Culturally Adapted Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Support for Black Male Learners

• Published in: Remedial and special education Vol. 44; no. 6; pp. 443 - 456
• Main Authors: Campbell, Aaron Rachelle, Sallese, Mary Rose, Thompson, Julie L., Fournier, Constance J., Allen, Meghan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2023; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Affective Behavior; African American Students; Behavior Disorders; Behavior Modification; Behavior problems; Black culture; Black students; Classrooms; Cultural values; Culturally Relevant Education; Curricula; Elementary Education; Elementary School Students; Elementary schools; Emotional Disturbances; Feedback (Response); Interpersonal Competence; Intervention; Life experiences; Males; Program Effectiveness; Prompting; Psychological Patterns; Self Management; Selfmonitoring; Social & emotional learning; Social Behavior; Social Problems; Student Behavior; Urban Schools; behavior; positive behavior supports; single-subject; research methodology; multicultural issues; social skills
• ISSN: 0741-9325; 1538-4756
• DOI: 10.1177/07419325221143965

Black learners, like all other learners, bring their cultural values into the classroom, how they express themselves, and how they problem-solve. In addition, their life experiences influence their social and emotional behaviors. This study examined the effects of a multicomponent intervention approach—including a culturally adapted social and emotional learning curriculum, check-in/check-out, and self-monitoring—on the externalizing behaviors of Black male learners in an urban elementary school. A multiple-baseline-across-classes, single-case, experimental design evaluated the effects of the intervention package. Results from the study show a consistent decrease in externalizing problem behaviors, increases in social and emotional competencies, and high levels of social validity for the intervention package based on the input of relevant stakeholders. An embedded alternating-treatment, single-case design explored the relative impact of self-monitoring. The authors also include a discussion of the limitations of this work and the implications for future research.