Middle school teachers' and school counselors' perspectives on students' social emotional learning skills: A qualitative study

The aim of this study is to examine the views of middle school classroom guidance teachers and school counselors regarding students' social emotional learning (SEL) skills. This study was conducted using a qualitative research design, and maximum variation sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods, was employed. The study group consists of 30 participants, including 20 classroom guidance teachers and 10 school counselors working at the middle school level. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using content analysis. Findings indicate that although participants had limited knowledge about the concept of SEL, they considered these skills important. The majority of participants evaluated students' SEL skills as generally low, especially noting deficiencies in self-awareness, self-management, and relationship-building skills. Teachers and school counselors stated that their in-class and out-of-class practices, counseling services, and collaborative efforts with stakeholders positively affected not only SEL skills but also academic achievement and school belonging. While participants generally assessed their own competence in SEL as moderate or high, they also expressed openness to professional development in this area. The study revealed that the most frequently encountered challenges in the development of students' SEL skills stemmed from family-related factors, followed respectively by student-related factors, physical conditions, teacher-related issues, and curriculum constraints. Moreover, for the effective development of SEL, multidimensional needs have been identified, not only related to various stakeholders such as teachers, school counselors, administrators, and parents, but also concerning dimensions like the school's physical conditions and curriculum. Participants particularly emphasized the need to support teachers' and counselors' professional development, competencies, and collaboration; they emphasized the impotance of administrators' leadership, communication, and supportive roles. Additionally, raising awareness among parents, improvements in school environments, and the effective integration of SEL into the curriculum were highlighted as key areas of need. However, the intensity of the curriculum and time limitations were identified as major barriers to allocating sufficient time for SEL. Keywords: Social emotional learning, school counselor, classroom guidance teacher, middle school students, qualitative research.