership among the staff and parent interviews
as well. The administrator described the creation of values as a school community as an
integral part of the program and school culture over 15 times within the span of her
interview. The administrator described the positive effects of creating values together as a
school saying, "I believe having them directly involved and them creating the values and

71
living the process of the ROAR program out has impacted them strongly". Not only did
the administrator reflect on the impact of the ROAR program on students, she also
expressed the vested interest of the staff in saying, "not just our students but our staff as
well, people have embodied the values". While she made reference to the collaborative
process of identifying the values within the school, the administrator described the impact
of the process explicitly in stating, "it's a project that entails the whole school body as
well as the teachers, staff and families, I think it's impacted them, again, in a way that's
been positive and has helped their growth".

Discussion of the Results
The discussion of results will identify connections between the questionnaire,
survey, and interviews. Findings of this study across the described domains will be linked
to current studies in order to support the evidence presented in the questionnaire, survey,
and interviews. Connections and discussion will be described in terms of the identified
necessity of the program and program response. The differentiation between teacher and
parent observations will be discussed as well. Findings of the study will be summarized
and implications of this study on the culture of the school will be discussed.
Necessity of the program. The initial questionnaire by the administrator and the
first questions in the staff and parent interview were meant to give a snapshot of common
social behaviours among the students in the school prior to the implementation of the
ROAR program. Identifying areas of strengths and weakness was crucial in going
forward with one-on-one work with ROAR leaders as well as identifying the need for
social-emotional intervention at the school. The administrator, staff, and parents indicated
that students were impulsive and disruptive prior to the ROAR program. Student

72

behaviour was reported as being attention seeking, reflective of sadness, stress,
aggression, and anger sometimes presented in violence at the school. These attributes are
reflective of the Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative (2015) study in which the children
were reported as demonstrating lack of self-regulatory skills because they struggled with
paying attention, ignoring distractions, inhibiting impulses, regulating emotions, and
maintaining a state of being calm, focused, and alert. Based on the results of this study,
the observed behaviour of students disclosed by the school community in terms of the
repeated disruptive behaviour prior to September, warranted the implementation of a
social-emotional learning program such as ROAR.
Program response. The results of the questionnaire, survey, and interviews

collectively reflect a positive response to the ROAR program and reinforce the results of
similar studies. The positive impact of the ROAR program manifested itself over various
different domains including community, leadership and identity building, ownership in
the creation of values, and creating common language of expectations in the school
community. While the positive implications of the program were quite evident
throughout the data collection process, the program was not observed to have had a large
impact on behaviours throughout the school and some suggestions for improvement and
ideas for the future were implied most notably through the interview process.
One of the most predominant strengths noted about the ROAR program was its
ability to strengthen and build on community values. Community building was reflected
in the many comments about creating common core values together and as a team and
also through the involvement of the school ' s faith-based community as well. Not only
were the students and parents involved in the process of creating values, the school pastor

73
was also a special member of the ROAR leadership team. The ROAR values reflected the
faith community of the school especially in the Rejoice value. The presence and
involvement of the pastor as well as the acknowledgement of a faith value by the families
mirrored the findings of Passe and Willox (2009) that the inclusion of religion in schools
in a well-planned effort may lead to a stronger society, one in which religious differences
are understood, appreciated, and even celebrated. The students' decision to incorporate
the faith-based values of respect, acceptance, optimism, and rejoice echo the acceptance
of multiculturalism and diverse religious backgrounds Passe and Willox identified in
faith-based schools. The incorporation of faith values in the program reflects the positive
effects of religion in schools that Feinberg (2013) witness in his study as considering
religion in schools a live option for understanding their world and the people in it. The
ability for students to create a program reflective of their unique identity as a school was
referenced by Parent C in her statement, "the team spirit piece and the school spirit piece
which this school has always had a good identity around but I think that really was some
glue for it, some cohesiveness for that kind of like, ' Yah, we are the panthers,' but this
kind of gave other elements to what that spirit was and how they defined it. And it's neat
that they made it" . It is evident that through the ROAR program, students were able to
celebrate their identity as a faith-based community while building social-emotional skills
and taking ownership as well.
In terms ofleadership, the results of the study of the ROAR program echo those

of Bickmore' s (2001) study of leadership and mediation in demonstrating that young
students are capable of learning to help each other to resolve interpersonal conflicts in
school through peer support, tutoring, leadership and mediation. The ROAR leaders were

74

commended on their individual improvements and growth through the ROAR program
process as reflected by Teacher A in his interview, "I've seen changes in ***** in
particular, the student from my class who is a ROAR leader because when responsibility
has been put on him, he has thrived socially because of it". Echoing this reflection on the
positive individual effects of the ROAR program, the majority of the participants
indicated on the survey that ROAR leaders were role models to their peers. In connection
to the marked improvement on an individual basis, Parent B, the parent of a ROAR
leader, described her son ' s journey as a leader and the transformation in terms of his
confidence level. In describing the marked change in her son ' s confidence, Parent B said,
"That is the biggest thing for him because he never had it before." She went on to
explain that since the implementation of the ROAR program, "stuff has happened that he
like never thought to try for and ' whatever' was his attitude before but now he seems to
be more really trying." This change in confidence stems from the ownership process
involved in creating values as school as well as giving students opportunities to be
leaders among their peers who would not normally come forward to volunteer or be an
obvious choice as a leader. This sentiment was expressed by Parent C, as well, whose
children were not ROAR leaders but when reflecting on the leadership aspect of the
ROAR program she expressed, "the ones that stand out aren ' t having problems with
leadership skills, it's the ones that aren ' t and the ones that probably just don ' t know what
those steps are or what they' re missing". The results of the importance of leadership and
the empowerment of students reflects Elias ' (2006) notion of the importance of
distribution of leadership where ideally each member of the school environment will see
that the mantle of leadership touches everyone who has a vested interest in the school. In

75
the case of the ROAR program, leadership was distributed to the students in order for
them to contribute to the school community while fostering confidence and social skills
simultaneously. In addition to building confident leaders, the ROAR program was
developed in such a way where students can become self-regulated through co-regulation,
modeling, and eventually independence as echoed by Florez's (2011) three teaching
strategies that are critical for scaffolding children's development: modeling, using hints
and cues, and gradually withdrawing adult support.
Many interview participants discussed the importance of common language
through the ROAR program. The use of common language in the ROAR program is
reflected in its successful counterparts such as PATHS described in the literature review
prior to this chapter. Due in part to its succinct and limited expectations and goals, the
PATHS program has been shown to improve students' ability to identify and understand
emotion, fluency in communicating feelings, and increase their ability to manage
emotions as Greenberg at al. (1995) found in their study of the effectiveness of the
PATHS program in school settings. The use of a limited number of values or
expectations in the ROAR program likewise makes it easier for the students to follow and
remember.

