Brown, J. M. (2021). Does a Social-Emotional Program Impact Academic Performance Differently in a Virtual versus In-Person Instructional Environment? (Doctoral dissertation, Wingate University).
The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the impact of Leader in Me, a transformational process, on academic achievement for students in virtual and in-person learning environments. Educators have explored different ways to help keep students motivated and eager to learn during the national Coronavirus Pandemic. Leader in Me is the social-emotional process of choice that was previously implemented at one elementary school. The overall findings of this study could have implications on how the district and school continues to utilize the Leader in Me process to impact student achievement and meet their social-emotional needs. A mixed methods design was used to conduct research for this study. The quantitative data was collected through Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for the 2020-2021 fall and winter achievement scores for sixth-grade students. The qualitative data were collected using a researcher-created survey for the school’s sixth-grade teachers and administrative team. Additionally, the researcher conducted observations of teachers who taught the students directly and collected qualitative data. While academic achievement was not statistically significant, the educators’ perspective of the process suggests a positive direction for the future of Leader in Me within the schools across the district.