REPORT: NOVEMBER 2006

EDUCATING LEARNERS TO BE EMOTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY INTELLIGENT:

FACILITATING A COMMUNITY-BASED TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMME

Sponsored by theMay and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust

Project leaderProf. J.G. MareeDepartment of Curriculum StudiesFaculty of EducationUniversity of PretoriaPretoria 0002Tel: +27 12 420 2130Fax: +27 12 420 3003E-mail: jgmaree@hakuna.up.ac.za

International collaborator Prof. Reuven Bar-OnDeveloper/Creator of:EQ-I (Emotional Quotient Inventory for Adults)EQ-I: YV (Youth Version)Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesUniversity of Texas Medical Branch

1. INTRODUCTION

Globally, the concept of emotional intelligence (EI) has been receiving attention for a number of years now. Numerous schools have trained teachers to facilitate social and emotional learning in schools and, indeed, have introduced EI programmes into schools. However, in South Africa, little attention has been given to this crucial concept.

Through this study, funded by the May and Stanley Charitable Trust, the project team intends to introduce, by way of a pilot study, EI programmes into a number of schools in South Africa. The ultimate goal is to achieve the Sternbergian ideal (2001) of wisdom, and specifically the ideal of promoting the common good by every teacher and learner, and to realize Passow and Schiff's (1989) dream of developing caring, concerned, compassionate and committed individuals with a passion for the common good.

To facilitate the inculcation of community-based EI skills, learners, teachers and parents in four provinces, namely Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province, are taking part in the current project. Two schools are being targeted per province. Teachers and learners in the schools concerned are becoming familiar with the concept of “emotional intelligence” for the first time and are being provided with guidelines on ways to optimize their own EI skills. They will facilitate EI skills acquisition through the process of peer-teaching learning thereby empowering many other colleagues and learners. Networking between schools and communities is growing, and this is activating community-based support structures/assets for children in South Africa’s largely traumatized society.

The overriding objective of the pilot project is to provide all provincial education departments with a road map for the future. The project is a pioneering effort that has the potential to impact positively on the lives of millions of people in South Africa.

3.2 Reflection: some notes

• Given the limited extent of the research, the findings cannot summarily be extended to the other provinces without further investigation. However, what has clearly emerged is that the youth in the country is far more traumatized than the project team had imagined in its most negative projections.

• The project team is facilitating teachers’ personal growth (facilitating the acquisition of adequate EI) by consistently encouraging teachers to get in touch with their own innermost feelings. However, involving teachers is proving to be more difficult than was initially anticipated. The main reason for the DoE's reluctance to allow teachers to become involved is that this type of intervention does not form part of regular educational activities, and, hence, there is little chance that it will impact on learners' achievement at the end of Grade 12 – the only real criterion for assessing learners' success at school level.

o A generally poor school environment (including inadequate facilities, overcrowded classrooms, a lack of teacher support aids and a lack of appropriate learner support materials), which in effect means that the introduction of an EI programme is regarded as expendable

o A lack of modern technological equipment (e.g. PCs and access to the Internet).

o The language of communication and instruction is often not the learners' mother tongue, which often leads to communication problems.

4. SOME OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED DURING THE INTERVENTIONMost teachers taking part in the project have expressed their satisfaction with the programme and have shown an exemplary level of commitment. The project team is

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building on small successes, believing that a step-by-step approach presents the best chance of achieving ultimate success. However, the programme has not proceeded without some technical setbacks:a. Appointments are sometimes cancelled or postponed at short notice by stakeholders thus delaying the programme.b. The project team often travels distances of up to 450 km to reach schools. Sadly, in the words of one of the headmasters, roughly 25% of all teachers at many schools are absent on any given day, which impacts negatively on the continuity of the programme.d. Lack of facilities. As explained above, EI is often facilitated under less than optimal conditions. e. Teacher morale is currently particularly low. Discussions on EI-related issues often drift into complaints about matters such as salaries, working conditions and lack of support from various stakeholders. Numerous teachers have indicated their intention or desire to leave the occupation. While, on the one hand, this is evidently not conducive to the smooth running of the programme, on the other hand, teachers have repeatedly expressed their appreciation for the EI programme, describing it as “an idea whose time has come”.

On the positive side, the programme is generally running smoothly. Even though the programme is somewhat behind schedule, teachers taking part in the programme are exceptionally motivated to learn and apply what they have learned. They are positive about the study and have stated that the programme should be extended to include other schools in the region as well. If the project team can eventually negotiate an expansion of the programme (to more schools in the region) with DoE officials, the implementation of EI in other South African schools could be facilitated and programmes developed for use countrywide.