Teacher versus parent observations. The teachers seemed to have a more clear
understanding of the ROAR program and gained more exposure to the program than did
the parents. This was most likely due to the fact that teachers have the opportunity to
view student interactions more frequently than parents do and they also gain further
information and knowledge about the program through staff meetings and other more
informal interactions at the school. Many participants indicated "not applicable" in

76

response to statements involving recollection of witnessed behaviours at the school most
likely due to the 36% of participants who indicated experiencing the school atmosphere
less than three times per week. An additional reason as to the lack of opportunity for
parents to witness ongoing behaviours at school is the often varied structure of the family
unit within the low SES location of the school. Parents in these communities can be
single-income families and working conditions can be such that parents are not able to be
present to drop off and pick up students from school. Many students may walk to and
from school alone as well. In addition, parents from low SES families may lack
information about what happens at school due to student truancy as well. Students who
are frequently absent from school do not receive the same exposure to events at school
and would be unable to communicate details to parents upon request. This level of
truancy, along with lack of social-emotional skills among low SES students was notably
reflected in the study by Nolan et al. (2013) who found truancy to increase between 14%
and 78% among low SES students yearly. This may also be a contributing factor of the
low completion rate of the survey as well. If students were not at school to receive the
notices, reminders, and additional information about the program and survey, parents
would be unable to complete the survey. In addition, low SES families do not always
have access to internet which would hinder their ability to take part in the online survey
as well.
Many participants indicated on the survey that they disagreed with the statement
that students need less adult-intervention in conflict with peers. This may be a reflection
of low SES families, as well, due to the severe lack of social-emotional skills among
children from these families. As Rochette and Bernier (2014) found in their study on low

77

SES implications on child development, students from low SES families often have more
difficulty with executive functioning skills such as impulsivity control and conflict
resolution. For these students, exposure to a social-emotional learning program over a
four month period may not be long enough to see a marked improvement in these
competencies. Further to this point, all of the staff interview participants including the
administrator eluded to their opinions that the program had not yet been in effect long
enough to see wide-spread change in behaviour among the students, although the
potential for this change was evident.
Conclusion
The questionnaire and preliminary interview questions in this study helped to
identify common social behaviour among students prior to the implementation of the
ROAR program. Results indicated that staff and parents agreed that while students often
displayed disruptive behaviour, the general atmosphere of the school promoted
inclusivity. Participants expressed the efforts of the school staff and community in
creating a positive atmosphere despite many children ' s struggles with emotional selfregulation and disruptive behaviour. These descriptors of previous common behaviours
warranted the application of social-emotional learning program in the school.
The survey allowed participants to express their opinions on the effectiveness of
the program. The general response of the effectiveness of the program was positive
across the data in the survey. The survey results did not demonstrate a significant change
in behaviour across the school population particularly with regard to students being
unable to solve conflict without adult intervention. Survey results were positive, though,
in the reported observation of students following ROAR values, their excitement about

78

the program, and students speaking respectfully to one another and adults in the school
setting.
While the behavioural effects of the program were not far-reaching, interview
participants reported significant behavioural changes in individual students particularly in
the case of ROAR leaders. Interview participants described the positive effect of the
collaboration of the school community in creating ROAR values and selecting ROAR
leaders who would not normally step forward in leadership roles. This has evidently
helped to build student confidence. In addition, interview participants expressed their
gratitude for the program ' s common language in the school and at home as well.
There was a marked difference in the recollection of parent and teacher
observations. This is true, also, of the unique perspective of the administrator.
Information is not always presented to parents a clearly as it is at school and it was
evident that some parents did not have enough information or in some cases experience at
the school to form a confident opinion on the effectiveness of the program.
This chapter has presented the results of the questionnaire, survey, and interviews.
This chapter has also discussed the results in the context of the school and analysed the
results within the conceptual lens and in reflection of the literature review. The next and
final chapter will conclude the discussion, reflect on the purpose of the study and the
research question, and present the researcher' s hopes for the future of the ROAR
program.

79

Chapter 5: Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations
My experience as a teacher and my life of working with youth has led me to
develop a passion for fostering positive social competency and behaviour in children. It
has often astonished me that so much time and effort is put into teachers' professional
development on types of assessment and innovative curriculum implementation instead
of focusing on the needs of students today who lack the foundational skills required to
enjoy and appreciate the highly educated staff that is meant to teach them. Children face
many stresses in today' s society which impact their ability to learn, focus, have positive
interactions with peers and adults, and to feel confident in their identities and skills. It
was my goal in the development of this thesis to focus on fostering these traits in the
students who attend the school at which I teach.
I have had the privilege of experiencing the exponential growth of the school over
the past three and a half years. During my time as a teacher there, the school has been
under new leadership and has taken steps toward improving the school identity and
culture in various exciting ways. The school ' s administrator has worked diligently to
foster a "Panther Family" among our growing number of staff and students with
everything from "Panther Pride" t-shirts to wall murals and custom "Panther" banners
around the school. As a result of these consistent efforts, our students from diverse
backgrounds and, sometimes unstable home lives, have been able to experience a sense
of belonging and family within the school setting. Before the implementation of the
ROAR program, the school had already taken positive and influential steps toward
promoting prosocial behaviour and positive self-esteem through strengthening school
pride. The ROAR program was a suggested and logical next step for the school.

80
The collaborative creation of the ROAR values was an excellent display of the
impact of the strides toward school unity thus far. Families had the opportunity to have
their own values reflected in the school and it became ultimately the students ' decision as
to what the most important values in their school were. The selection of Respect,
Optimism, Acceptance, and Rejoice demonstrated a keen interest in the fair treatment of
others and the self as well as positive attitudes and celebration of identity. These qualities
are unique to the school in that the qualities were selected by the families and students,
the acronym reflects the identity of the school mascot representing team spirit, and the
values reflect faith-based qualities cherished by the school community and parish. For
this reason, the results of this program implementation are specific to the school and
cannot be generalized to apply to all elementary school settings. The ROAR values are
now proudly displayed in all seven classrooms, the library, the school office, multipurpose rooms, the gym, assembly space, and ROAR posters have been sent home to
parents to display at home as well. The ROAR values are now presented on all monthly
school newsletters and at the bottom of all memos sent from the school office. Students
are able to identify the core school values and can easily describe how these values look,
sound, and feel in the school. This program has enhanced, and in some ways changed, the
school environment. It has been a pleasure to watch the ROAR program unfold in the
school. I have witnessed the impact on the individual students, particularly the ROAR
leaders. Their confidence levels have increased and their abilities to self-regulate are
slowly improving. I hope to see a continued change in students' behaviour as we moved
forward with the program in years to come, making new leaders in the school as we
advance. In agreement with the sentiments of many of the interview participants, I feel

