Investigating student use of emotion regulation strategies
Presentation by: Sokyee A. Low, Robyn McClure
Session A | 9:00 – 9:20 | Room 204A
Abstract:
While schools have primarily focused on academic learning, a growing body of research shows that fostering student social and emotional competence positively impacts students’ lives, both immediately, and in the long run (e.g., Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). In particular, the ability of students to regulate their emotions is linked to their academic success, mental and emotional well-being, and their ability to engage in positive relationships (e.g., Eisenberg, Fabes, Guthrie, & Reiser, 2000; Bailey, Denham, Curby, & Bassett, 2016).
This informational presentation will provide an introduction to two well-researched emotion regulation strategies- cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression (Gross, 2002). The presentation will review research on emotion regulation in children, their use of these strategies, and the short and long term benefits or costs associated with their habitual use. Data from a recent study conducted in 11 schools in the Lower Mainland examining children’s (grades 4-7) use of these strategies will also be presented, to provide a local snapshot of differences in strategy use between schools and grade levels. This jumping off point will be used to stimulate discussion around factors that contribute to such variability, and how schools and educators can help students develop healthy and effective emotion regulation strategies.
The aim of this presentation is to enhance the ability of educators to foster social and emotional development in their classrooms through a deeper understanding of how children regulate their emotions, and to provide a space for the exchange of ideas and insights between researchers and educators.
