Promotion Program for Mental Health and Learning. Educational Material for Primary Education. Grades 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. Theoretical framework and activities

The modern perception of the role of the school as a caring and nurturing environment, which promotes not only learning but also the psychosocial development and adaptation of children, has given a new perspective to the longstanding demand for quality education and psychosocial support for children in the school environment. Therefore, the ambition of all of us who work with children in any role is to contribute in this direction.

School-based prevention and intervention programs target either the entire student population or students who are at risk of or already experiencing learning difficulties and adaptation problems. Research data emphasize the necessity of these programs, which have been implemented in many educational systems internationally over the past decade. In this context, the program "Social and Emotional Education in School: Program for the Promotion of Mental Health and Learning in the School Community" was designed by the scientific team of the Research and Applications Center of School Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Athens. The program has been implemented in schools of all levels for many years with positive results for both students and educators. It is a primary prevention program aimed at promoting mental health and well-being in the school community and creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding, and acceptance of individual differences within the classroom, through the cultivation of skills in communication, intercultural understanding, and cooperation. It is implemented either by school psychologists or by educators themselves after specialized training.

The program includes the following thematic units: I. Communication skills, II. Recognition, expression, and management of emotions, III. Dimensions of self-awareness and self-esteem, IV. Coping with anxiety-provoking situations, V. Social competence - Social skills, VI. Conflict resolution process, VII. School and multiculturalism, VIII. School and students with special educational needs, IX. School and family, X. Study skills, and XII. Crisis management in the school community.

This educational material is aimed at educators and students in grades 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th of primary school and consists of thirteen issues. The first issue includes the conceptual framework and description of the program, while the remaining eleven issues make up the Educator's Book and refer to the following thematic units. Finally, the thirteenth issue of the series is the Student's Workbook. Each issue corresponding to a thematic unit consists of two main parts: a) the theoretical part, which includes a brief overview of the contemporary literature related to the specific thematic unit, and b) the practical part, which includes the relevant activities implemented in the classroom, as well as a detailed presentation of the objectives of each activity, the implementation process based on specific discussion axes, and the required materials.

Contents

1. Conceptual framework and description of the program: (format 24 x 17, pp.

- Preface
- Introduction
- Contemporary trends in school psychology
- Social and emotional development of school-age children
- Contemporary theoretical approaches - Development of conceptual framework
- "Social and emotional education in school: Program for promoting mental health and learning in the school community"
- Before implementing the program in the classroom
- Bibliography
- Appendix I - || -III

2. Communication skills: (24 x 17 format, pp. 39)

- Introduction
- Communication problems
- Counseling dimension of the educator's role
- Stages of the counseling process and counseling skills
- Communication in the school environment
- Conclusive remarks
- Bibliography
- Activities

3. Recognition, Expression, and Management of Emotions (24 x 17 format, pp. 79)

- Emotional development of the individual
- How children interpret negative emotions
- Dealing with unpleasant emotions
- General principles for managing unpleasant emotions
- Emotions and the learning process
- Gender differences and emotions
- The impact of emotions on individuals' physical health
- Emotional adequacy skills
- Emotional intelligence - Emotional education
- Emotional education in the school context
- Structure and content of the "Emotions" unit
- Conclusive remarks
- Bibliography
- Activities
- Appendix

4. Dimensions of Self-perception, Self-esteem (24 x 17 format, pp. 55)

- Definition
- Self-perception - Self-esteem
- Dimensions of self-perception
- The evolutionary course of self-perception - The multidimensional structure of self-perception - Characteristics of self-perception
- Factors shaping self-perception
- Self-fulfilling prophecy: The educator in the role of "Pygmalion"
- Conclusive remarks
- Bibliography
- Activities

5. Coping with Stressful Situations (24 x 17 format, pp. 45)

- Conceptual definition
- Stress in children and adolescents
- Coping strategies for stressful situations
- Factors influencing the way a stressful situation is coped with
- The variability of coping strategies for stressful situations
- Stress and coping strategies for stressful situations of educators
- Coping with stressful situations in the classroom
- Conclusive remarks
- Bibliography
- Activities

6. Social Competence - Social Skills (24 x 17 format, pp.

- Introduction
- The beginnings of social development: The theory of Emotional Bond
- Social development during school age (6-12 years old)
- Social competence - Social skills: Definitions
- Prosocial behavior: Caring for others
- Classification of social skills
- Social competence in the school environment
- Classification of social incompetence
- Social behavior of sociometric groups
- Social behavior of children with mild difficulties or disorders
- Bullying in the school environment
- Evaluation of social skills
- Social skills training programs
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Activities

7. Conflict Resolution Process (24 x 17 format, 45 pages)

- Concept and types of conflict resolution
- Intercultural differences in conflict resolution
- Conflict resolution in the field of education
- Intervention programs in schools
- Structure and content of the "Conflict Resolution" unit
- Conclusion
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Activities

8. School and Multiculturalism (24 x 17 format, 56 pages)

- Introduction
- Multicultural societies and psychological adjustment
- Cultural differences
- Differences in emotional processes
- Differences in cognitive processes
- Stereotypical perceptions
- Dimensions of adjustment for returning and foreign students
- Dimensions of adjustment for returning and foreign students in the Greek educational system
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Activities

9. School and Students with Special Educational Needs (24 x 17 format, 84 pages)

- Introduction
- Students with special educational needs
- Education of students with special educational needs - Contemporary trends
- Perceptions and attitudes of educators towards inclusion
- Families with children with special educational needs
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Activities

10. School and Family (24 x 17 format, 60 pages)

- Introduction
- Systemic view of the family
- Family and parental separation
- Family and loss
- Family and adoption
- Children growing up in child protection institutions
- Useful notes for appropriate support of children
- Bibliography

11. Study Skills (24 x 17 format, 53 pages)

- Introduction
- Definition of study skills and dimensions
- Study tactics: How do they differ from study strategies?
- Study skills and gender and age differences
- Effective teaching of study skills
- Effective study skills for elementary school students
- Peers: Their role in learning effective study skills
- Personal style and approaches of students in information processing
- Study skills and academic performance
- Assessment of study skills
- Conclusions
- Bibliography
- Activities

12. Crisis Management in the School Community (24 x 17 format, ... pages)