Progress in Teachers’ Readiness to Promote Positive Youth Development among Students during the Lions Quest Teaching Workshop

Abstract

Modern learning psychology places an emphasis on the ability of teachers to promote their students’ social and emotional learning (SEL) and living a good life. Research on precisely how teachers promote SEL and well-being among their students, however, remains scarce. This study focused on evaluating the Lions Quest teaching workshop (LQ), which aims to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers in SEL and to promote a healthy and meaningful life among students.

In total, 153 Finnish teachers participated in LQ. We compared these to 61 Finnish teachers who did not participate in the LQ training as well as a second comparison group consisting of 46 Finnish teachers to investigate the possible effects of pre-testing. We collected data from the intervention group before and after the training and from the first comparison group at approximately the same time points. Data from the second comparison group was collected only once. Using the repeated measures general linear model, we analyzed teachers’ readiness to promote the LQ goals from two perspectives, namely from participants’ experienced importance of those goals and their perceived competence in promoting them. In addition, we evaluated task values among participants.

Teachers participating in LQ rated the goals as more important and relevant after receiving training. Furthermore, participants from the intervention group felt more competent in skills related to the LQ goals than the comparison groups.

This study adds to both the theoretical and practical development of teachers’ skills in contemporary contexts.