The project team is proud to confirm that, with the help of friends from First Rand Foundation, Trees for Africa, Momentum Life and Investec, it has managed to obtain funding for the establishment of another vegetable garden at a clinic in the remotest part of Bochum close to a school in a particularly disadvantaged sector of the region included in the sample. On-site work will commence at the clinic by the end of July 2006; this facility will be used as a meeting place for teachers, community leaders, parents and other health professionals involved in the EI programme. In summary: The project team is, in a sense, conducting action research, that is, it is tackling typical problems experienced in South African classrooms in cycles, attempting to solve these problems and applying what it learnt in the course of previous sessions in subsequent cycles.

6. PHOTOGRAPHS/ ACTIVITIES

See: Addendum B

7. AUDITED STATEMENTS

See: Addendum C

8. CONCLUDING REMARKS

The project team is confident that it is already making a positive difference in many people's lives. However, as was forecast a year ago, for various reasons (explained elsewhere in this report), the team has not been able to complete the project in 18 months. Because of the entrenched problems in South African society, it would have been short-sighted to try to finish the project early merely to stay within the initial time frames instead of being flexible (one of the cornerstones of EI!) and facilitating a longer-term, sustainable strategy.

At this stage, it seems advisable to monitor the situation until the middle of 2006 in order to achieve optimal results.

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We would like to thank you for facilitating this most worthwhile project.

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ADDENDUM A EXCERPTS FROM TEACHERS' AND PARENTS' FEEDBACK AND REFLECTIONS

MAY AND STANLEY EQ PROJECT: MARCH 2005-JULY 2006

Thanks for your lesson (presentation).  I enjoy it most especially the EI.  I will share this information with my friends. The crime in our area, parents that are absent lack of proper schooling; poverty is terrible. Our learners and ourselves, we are so vulnerable. 

The presentation was very good and impressing.  I appreciate it.  It was interesting and it could help to improve the moral of the people, for every person to know his/her EI. I think EQ can help us to acquire adaptation competencies to help learners feel at ease and capable of addressing life. EQ must become a part of the curriculum.

It was a wonderful presentation.  I learnt a lot – that is managing my stress and with information given, I’ll read and be able to improve my Emotional Intelligence, that of my colleagues and that of my learners. 

Our society is so vulnerable. EQ can help us to handle our anxiety, fear and unsafety, and the risk of HIV&AIDS. 

Presentation was of imperative importance and serve as the building path of the good Society and Community that we serve.  Building the youth for better leadership for all corner stones of life. I liked the presenter's personality; he who showed such outstanding character.

This really makes a great change in my character. We need caring teachers.

The presentation was enlightening and I think it is good and wise that a person should be in touch with himself and have self­knowledge.

I just hope that this will help me to improve as a human being and be able to help others. EQ will enhance our development.

• It was an interesting presentation• I would be happy if this can happen again next time.• I can feel that I am developed emotionally

The feedback

The presentation was excellent because it help me to realize my Emotional Intelligence.

I have discovered my  inter­ and intrapersonal relationship.  Through these two concepts I will improve my life, style and be able to manage my environmental stress.Thanks for your presentation.

I have learnt how to deal with stress in our school.

I have discovered how to deal with different emotions of different educators.5

The presentation was marvelous; I gained a lot on how to manage EI.The most important thing about the research you made is that you really are a star.  Managing emotions in communities which are very poor, can lead to people being less stressed.

Involvement of learners:• It will teach us how to handle learners with family background (unhealthy relationship).• It will also teach us to teach learners that nothing is beyond God’s control• They will also learn how to make themselves happy without the use of incentives.• It will also make learners to study hard not only to achieve good results but to become emotionally 

mature.

The presentation was in my view, short and well.  However, due to time given for the delivering of the information, I wish more time could be given so that we can learn and understand more.

Congratulations on what you do; I respect the fact of your volunteering to do this job.  Keep it up and God bless you.

I need to hear more about this.

I would like to know more about emotional control in problem­solving situations. About dealing with people who have social and emotional problems.

The presentation was very fruitful.  Would like to have another one in future where­by we could have enough time to be addressed and listen to more ways of dealing with a ‘stress’ specifically.  Please organize a day where­by we will all attend with out learners.

Thank you!

The reasons why teachers are de­motivated is the fact that the department sees them as money wanting, forgetting that they do hard work, that they have their own emotional needs, and in return the little money and the lack of emotional support they receive.

They do not concentrate on the post level ones, where most of the hard work is done.  For a teacher to live a better life, he/she must work for 20 years is then you’ll say they get money (earn a living)

An eye­opening presentation!You helped me probe personal experiences about life. About myself. About the learners.

How can our school access the service for learners!

