Award Date
5-1-2025
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Department
Brain Health
First Committee Member
Donnamarie Krause
Second Committee Member
Sharon Jalene
Number of Pages
59
Abstract
Social and emotional learning (SEL) encompasses essential skills for effectively managing and expressing emotions. Studies have shown that SEL strengthens early education while supporting students' lifelong success by fostering positive behaviors within and beyond the classroom. In school settings, occupational therapists (OTs) aim to empower children to thrive as students and as social beings through targeted interventions and educational support for parents and teachers. In private school settings, limited access to occupational therapy services may impact teachers' ability to implement SEL strategies effectively.This capstone project addressed gaps in teachers' knowledge and confidence in applying the Zones of Regulation SEL curriculum at Cornerstone Christian Academy & Tykes Preschool (CCA) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Quality Assurance Questionnaires were administered to K-8 teachers to assess their competence, confidence, and consistency in implementing the Zones of Regulation program. Through an occupational therapy perspective, the quality improvement project integrated teacher education sessions with collaborative consultation and classroom-based interventions. Educators who received targeted support demonstrated meaningful improvement in SEL curriculum usage which revealed how interprofessional collaboration strengthens instructional confidence and SEL curriculum delivery.
Keywords
Occupational Therapy; School-Based; Social Emotional learning
Disciplines
Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Psychology | Occupational Therapy
File Format
File Size
11900 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Bister, Paige Yael, "Empowering Educators to Improve Social Emotional Behaviors Among K-8 Students: Quality Improvement Project" (2025). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5247.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5247
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Included in
Educational Administration and Supervision Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons