Building an effective SEE Learning programme in Ukraine: The key role of family-school partnership

Abstract

This paper explores the role of collaboration between families and schools in enhancing the effectiveness of the Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning programme (SEE Learning) in the nationwide educational pilot in Ukraine. It emphasises the importance of a systems approach, particularly through the integration of School-Based Family Counselling (SBFC), to strengthen partnerships between schools and families. These partnerships are crucial for promoting students’ social-emotional development, academic achievements and overall well-being and resiliency. The study uses feedback from 723 students, 203 teachers and 718 parents across schools involved in the SEE Learning pilot. The research also incorporates findings from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES), in which 528 students from 18 SEE Learning pilot schools participated alongside 4,823 students from 194 schools from across Ukraine. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for improving communication and collaboration between educators and parents in implementing social-emotional learning programmes. It highlights the benefits of the SBFC model, which integrates the efforts of schools and families to address students’ emotional and psychological needs, offering significant potential to enhance the effectiveness of social-emotional learning programmes.