A very pleasant presentation, hopefully my being at this school will make a difference in the lives of the pupils at this school and community and even in my family; after this presentation.

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Good presentation but very brief.It really forces one to make an  introspection and think about oneself deeply.  Please, if possible, let us have a longer session.

It was extremely interesting.If only more of this can be organized at all levels in the country, it will be highly appreciated.

I was very happy to be in this presentation because it was informative.  I benefit a lot especially about the EQ and the IQ.  I would like to hear more about this … I am a leader and a parent.

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ADDENDUM B

EXCERPTS FROM LEARNERS' FEEDBACK AND REFLECTIONSMAY AND STANLEY EQ PROJECT: MARCH 2005 -JULY 2006

Analysis of the interviews suggests that the overriding message in them can best be summed up in the following words (a 17-year-old "coloured" female): "We find it hard to express our feelings, yet, we need that more than anything else to help us cope with life." This remark typifies the main aim of EI training, namely to empower participants to identify and express their own emotions in a non-destructive way.

Sir, PLEASE HELP me. Teach me how I can get to solve difficult problems as a teenager. I know how imperfect things are without true friends. And teach me how to cope with classmates that cannot show their true feelings.

Learner NEveryday struggle (Inhlupheko yamalanga wonke)

1 Living in the ghetto “suite”2 Try to get somewhere3 Hungry4 My life without parentsAs a teenager facing difficulties, what do I need to do besides going to counsellors, therapists, etc, because they are not available.I will explain this to you personally.

Learner OBorn with tearsI'm a poor girl who is 19 years old who's born at Middelburg 1986, born with tears. My family was poor when they tried to raise me. My parents were not working at the time. There was no food, no money at that time. My father then passed away on 23 September 2002. It was so painful. I realized then that life is not fair.Please help me – I don’t want to be a poor girl no more!

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ADDENDUM C: PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs

1. Group work (1): Thinking, feeling, behaving

2. Group work (2): Thinking, feeling, behaving

3.3. Teachers participating in our EQ project

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10. When life fails us … Where we live

11. What's it all about? Facilitating EQ

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12a. Involving the entire community

12b. Involving the entire community

13.

14. Pouring old wine into new pouches!

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15. Involving the school's top structure

16. Launching a new frontier

17. Learning to handle our stress and express ourselves in a non-destructive way.

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ADDENDUM D:

PRESS RELEASE: DEAN JONATHAN JANSEN

Address by Jonathan Jansen on Saturday 5 May 2006 at the launch of the vegetable garden in Sekhukhuneland (Seroka Clinic in Sekhukhuneland, where EI training forms part of the programme).

I want to express a very warm word of welcome and gratitude to the various dignitaries at this important event, the honourable chiefs from the area, Mrs Malepe from the Department of Agriculture, colleagues from the Momentum Group and, in particular, Mrs Elise Gouws (Momentum) as well as the colleagues from First Rand.

It is a great privilege for me to be able to speak to you very briefly this morning. My name is Jonathan Jansen, and I have the privilege of being Dean of Education at the University of Pretoria. I work with some outstanding colleagues, including Prof. Maree, his son Anton and others for whom this commitment to work in this collective with all of you is something that is fundamental to the success of our economy, fundamental to the social well-being of all our people, and fundamental to the sustainability of our democracy. So I am extremely excited about the fact that we are able to participate with you through Prof. Maree, as the University of Pretoria.

The one thing that is very, very clear to me is that government, in spite of its huge investment in the nine provinces for social development (neither in this country nor in any other country), can never ever be able to reach everybody unless ordinary people, that is, civil society gets up and works with the poorest of the poor to enable people to access services, to access capital, to access food and basic needs. That is why this particular initiative is so important – because it brings together government, it brings together the private sector, it brings together higher education, but most importantly it brings together ordinary people who voluntarily give of their time, of their emotions, of their energy to enable the poorest of the poor to be served in our country. I am absolutely overjoyed to know that my University through Prof. Maree is able to make this small contribution in a very rural and very poor part of our country. I think that if there is one thing South Africans need right now, amidst all the bad news about HIV/AIDS, about poverty, about disease, about crime and violence; indeed, the one thing we need is now, more than anything, is hope, and the wonderful message that I think is going to come through this project that we are all working on is that we are giving ordinary people hope. I really want to thank all of you who are doing this work so selflessly; are doing this work sacrificially; and who are doing this work without any expectation of personal gain and recognition whatsoever. So thank you very, very much for giving us as a University the opportunity to be able to work with you, and I am deeply grateful to my colleagues and Prof Maree and his family for their contribution to this amazing project.

I wish you well as you deliberate today and also as you work together over the next several years in this important form of service, in which you serve not only the community, but, indeed, our very democracy. Thank you very much.

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