Assessment Task 3 Policy Briefing for Social Media
Positive learning environments are settings where children are supported in their quest for learning by experiencing a sense of belongingness, undergoing nurture and learning how to understand their own emotions as well as that of those who are around them. These environments are critical towards the development of children in their early years and can help support in building their emotional and social competence. This policy brief advocates for positive learning environments as the hub of emotional and social learning and for honing competencies related to these capabilities. It also presents strategies and practices for practitioners that seek to build and sustain positive learning environments.
Positive learning environments are a fundamental and critical part of the early years learning framework (EYLF) as they are imperative for supporting a child’s knowledge goals and facilitating the development of emotional and social competence. The foundation of a positive learning environment is rooted in the development of a setting where participatory teaching is valued and students have the freedom to engage in discussions and two-way communication with their teacher and fellow students alike (De Nobile, Lyons and Arthur-Kelly, 2017). Another important feature of positive learning environments is that they encourage students to engage in good behavior and actively seek to establish a setting where such behaviors are reinforced so that learners continue to adopt them (De Nobile, Lyons and Arthur-Kelly, 2017).
The development of emotional and social competence during the course of a child’s early years is as important as the acquisition of academic skills. Moreover, advocates of social and emotional learning (SEL) suggest that focusing on building these competencies during school years can facilitate academic learning (Frey, Fisher and Smith, 2019). Positive learning environments are viewed as the ideal setting for acquiring these competencies as they place a strong focus on student-teacher and student-peer relationships.
In this background, the objective of this policy brief is to present a comprehensive and critical discussion on how positive learning environments facilitate the acquisition and development of emotional and social competencies. The sections in this policy brief will showcase the approach that was adopted to assess the impact of positive learning environment on emotional and social learning with regard to different elements that define these competencies. Accordingly, the policy brief will also put forward a proposal highlighting the implications of this assessment and presenting recommendations to drive the direction of research and practice in the area. These proposals will advocate for the development of positive learning environment across school settings and highlight strategies for professionals working in the domain.