81

that the program has not been in place long enough to see a marked change in the general
behaviour of the students in the school. I do believe, however, that with more time the
ROAR program has the potential to bring about behavioural change throughout the
majority of the school population. While there has not been a significant change in
overall prosocial and self-regulatory behaviour in the school, the school culture has taken
steps in creating an environment where the opportunity of behavioural change is possible.
The future is bright for the ROAR program. The ROAR program has been
endorsed by our staff at professional development days, the program has been featured in
the city newspaper, and principals from other schools have expressed keen interest in
how our school has implemented the program and what our plans are moving forward.
Most recently, the ROAR program received high commendations during an internal
evaluation report of our school. The next steps for ROAR have been discussed amongst
staff and it has been decided that ROAR tickets will be given out by leaders as a form of
a positive reward system for following ROAR values. I plan on continuing one-on-one
and group sessions with the ROAR leaders for the remainder of this school year in order
to further the social-emotional learning and self-regulation skills of our leaders. I hope to
focus these remaining sessions on targeting weaknesses in individual leaders and offer
more strategies for overcoming those social and behavioural weaknesses. When we look
to the future, our staff can imagine our ROAR leaders becoming mentors for the next
wave of ROAR leaders. In addition, the administrator has expressed interest in bringing
our school into the community with the help of our ROAR leaders.

82
Recommendations
Based on my research I have four recommendations related to methodology and
delivery of the program, and the pedagogy relating to the background knowledge needed
to deliver a well-rounded social-emotional learning program. The following
recommendations stem from my experience of the program development and
implementation in terms of what worked and what did not. Recommendations were also
derived from participant feedback and informal conversations about the ROAR program
in the school community.
Recommendation One
Throughout the creation and delivery of the ROAR program, I found it
challenging to work with multiple teachers ' schedules in order to meet with ROAR
leaders when I would have liked to. I had originally planned to meet with ROAR leaders
on my own preparation time at school so as not to take recesses away from leaders. This
did not always happen due to the important curriculum content and lessons the students
would miss if they were to leave class for the ROAR meetings. I attempted to limit this
type of conflict by having teachers approve a schedule I developed based on my own
preparation time, however teachers cannot always be sure exactly what topic they will be
covering each lesson or how well students will grasp the concepts. For these reasons it
was sometimes impossible to take the ROAR leaders from class even if for only ten
minutes. Meetings happened at recess time more frequently than I would have liked and
although the students and parents did not mind, I would recommend avoiding this as the
program continues because children need social play breaks during the day. In addition,

83
many of the ROAR leaders are students who struggle with academics or being in the
classroom in general so their recess time is especially important to their success at school.

Recommendation Two
The findings of my study suggest a need for social-emotional learning
intervention in the school. While addressing the social-emotional needs of the students
was the number one goal of the program, it is important for the steps forward to be
informed by pedagogical literature and research on the subject. ROAR leaders should
receive more strategies geared toward self-regulation, for example, in order to promote
their own regulation as well as mentor other students on these skills while following the
CASEL framework. I believe students must receive training in current and evidencebased practices in order for there to be a significant improvement in self-regulation and
prosocial behaviour. I would like to concentrate on this type of training for the ROAR
leaders in the future.

Recommendation Three
During the interview process and informal interactions, parents provided
constructive feedback about the program regarding the dissemination of information
about the ROAR program. Suggestions for the future of the ROAR program included
announcing to parents who the ROAR leaders are through a newsletter especially for
those parents who could not attend the ROAR assemblies that were held at the school in
order to introduce the ROAR leaders and clarify the purposes of the ROAR program.
This would help parents to build common language at home and allow them to refer their

84
children to look to specific leaders as role models within the school setting at times of
social conflict.

Recommendation Four
Though this study took the form of an action research project, it was suggested
that the teachers become more involved in the development of the program going
forward. Teacher A suggested that teachers become more involved with what ROAR
should look like in the school in terms of common expectations and language. The
common language was a positive remark from many of the participants but it was
suggested that teachers come together to brainstorm exactly what those expectations
should look like, sound like, and feel like in the school setting in order to promote
consistency among teachers and locations within the school. In addition, teachers
expressed a keen interest in the future development of the program and voiced their
desire to contribute more to the future tasks of ROAR leaders as well as the use of ROAR
tickets as a reward program.

Reflections
My personal steps forward in light of the small successes I have witnessed in the
development and implementation of the ROAR program include creating a manual for
the program. In order to promote community among our faith-based schools across the
diocese and to promote awareness of the ROAR program, the superintendent and
principals from other schools attended assemblies at our school celebrating the ROAR
program. Throughout this process I have had multiple educators and administrators
inquire as to how the program was developed and how to reproduce this program. In

85
addition I have seen administrators of other schools, upon witnessing the effects of this
program asking, "Do we have school pride?" Though the exact program could not be
replicated in another school, I do believe a template for the collaborative development of
this program could be used in any elementary school setting in order to bring about
similar school culture change. This program is built on the foundation of school pride and
sharing of equal values which is something I believe can exist in all schools. The
implementation of such programs in elementary schools would not only help to enhance
individual levels of confidence but foster acceptance of others, leadership skills, and
school spirit through creating a sense of belonging and pride. I believe these are key
ingredients to preparing students not only for academic success but success in life in
general. Providing a program manual may help to foster these building blocks of school
pride, confidence, leadership, and unity in other schools.
Through carrying out this study I have observed the strength of a positive school
atmosphere and open-minded staff. The administrator, pastor, and my colleagues fully
took part in the development of this program and became advocates for ROAR and I am
grateful for the dedication they have all demonstrated in this endeavour. I appreciate the
continued support of the parents, grandparents, foster parents and families of our students
who helped to make the program reality in our school. Were it not for the collegiate
partnership among our staff and school community I feel that the ROAR program would
not have made the impression it has, nor would it have been as successful.

86
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Appendix A
Questionnaire Research Participant Information Letter
You are invited to participate in a study entitled The Observed Behavioral Effects of a
Universal Social-Emotional Learning Program in an Elementary School Setting as part of
my Master of Education (MDL) degree. Please read this form carefully, and feel free to
ask any questions you might have.
Graduate Student/ Researcher: Jenna Johnston

Program: Multidisciplinary Leadership (MEd)
University of Northern British Columbia
3333 University Way, Prince George, B.C. V2N 4Z9
Phone: 250-563-5201 (work) email: jjohnston@cispg.ca (work)

Purpose of the Research: As part of my Master of Education degree, I am conducting a
questionnaire to gain an understanding of any observed behaviours you have witnessed
before the implementation of the R.O.A.R program and common behaviours referred to
the office.

Why were you asked? You were asked to take part in this research project because you
are familiar with the children at the school and have had the opportunity to observe
their behaviours. In addition, as the administrator of the school, you have a unique
perspective on the common serious social behaviour infractions across all grades in the
school.

What is involved? The research involves your participation in a questionnaire which
should take you less than ten minutes to complete. The questionnaire will pose
questions geared to reflecting on past common student behaviour you have witnessed
that has led to students being sent to the office over the last year as principal of the
schoo l.
At any point during the process you may choose to stop participation in the study. If you
choose to withdraw, your information will not be used in the study and it will be
destroyed through deletion from the data set. You also have the option to review the
resulting report once it is complete.

What are the benefits of being involved? Your involvement in this questionnaire will
help to shape the R.O .A.R. leadership sessions and the type of social -emotional
strategies used in the training of the student leaders for the betterment of socialemotional skills and behaviour. With your help, we will be able to identify the strengths
and short comings of student behaviour in the school and will be better able to adjust
and improve the R.0 .A.R. program .

93

What are the risks in taking part? There are no potential risks in taking part in the
questionnaire. If you do not like the questions or do not want to participate, you simply
stop filling in the questionnaire.

How will my information be kept confidential and anonymous? Before submission of
the final thesis paper, all identifying features of the school, staff, students, and parents
will be removed by me. The type of information that will not be included is your name
and any other recognisable information. Because you are the sole administrator in the
school, anonymity of your identity as an administrator cannot be guaranteed.

How will my information be stored? All data will be stored and retained by me on a
password-protected computer in my locked office in my house in accordance with the
guidelines defined by the University of Northern British Columbia. The data will be
stored for five years and destroyed after the five-year period.

How can I make contact if I have any questions or concerns? You may contact the
researcher via email at jjohnston@cispg.ca . If you have any questions and for concerns
and complaints, please contact the UNBC REB at 250.960.6735 or email at reb@unbc.ca.

94
Research Participant Consent Form
If you agree to the following statements, please sign in the designated place below.
You understand that you have been asked to be in a research study
You have read and received a copy of the participant information letter
You understand that you are free to refuse to participate or withdraw from the research
study at any time
You understand the benefits of participating in this research study
The issue of confidentiality has been explained to you
You understand who will have access to the information you provide
You have had an opportunity to ask questions about the study

Name of participant

Signature of participant

Date

Name of researcher

Signature of researcher

Date

95
Appendix B
Administrator Questionnaire 1:
Introduction to R.O.A.R.
Please answer the following questions describing student behaviour referred to the office
last school year (2014-2015) to the best of your ability by circling 1 almost never, 2
sometimes, 3 often, and 4 frequently. Keep in mind typical student referrals to the
office. Once the questionnaire is complete, please place it inside the envelope provided,
seal it, and place it in my mailbox in the school office.

Students are displaying anti-social or socially-inappropriate
behaviour at school
Students are speaking disrespectfully to staff
Students are unable to solve conflict with peers without adult
interjection
Students are unable to 'calm down' after an upset
Students are unable to follow classroom routine
Students are speaking disrespectfully to peers or are bullying their
peers
Students are displaying physically violent behaviour at school
Students are verbally threatening staff or students
Students lie about their involvement in an incident
Students deny their involvement in an incident
Students engage in arguments with staff members

l

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

96

Students are outwardly defiant in class

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

Students have social conflict during recess time

Students are boys

Students are girls

Students are in primary grades (K-3)

Students are in intermediate grades (4-7)
Students ' issues are resolved in 10 minutes or Jess
Students are being disruptive in class

Students are unable to focus in assembly

Students have conflict in classroom line up
Students have conflict with hallway transitions
Students appear angry
Students cry

Students appear sad

Students appear anxious

97
Students appear nervous

1

2

3

4

Students describe an external reason for the outburst despite the
conflict

1

2

3

4

Students describe an unrelated reason for the outburst despite the
conflict

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

Students seem contrite after meeting with you as the principal
Students' parents are contacted due to the seriousness of the
incident

Please estimate approximately how many students get referred to the office per week for
anti-social or inappropriate behaviour.

98
Appendix C
Survey Research Participant Information Letter
(Downloadable on the Survey Website)
You are invited to participate in a study entitled The Observed Behavioral Effects of a
Universal Social-Emotional Learning Program in an Elementary School Setting as part of
my Master of Education (MDL) degree. Please read this form carefully, and feel free to
ask any questions you might have.
Graduate Student/ Researcher: Jenna Johnston
Program: Multidisciplinary Leadership (MEd)
University of Northern British Columbia
3333 University Way, Prince George, B.C. V2N 4Z9
Phone: 250-563-5201 (work) email : jjohnston@cispg.ca (work)

Purpose of the Research: As part of my Master of Education degree, I am conducting a
survey to gain an understanding of any observed behaviours you have witnessed during
the implementation of the R.O .A.R program and its effectiveness on socio-emotional
skills in the school.

Why were you asked? You were asked to take part in this research project because you
are familiar with the children at the school and have had the opportunity to observe
their behaviours over the last several months.

What is involved? The research involves your participation in an anonymous survey
which should take you less than ten minutes to complete. I will pose questions geared
to any potentially-observed changes in student behaviour. The survey will be accessed
on line for your convenience.
At any point during the process you may choose to stop participation in the study. If you
choose to withdraw, your information will not be used in the study and it will be
destroyed through deletion from the data set. You also have the option to review the
resulting report once it is complete .

What are the benefits of being involved? Your involvement in this survey could help to
shape the school environment for the betterment of social emotional skills and
behaviour. With your help, we will be able to see the strengths and short comings of the
R.0 .A.R. program and will be better able to adjust and improve.

What are the risks in taking part? There are no potential risks in taking part in the
survey. If you do not like the questions or do not want to participate, you simply close
the page and your responses will not be saved.

99
How will my information be kept confidential and anonymous? Before submission of
the final thesis paper, all identifying features of the school, staff, students, and parents
will be removed by me. The type of information that will not be included is your name
and any other recognisable information. On the survey, you will not be required to state
your name but will be asked to indicate whether you are a parent or teacher of a
primary or intermediate student.

How will my information be stored? All data will be stored and retained by me on a
password-protected computer in my locked office in my house in accordance with the guidelines
defined by the University of Northern British Columbia . The data will be stored for five years and
destroyed after the five-year period .

