The relationship between social-emotional learning skills and attitudes toward elementary school among middle school students

In this study, it was investigated the relationship between social-emotional learning (SEL) skills of middle school students and attitudes towards elementary school. Besides, the effects of middle school students' gender, class level, age, parents' education level were examined in students' social-emotional learning skills and attitudes toward elementary school. The sample of this research was 307 students from Elementary Schools in the center of Sivas province in the 2013-2014 educational year. The students were chosen by using the method of clusterization in six middle schools. In this research, percentage and frequencies of demographic variables were determined. Moreover, five factors of school-related attitudes, including attitudes toward learning; toward teachers; toward school and school facilities; and students' perceptions of parent-school relationships and four factors of SEL scale, including the students' problem solving abilities; the communicative ability; the abilities of increasing self-esteem; the abilities of coping with the stress were examined; whether scale variables vary depending on demographic variables was analysed and the relationship among nominal scales was examined. The obtained data was analysed and interpreted with the help of SPSS for Windows 15.0 by using statistical techniques. As a result, it was found that there has been a significant positive correlation between students' social-emotional learning skills and their attitudes toward elementary school. This result indicated that students who have more social-emotional learning skills develop more positive attitudes toward elementary school Key Words: Social Emotional Learning, Social Emotional Learning Skills, 6th ‐7th -8th Grade Level, Middle School Students, Attitude toward Elementary School.