Exploring the Challenges of Social-Emotional Learning Integration in Secondary Schools: A Phenomenological Research in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION

With the advantage of the restructured education in Vietnam, the social-emotional learning (SEL) framework has been gradually piloting applied into the educational curriculum. However, the SEL integration is only effective in primary school.

METHODS

This study applied qualitative phenomenological research, which used in-depth interviews with students and core teachers who have experienced SEL from previous studies to explore and explain the SEL integration is not successful at the secondary level.

FINDINGS

Four findings showed the current challenges of SEL's integration in Vietnamese educational curriculum: 1) the incompatibility between the current curriculum and the teachers' pedagogical capacity; 2) the perceived difficulties in integrating SEL into educational activities; 3) the limited focus on understanding the students' psychology; and 4) students cannot develop their social-emotional competence.

DISCUSSION

When the challenges can be solved, corresponding to the solutions discussed, can the SEL framework be properly integrated into Vietnamese education, as well as designing an integrated continuous SEL-orientated curriculum across school levels, meeting the requirements of the new educational curriculum.