How can I make contact if I have any questions or concerns? You may contact the
researcher via email at jjohnston@cispg.ca. If you have any questions and for concerns
and complaints, please contact the UNBC REB at 250.960.6735 or email at reb@unbc.ca.

100
Research Participant Consent Form
If you agree to the fol lo wing statements, please go directly to the survey; if you do not
wish to participate, plea se exit with my thanks for participating thus far.
You understand that you have been asked to be in a research study
You have read and rec eived a copy of the participant information letter
You understand that you are free to refuse to participate or withdraw from the research
study at any time
You understand the be nefits of participating in this research study
The issue of confidenti ality has been explained to you
You understand who w ill have access to the information you provide
You have had an oppo rtunity to ask questions about the study

101
Appendix D
R.O .A.R.
Final Survey
Please indicate your connection(s) to Sacred Heart School:
_ _ I am the parent of a primary student
_ _ I am the parent of an intermediate student
_ _ I am a primary teacher
I am an intermediate teacher
I am an educational assistant
How often do you have the opportunity to observe student social interactions?
_ _ less than three times per week
_ _ more than three times per week
_ _ 5 days per week
Please indicate your answers to the questions below by marking an 'x' in the respective
columns 1 strongly disagree, 2 disagree, 3 agree, 4 strongly agree, 5 not applicable.
I have previous knowledge of social emotional learning
I am aware of what the R .O.A.R. program is
The children are aware of what the R .O.A.R. program is
The purpose of the R.O.A.R. program is clear in the school
community
The children seem excited about the R .O.A.R. program
I have heard children use the word R.O.A.R. to describe
appropriate school behaviour
R .O .A.R. leaders are visible in the school community
R.O .A.R. leaders are role models to their peers
I have witnessed R.O.A.R. leaders helping others with
conflict
I have seen children respond positively to R.O.A.R. leaders

1

2

3

4

5

102
Children are following R.O.A.R. expectations
I have noticed children demonstrating improved selfregulation skills
Children seem to communicate effectively
Children use the R.O .A.R. acronym language outside of
school
Children need less adult-intervention for behaviour
Students stop disruptive behaviour in class when reminded
ofR.O.A.R.
Children speak to adults respectfully
Children speak to one another respectfully
Students are more attentive in class
Children are more attentive in assembly
Children are more attentive in mass

In your opinion, has the R.O.A.R. program been effective in promoting prosocial
behaviour?
_ _ yes

no

_ _ no oplillon

In your opinion, has the R.O.A.R. program enhanced school spirit?
_ _ yes

no

_ _ no oplillon

In your opinion, has the R.O.A.R. program improved student confidence?
_ _ yes

no

___ no opm10n

Are you willing to take part in an interview about the effects of the ROAR program?
_ _ yes

no

Please indicate your name and email address if you are willing to take part in the
interview.

103
Appendix E
Interview Research Participant Information Letter
You are invited to participate in a study entitled The Observed Behavioral Effects of a
Universal Social-Emotional Learning Program in an Elementary School Setting as part of
my Master of Education (MDL) degree. Please read this form carefully, and feel free to
ask any questions you might have.
Graduate Student/ Researcher: Jenna Johnston
Program: Multidisciplinary Leadership (MEd)
University of Northern British Columbia
3333 University Way, Prince George, B.C. V2N 429
Phone : 250-563-5201 (work) email : jjohnst on@cispg.ca (work)

Purpose of the research: As part of my Master of Education degree, I am conducting an
interview to gain an understanding of any observed behaviours you have witnessed
during the implementation of the R.O.A.R program and its effectiveness on socioemotional skills in the school.

Why were you asked? You were asked to take part in this research project because you
are familiar with the children at the school and have had the opportunity to observe
their behaviours over the last several months.

What is involved? The research involves your participation in an audio-recorded
interview. I will pose questions geared to any potentially-observed changes in student
behaviour. The questions asked will be similar to those on the survey you have
completed previously, but I will ask for more in-depth and insightful answers and
descriptions.
At any point during the process you may choose to stop participation in the study. If you
choose to withdraw, your information will not be used in the study and it will be
destroyed through deletion from the data set. You also have the option to review the
resulting report once it is complete.

What are the benefits of being involved? Your involvement in this interview could help
to shape the school environment for the betterment of social emotional skills and
behaviour. With your help, we will be able to see the strengths and short comings of the
R.O.A.R. program and will be better able to adjust and improve.

What are the risks in taking part? There are no potential risks in taking part in the
interview. If you do not like the questions or do not want to participate, you simply

104
disclose this to me and I will stop the audio recording of the interview and your
information will not be used in the study.

How will my information be kept confidential and anonymous? Before submission of
the final thesis paper, all identifying features of the school, staff, students, and parents
will be removed by me. The type of information that will not be included is your name
and any other recognisable information .

How will my information be stored?
All data will be stored and retained by me on a password-protected computer or personal audiorecording device in my locked office in my house in accordance with the guidelines defined by
the University of Northern British Columbia. The data will be stored for five years and destroyed
after the five-year period .

How will my information be stored? All data will be stored and retained by me on a

password-protected computer in my locked office in my house in accordance with the guidelines
defined by the University of Northern British Columbia. The data will be stored for five years and
destroyed after the five-year period .

How can I make contact if I have any questions or concerns? You may contact the
researcher via email at jjohnston@cispg.ca. If you have any questions and for concerns
and complaints, please contact the UNBC REB at 250.960.6735 or email at reb@unbc .ca .

105
Research Participant Consent Form
If you agree to the following statements, please sign in the designated space below.
You understand that you have been asked to be in a research study
You have read and received a copy of the participant information letter
You understand that you are free to refuse to participate or withdraw from the research
study at any time
You understand the benefits of participating in this research study
The issue of confidentiality has been explained to you
You understand who will have access to the information you provide
You have had an opportunity to ask questions about the study
You understand that this interview will be audio-recorded

Name of participant

Signature of participant

Date

Name of researcher

Signature of researcher

Date

106
Appendix F
R.O.A.R.
Final Interview Questions
1. Briefly describe your background knowledge of social emotional learning.

2. Previous to this school year, what were some of the common social behaviours you
may have witnessed at our school?

3. Through the implementation of the R.O.A.R. program, what change in behaviour did
you note in the students?

4. What is your opinion on the effectiveness of the R.O.A.R. leaders?

5. What do you think are the major strengths of the R.O.A.R. program?

6. What improvements would you suggest for the R.O.A.R. program?

7. What additional comments, if any, would you like to add?

107

Appendix G
Administrator Interview Research Participant Information Letter
You are invited to participate in a study entitled The Observed Behavioral Effects of a
Universal Social-Emotional Learning Program in an Elementary School Setting as part of
my Master of Education (MDL) degree. Please read this form carefully, and feel free to
ask any questions you might have.
Graduate Student/ Researcher: Jenna Johnston
Program: Multidisciplinary Leadership (MEd)
University of Northern British Columbia
3333 University Way, Prince George, B.C. V2N 429
Phone: 250-563-5201 (work) email: jjohnston@cispg.ca (work)

Purpose of the Research: As part of my Master of Education degree, I am conducting an
interview to gain an understanding of any observed behaviours you have witnessed
during the implementation of the R.O.A.R program and its effectiveness on socialemotional skills in the school.

