Mather, Chloe Jennifer (2025) Enhancing the Social-Emotional Skills of Pupils in a Primary School Classroom. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
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Abstract
In this self-study action research, the focus is on enhancing the social-emotional skills of
pupils in a primary school classroom. This study arose from my own teaching experience
and the core values that are central to my professional practice. The research for this study
takes place in a DEIS Band Two Primary School with twenty-three first class pupils. The
school is part of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity to Schools (DEIS) programme set
up by the Department of Education and Skills. My experience teaching in this DEIS school
has deepened my understanding of the importance of nurturing the holistic deve lopment of
a child. The aim of this study is to foster the social-emotional skills of the children in my
classroom, to ensure that both their social and academic needs are being supported. This is
relevant as the focus of the new Primary Curriculum Framework for Primary and Special
Schools (Department of Education, 2023) is to provide a holistic approach to a child's
education. Throughout this research I cultivate a classroom environment that embodies my
core values of care, respect and building positive relationships.
The implementation of daily morning meetings is the intervention used m this study.
Morning meetings are structured around four components, which are a greeting, sharing,
activ ity and message. These morning meetings are held in my classroom every morning
before the children start their academic work. The research is conducted over two cycles,
lasting twelve weeks. Two reflective frameworks are used to critically examine my practice
from different perspectives. In the first cycle, Schons reflection-in-action and reflection-onaction
model ( 1983) is adopted and in the second cycle Brookfield's Four Lenses of Critical
Reflection (20 17) is adopted as a reflective approach. The study uses multiple research
methods, including student questionnaires, student journals, observations and a teacher
reflective journal. These qualitative research tools provide an insight into the participants
learning and develop my own learning as a researcher in this study. Using thematic data analysis, I explore three central themes in this study which include the
importance of meaningful content, building relationships and using the voice of the children.
Firstly, the content must be meaningful for the children to connect with and apply the socialemotional
skills taught to them. Secondly, children develop positive relationships with their
peers as they use the social-emotional skills being taught to them. The third theme explores
the use of the children's voice in the study as they became more confident in using their
voice.
This research transformed me as a teacher, guiding me towards the holistic development of
a child. With the recently published Primary Curriculum Programme for Primary and
Special Schools (Department of Education, 2023), a shift in educational priorities is
anticipated. The increased allocation of time given to Wellbeing in the new curriculum
highlights the importance of focusing on the overall development of a child. I hope that this
study will inspire teachers and educators to promote Wellbeing in the classroom through an
intervent ion that can be used daily.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | A Research Dissertation submitted to the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education |
| Keywords: | Enhancing the Social-Emotional Skills; Pupils; Primary School Classroom; M.Ed. Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education; |
| Academic Unit: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education |
| Item ID: | 21454 |
| Depositing User: | IR eTheses |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Apr 2026 14:13 |
| Use Licence: | This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here |
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