Why were you asked? You were asked to take part in this research project because you
are familiar with the children at the school and have had the opportunity to observe
their behaviours over the last several months. In addition, as the administrator of the
school you have a unique perspective on the common serious social behaviour
infractions across all grades in the school.

What is involved? The research involves your participation in an interview. In the audiorecorded interview, I will pose questions geared to reflecting on common student
behaviour you have witnessed since the implementation of the R.O.A.R. program as well
as your perception of the students' ability to follow the R.O.A.R. values.
At any point during the process you may choose to stop participation in the study. If you
choose to withdraw, your information will not be used in the study and it will be
destroyed through deletion from the data set. You also have the option to review the
resulting report once it is complete .

What are the benefits of being involved? Your involvement in this interview will help to
shape the R.O.A.R. program going forward . With your help, we will be able to identify
the strengths and short comings of the program and provide insightful feedback to
adjust and improve the R.O.A.R. program.

What are the risks in taking part? There are no potential risks in taking part in the
interview. If you do not like the questions or do not want to participate, you simply let

108
me know and I will stop the audio recording of the interview and your data will not be
used.

How will my information be kept confidential and anonymous? Before submission of
the final thesis paper, all identifying features of the school, staff, students, and parents
will be removed by me. The type of information that will not be included is your name
and any other recognisable information. Because you are the sole administrator in the
school, anonymity of your identity as an administrator cannot be guaranteed.

How will my information be stored? All data will be stored and retained by me on a
password-protected computer or personal audio-recording device in my locked office in my
house in accordance with the guidelines defined by the University of Northern British Columbia.
The data will be stored for five years and destroyed after the five-year period .

How can I make contact if I have any questions or concerns? You may contact the
researcher via email at jjohnston@cispg.ca. If you have any questions and for concerns
and complaints, please contact the UNBC REB at 250.960.6735 or email at reb@unbc.ca.

109

Research Participant Consent Form
If you agree to the following statements, please sign in the designated place below.
You understand that you have been asked to be in a research study
You have read and received a copy of the participant information letter
You understand that you are free to refuse to participate or withdraw from the
research study at any time
You understand the benefits of participating in this research study
The issue of confidentiality has been explained to you
You understand who will have access to the information you provide
You have had an opportunity to ask questions about the study
You understand that this interview will be audio-recorded

Name of participant

Signature of participant

Date

Name of researcher

Signature of researcher

Date

110
Appendix H
R.O.A.R.
Administrator Final Interview
1. How do you think the students have responded to R.O.A.R.?

2. Based on your observations, has the R.O.A.R. program been successful in promoting
prosocial behaviour?

3. How much of a difference have you noticed in frequency in any of the behaviours that
you had indicated as high occurrences on the initial questionnaire? For instance, you
indicated that X was a high-frequency behaviour. Is it still? You also indicated that ... Is
it still?

4. What are some, if any, of the most noticeable changes in the school since the
implementation of the program?

5. What are the program's strengths?

6. What are some ways that we can improve the program?

7. What are some ways that we can improve the implementation of the program?

111

Appendix I
From :"Superintendent>
Subject:Re: ROAR Approval
Sent date:Thu , 10 Sep 2015 04:13:08 PM
To :Researcher
Cc:"Principal

Dear Jenna,
I approve your study of the ROAR project thesis proposal at XXX
Catholic School. I look forward to hearing about your learning and
discussing how you might share your learning with others.
Thank you for your initiative and leadership.
Sincerely
, Superintendent
Catholic Independent Schools Diocese of PG
www.cispg .ca <http://www.cispg.ca/>
On Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:40:49 -0800, Rebecca Gilbert <rgilbert@cispg.ca> wrote:
November 191h 2015
To whom this may concern:
I approve the R.O.A.R. program and research being carried out in Sacred Heart School by
Ms. Jenna Johnston.
Sincerely,
XXX BA, BEd, MEd.
Rebecca Gilbert
XXX School Principal
250-XXX-XXXX

"A little bit of MERCY makes the world less cold and more just" Pope Francis

112

Appendix J
R.O.A.R. Program
Staff Information Sheet
The purpose ohhis information sheet is to explain the R.O.A.R. program that will be
implemented in our school this year. In addition, this sheet will outline the role you and
our students will play in the development and implementation of this program as well as
the research and data collection methods that will be used in the development of my
thesis paper as part of the requirements for my masters of education degree at UNBC.
The goal in implementing this program in our school is to bring about positive change in
student behaviour, increase kindness and empathy, and to create universal expectations
for our students. This program is in line with our school mission and vision statements
and will connect at all levels of the new B.C. curriculum.

What is the R.O.A.R. program?
R.O.A.R. is a social emotional learning program geared toward prosocial skill
development and self-regulatory behaviour. The acronym R.O.A.R. will be used to
further identify our school ' s Panther Pride and will represent four positive behaviours we
would like to see happening in our school. The program has been designed as part of my
thesis work at UNBC and my research is aimed at observing ways in which this program
may influence student behaviour in our school.

What does R.O.A.R. represent?
While the word ' roar' has been chosen for our school, the students will be responsible for
determining what each of the letters will stand for through many adult-guided discussions
about positive behaviour in our school. During these discussions, our students will
explore social emotional values such as empathy, self-awareness, self-confidence, social
awareness, positive relationship building, and positive decision making.

Who will be the adults guiding R.O.A.R. discussions?
The R.O.A.R. program will be introduced to our students during an assembly near the
beginning of the school year. The assembly will be hosted by myself and Ms. Gilbert
where we will have a short explanation of the program and a quick brainstorm of positive
behaviours as a school. Following the assembly, students will take a family brainstorm
sheet home to complete with the adults at home. The goal will be for students to return
the sheet to the school within a week of getting the sheet with an idea of what the
acronym should stand for based on the discussions they had at home. Once the sheets are
returned to the school, I will come into your class to have a discussion about the most
common R.O.A.R. values decided upon at home and the students in each class will vote
on their favorite representation of R.O.A.R.

Ho w will the final representation of R. O.A.R. be determined?

113
Once each class has voted on their favorite representation of R.O.A.R., students will be
responsible for presenting the acronym to the school at an assembly to be held in
October. I will set criteria for each presentation and will explain details in each of the
classes during their voting session. If your students want extra time to prepare for the
presentation, I will be available to supervise groups at recess times. Once presentations
have been made, Ms. Gilbert and I will meet with the R.O.A.R. leaders where they will
vote on the final acronym representation. The class with the winning acronym may
receive a celebratory reward!

What is my role in the R. O.A.R. program?
Your role in the program will be to refer students to become leaders of the R.O.A.R.
program. Near the beginning of October, I will give you a referral form on which you can
recommend one student to a leadership position. In addition, I will be relying on your
feedback and comments to gauge the success of the program and adapt it as the year goes
on, so if you notice a change or lack-thereof in behaviour in your classroom or within our
school, please do let me know. In addition, I will be asking you to fill out a survey on the
success of the program to date in December. On that survey, you will have the
opportunity to take part in an interview with me, if you so choose, based on your
observations during the implementation of the program.

How will my identity and our school 's identity remain confidential?
In all written work regarding this program, our school name will not be used, nor will
those of any of our staff, parents, or students. In the discussion of results derived from the
survey and interviews, teachers will be identified only as "a primary teacher" or "an
intermediate teacher".

What are our students' roles in the R.O.A.R. program?
Our students will all gain exposure to the R.O.A.R. program and will be responsible for
following each of the R.O.A.R. values in our school. The R.O.A.R. leaders will be
responsible for complimenting and encouraging R.O.A.R. behaviour among their peers as
well as helping their friends to make better R.O.A.R. choices by being role models in
their classes. Leaders will meet with me for six one-on-one sessions between the
beginning of the program and December. During these sessions, the leaders will have
discussions and activities involving prosocial and self-regulatory strategies. Some
activities will include dramatic role play, reflections, and art.

R. O.A.R. Timeline
Date

September 11 , 2015
September 18, 2015
October 2, 2015

R.O.A.R. Event

Assembly 1
Family brainstorm sheets go home
Family brainstorm sheets return to school
Teacher leadership referral due
Assembly 2
Class R.O.A.R. presentations (30 minutes total!)

114

I October 9, 2015

I Final R.O.A.R. acronym announcement @ end of mass

Thank you, in advance, for your support during this endeavour. If you have any
questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With Panther Pride,
Jenna Johnston
jjohnston(a),cispg.ca

115
Appendix K
R.O .A.R. Program
Family Information Sheet
The purpose of this information sheet is to explain the R.O.A.R. program that will be
implemented in our school this year. In addition, this sheet will outline the role you and
your family will play in the development and implementation of this program as well as
the research and data collection methods that may be used in the development of my
thesis paper as part of the requirements for my masters of education degree at UNBC.
The goal in implementing this program in our school is to bring about positive change in
student behaviour, increase kindness and empathy, and to create universal expectations
for our students. Data in this study will only be that of adult observation of student
behaviour. This program is in line with our school mission and vision statements and will
connect at all levels of the new B.C. curriculum.

What is the R.O.A.R. program?
R.O.A.R. is a social emotional learning program geared toward prosocial skill
development and self-regulatory behaviour. The acronym R.O.A.R. will be used to
further identify our school's Panther Pride and will represent four positive behaviours we
would like to see happening in our school. The program has been designed as part of my
thesis work at UNBC and my research is aimed at observing ways in which this program
may influence student behaviour in our school.

What does R.O.A.R. represent?
While the word 'roar' has been chosen for our school, the students will be responsible for
determining what each of the letters will stand for through many adult-guided discussions
about positive behaviour in our school. During these discussions, the students will
explore social emotional values such as empathy, self-awareness, self-confidence, social
awareness, positive relationship building, and positive decision making.

Who will be the adults guiding R.O.A.R. discussions?
The R.O.A.R. program has been introduced to our students during an assembly at the
beginning of the school year. The assembly was hosted by myself and Ms. Gilbert where
we gave a short explanation of the program and a quick brainstorm of positive behaviours
as a school. Following the assembly, students received a family brainstorm sheet to
complete with their families at home. The goal in your family completing this worksheet
will be for students to have an in-depth conversation with you about appropriate
behaviours and actions at school. This conversation can take place anytime over the span
of a week after your child brings the sheet home. The sheet must be returned with an idea
of what the acronym should stand for based on the discussions you and your family had
at home. Once the sheets are returned to the school, I will go into your child ' s classroom

116
to have a class discussion about the most common R.O.A.R. values decided upon at home
and the students in each class will vote on their favorite representation of R.O.A.R.

How will the final representation of R. O.A.R. be determined?
Once each class has voted on their favorite representation of R.O.A.R., students will be
responsible for presenting the acronym to the school at an assembly to be held in
October. I will set criteria for each presentation and will explain details in each of the
classes during their voting session. This is a presentation that can be completed at school
and will not be considered homework. Once presentations have been made, Ms. Gilbert
and I will meet with a group of R.O.A.R. leadership students where they will vote on the
final acronym representation. The class with the winning acronym may receive a
celebratory reward!

What is my role in the R. O.A.R. program?
Your role in the program will be to support and guide discussions around positive
behaviours and actions in school. You are encouraged to take note of any changes in
behaviour you might see while at the school, in school masses or assemblies you may
attend, as well as any changes in behaviour at home during the implementation of the
R.O.A.R. program at Sacred Heart School. In addition, I may ask you to fill out a survey
on the success of the program to date in December. On that survey, you will have the
opportunity to take part in an interview with me, if you so choose, based on your
observations during the implementation of the program. Please watch for more
information about this process later in the school year.

What is my child's role in the R.O.A.R. program?
Students will all gain exposure to the R.O.A.R. program and will be responsible for
following each of the R.O.A.R. values in our school. The R.O.A.R. leadership students
will be responsible for complimenting and encouraging R.O.A.R. behaviour among their
peers as well as helping their friends to make better R.O.A.R. choices by being role
models in their classes. One student from each class will be nominated by their teacher to
become a R.O.A.R. leader. Leaders will meet with me for one-on-one sessions on how to
be R.O.A.R. leaders. During these sessions, the leaders will have discussions and
activities involving prosocial and self-regulatory strategies. Some activities will include
dramatic role play, reflections, and art.

Please watch your child's planner for any R.O.A.R. program updates, consent forms, and
surveys. Thank you, in advance, for your support during this endeavour. If you have any
questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With Panther Pride,
Jenna Johnston

117
Grade 4/5 Teacher
XXX School
i johnston(i4cispg.ca

118
Appendix L
R.O.A.R.

Student name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _'s Family Brainstorm Sheet

At Sacred Heart School, we are a family of Panthers and Panthers ROAR! Please take
some time to read the information sheet to learn more about the R.O.A.R. program
being implemented in our school this year and use this sheet to help guide a family
discussion about what R.O.A.R. should look like in our school. Please return this sheet to
the school by September 18, 2015.

Q
n

o
A

What are some positive behaviours, feelings, or actions you'd like to see in our
school that begin with the letter R? Use the space below to write your ideas,
then@your family's favourite one!

What are some positive behaviours, feelings, or actions you'd like to see in our
school that begin with the letter O? Use the space below to write your ideas,
then underline your family's favourite one!

What are some positive behaviours, feelings, or actions you'd like to see in our
school that begin with the letter A? Use the space below to write your ideas,
then draw a !rectangle rround your family's favourite one!

What was your family's second favourite positive behaviour, feeling, or action
you'd like to see in our school that begins with the letter R? After you decide,

R

write that word in big CAPITAL letters in the space below!

119
Appendix M
R.O.A.R.

Student Leadership Referral Form
The purpose of this form is to refer one of your students to be a leader of the R.O.A.R.
program. You may choose any child in your class that you think will most benefit from
the six one-on-one sessions on social emotional learning offered to each R.O .A.R. leader.
R.O.A.R. leaders will be expected to watch for, congratulate, and encourage R.O.A.R.
behaviour among their peers, as well as practice R.O.A.R. behaviour as a role model
themselves. Once this form has been returned to me by September 18th, I will contact
you regarding appropriate scheduling of sessions.
Please be advised that R.O.A.R. leadership training sessions are not to take the place of
counselling, learning assistance, or any other academic or emotional assistance the
student may be accessing inside or outside our school.
Please note that a parental informed consent must be on file for this student to participate
in the R.O.A.R. leadership program.
Teacher: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~
Grade: - - - - - Name of referred student: - - - - - - - -- -- What does this student enjoy doing in his/her spare time?

What are some of this student' s strengths?

Briefly describe the social behaviour this student displays when interacting with his/her
peers.

120
Briefly describe the social behaviour this student displays when interacting with adults.

What (if any) are some concerns you have about this student's behaviour at school?

Additional reasons for referring this student to be a R.O.A.R. leader:

The following section is for teacher-researcher use only

This student has a signed parental R.O.A.R. program consent form on file

D

The best R.O.A.R. leadership session times for this teacher, student, and teacherresearcher are:
Morning recess time
Lunch recess time

D
D

D
Tuesday
D
Wednesday D
Thursday
D
Friday
D

Teacher-researcher prep time on Monday

121
Appendix N
R.O.A.R.

Leadership Parental Consent
We are a family of Panthers at XXX School, and Panthers ROAR!
Dear parents and guardians,
Thank you for your help in developing the R.O.A.R. program at our school. As part of the
R.O.A.R. program, students will be nominated by their teachers to become R.O.A.R.
leaders. One student per class will be nominated.

What is the role of a R.O.A.R. leader?
R.O.A.R. leaders will act as role models to their peers. It will be their job to congratulate
peers on great R.O.A.R. behaviour and to encourage consistent effort in terms of
excellent school behaviour, self-awareness, and social awareness.

How does my child become a leader if he or she is nominated?
R.O.A.R. leaders will meet with Miss Johnston one-on-one for six lessons on how to be a
R.O.A.R. leader. These lessons will teach students to become more aware of others and
their feelings, to recognize excellent behaviour, and to help others when they are in
need.

When are the R.0.A.R. leadership sessions?
R.O.A.R. leadership sessions will take place during school hours. We do not intend to
miss recess times for these sessions.

What is the benefit of my child being a leader?
While all students will be a part of the R.O .A.R. program, leaders play a special part
because they will become experts in their school on social emotional learning, selfregulation, and decision making skills. As R.O.A.R. leaders, the children will have the
opportunity to make friends, build relationships and practice their new skills . In
addition, all R.0.A.R. leaders will get a special hat for being on the leadership team and
to identify them as such.

122
If your child, at any time, decides he or she does not want to be a R.O.A.R. leader, he or
she is free to withdraw.
How does my child being a R.0.A.R. leader effect the research portion of the program?

As the R.O.A.R. program has been designed as a part of thesis work at the University of
Northern British Columbia, research on the program will be conducted. No data,
however, will be collected from students . The data in this study will be based on adult
observation of behaviour and will have no identification of students involved in the
process . All names and identifying features, including the school name, will remain
confidential in the final report.
How do I contact the researcher if I have any questions, comments, or concerns?

You may email Miss Johnston at jjohnston@cispg.ca .
R.O.A.R. Leader Participant Consent Form
Do you understand that your child may be asked to be part of
the R.O.A.R. leadership team?
Have you read and received a copy of the leadership participant
information letter?
Do you understand that your child is free to refuse to
participate or withdraw from the program at any time?
Do you understand the benefits of participating in this
program?
Do you understand that the leadership positions involve six oneon-one sessions about social emotional skills?
Do you understand that none of your child's information will be
used in the data collection of this project?
Do you understand the confidentiality of this project?
Do you know how to contact the researcher?
Have you had an opportunity to ask questions about the study?

Name of student

Name of parent

Yes

D No D

Yes

D

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

D

D
D
Yes
No
D
D
D
D
Yes
No
D
D
Yes
No
D
D
Yes
No
D
D
Yes
No
D
D

123

Signature of parent

Signature of student

Date

Name of researcher

Signature of researcher

Date

124

Appendix 0
R.O.A.R.

Student name:

's Presentation Criteria Sheet

~~~~~~~~~~-

Because we are a family here at XXX School, we work together to make big decisions
about how best to represent our Panther Pride! Please use the criteria below to work
with your classmates to create a presentation on your class' favourite R.O.A.R. values.

1. Your class-decided R.0.A.R. acronym must be clearly visible on the poster board
provided.

2. Your R.O.A.R. acronym must reflect positive behaviours, feelings, or actions.
3. There must be at least 4 students in your class to present your R.O.A.R. acronym .

4. You must be able to say what each R.O.A.R. value looks like, sounds like, and feels like
in our school (just like in our class discussion).

5. Presentations can be a maximum of 3 minutes long (you will be timed!).
Other notes:
•

This presentation will take place at a school assembly on Friday, October 2"d!

•

You may be as creative as you like (colour, drawing, singing, dancing, costumes,
and fun are encouraged!)

•

Remember this is about Panther Pride, so represent your school and your class in
a wonderfully positive way!

Miss Johnston's door is always open, so if you have questions or just need time to work
on this awesome presentation, don't be afraid to ask!
Happy R.O.A.R.ing!

-Miss Johnston