Education, Faculty of
DSpace
UBCV
Dalmacio, Abby
Master of Arts - MA
University of British Columbia
In this study, the experiences of first and second-generation immigrant Filipino children, their caregivers (i.e. parents/guardians), and early childhood educators with social and emotional learning competencies were examined. Previous research on the efficacy of social and emotional learning programs have been conducted within North America, but there is a current gap in the research that focuses on first and second-generation immigrant children. A review of literature revealed the lack of inter-cultural adaptability in social and emotional learning programs and the need for more research to be conducted with first and second-generation immigrant children, to increase knowledge on how to cultivate more inclusive and equitable programming. In this study a qualitative, case study approach was used. Participant observations within the early learning centre and follow-up semi-structured interviews with the educators and caregivers were used. A focus was on the educator and caregiver experiences with social and emotional learning concepts within the classroom and previous experiences in Canada and in the Philippines. Through the study, themes that focus on the importance of acknowledging socio-cultural backgrounds, finding community in the educational space, and adaptable programming that can include social and emotional learning concepts were identified. Findings suggest that improving cultural adaptability in early childhood education programming may require more open communication between the various individuals within the early childhood centre. Further research is necessary to better understand how research-based social and emotional learning programs that are conducted in the early years can have increased flexibility for inter-cultural adaptability for Filipino young children and other first and second-generation immigrant young children.
EXPERIENCES OF FIRST AND SECOND-GENERATION FILIPINO IMMIGRANT CHILDREN IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOL SETTINGS by ABBY DALMACIO B.A., The University of British Columbia, 2019 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The Faculty of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies (Early Childhood Education) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2025 ã Abby Dalmacio, 2025 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in social and emotional learning in British Columbia Early Childhood Education School Settings submitted by Abby Dalmacio in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education Examining Committee: Laurie Ford, Associate Professor, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, UBC Supervisor Thomas Schanding, Associate Professor, Department Head, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, UBC Supervisory Committee Member Suna Eryigit-Madzwamuse, Associate Professor, Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, UBC Additional Examiner iii Abstract In this study, the experiences of first and second-generation immigrant Filipino children, their caregivers (i.e. parents/guardians), and early childhood educators with social and emotional learning competencies were examined. Previous research on the efficacy of social and emotional learning programs have been conducted within North America, but there is a current gap in the research that focuses on first and second-generation immigrant children. A review of literature revealed the lack of inter-cultural adaptability in social and emotional learning programs and the need for more research to be conducted with first and second-generation immigrant children, to increase knowledge on how to cultivate more inclusive and equitable programming. In this study a qualitative, case study approach was used. Participant observations within the early learning centre and follow-up semi-structured interviews with the educators and caregivers were used. A focus was on the educator and caregiver experiences with social and emotional learning concepts within the classroom and previous experiences in Canada and in the Philippines. Through the study, themes that focus on the importance of acknowledging socio-cultural backgrounds, finding community in the educational space, and adaptable programming that can include social and emotional learning concepts were identified. Findings suggest that improving cultural adaptability in early childhood education programming may require more open communication between the various individuals within the early childhood centre. Further research is necessary to better understand how research-based social and emotional learning programs that are conducted in the early years can have increased flexibility for inter-cultural adaptability for Filipino young children and other first and second-generation immigrant young children. iv Lay Summary The focus of this study was on first and second-generation immigrant Filipino children and their caregivers (i.e. parents/guardians), and early childhood educators with social and emotional learning (SEL) programs within an early learning classroom. The purpose of this thesis was to provide insight on the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning competencies within the Canadian education system. The study highlights the importance to recognize the cultural experiences of immigrant families with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. The children and caregivers felt more supported when there was a strong sense of community and when educators were flexible in how they taught SEL skills. Future research is recommended to explore how to best support early childhood educators and early childhood education in adapting social and emotional learning into the curriculum that are adaptable and supportive of each culturally diverse child. v Preface This thesis is an original intellectual product of the author, A. Dalmacio. No Generative Artificial Intelligence tools were used in the development or writing of the thesis. The data collection reported in Chapters 3- 4 was covered by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board (BREB) at the University of British Columbia on November 29, 2024 under the UBC Ethics Certificate number H23-00819. viTable of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Lay Summary ................................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... xii Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Positionality Statement ............................................................................................................... 2 Study Rationale ........................................................................................................................... 5 Key Terms ................................................................................................................................... 6 Immigrant ................................................................................................................................ 6 First-Generation Filipino Immigrant ....................................................................................... 6 Second-Generation Filipino Immigrant .................................................................................. 6 Social-Emotional Learning ..................................................................................................... 7 Early Childhood Education ..................................................................................................... 7 Early Childhood Educator ....................................................................................................... 7 Caregiver ................................................................................................................................. 8 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter Two: Review of Literature ................................................................................................ 9 Chapter Overview ....................................................................................................................... 9 Background ................................................................................................................................. 9 Scoping Review ........................................................................................................................ 11 Results ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Overview. .............................................................................................................................. 15 Theme One: Difficulty of Engagement in North American Education for Immigrant Families ................................................................................................................................. 15 Theme Two: Current View of Cross-Cultural Adaptations in Early Childhood & Elementary Education for Social-emotional Learning ............................................................................. 18 Theme Three: The Importance of Integrating Socio-culturalism within a Social-Emotional Programming Framework for First-Generation Immigrant Children ................................... 22 viiDiscussion & Implications for Future Practice and Pedagogy ............................................. 25 Scoping Review Summary .................................................................................................... 26 Additional Literature Review ................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 30 Chapter Overview ..................................................................................................................... 30 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 30 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 30 Theoretical Orientation ............................................................................................................. 31 Case Study Methodology .......................................................................................................... 32 Rationale for Case Study Design .......................................................................................... 32 Selecting the Case ................................................................................................................. 34 Procedures ................................................................................................................................. 35 Ethics Approval .................................................................................................................... 35 Recruitment and Screening ................................................................................................... 35 Site Recruitment ................................................................................................................ 35 Early Childhood Educator Recruitment ............................................................................ 35 Child and Caregiver Recruitment ..................................................................................... 36 Classroom Observations ................................................................................................... 38 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 38 Site .................................................................................................................................... 38 Early Childhood Educators ............................................................................................... 39 Child and Caregiver Participants ...................................................................................... 39 Sources of Data ......................................................................................................................... 40 Screening Questionnaires ...................................................................................................... 40 Early Educator Screening ................................................................................................. 40 Caregiver/Child Screening ................................................................................................ 40 Background Questionnaire for Early Childhood Educator ............................................... 40 Background Questionnaire for Caregivers and Children .................................................. 41 Participant Observation ......................................................................................................... 41 Semi-structured Interviews ................................................................................................... 43 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 43 Early Childhood Educator Interview ................................................................................ 43 Caregiver Interviews ......................................................................................................... 44 Researcher Journal ................................................................................................................ 44 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 44 Observation Coding .............................................................................................................. 44 Semi-structured Interviews ................................................................................................... 45 Transcription ..................................................................................................................... 45 Thematic Analysis ................................................................................................................ 45 Familiarization with the Data ............................................................................................ 46 Generating Initial Codes ................................................................................................... 46 Searching for Themes ....................................................................................................... 47 viiiDefining and Naming Themes .......................................................................................... 48 Reviewing and Finalizing Themes .................................................................................... 48 Producing the Report ........................................................................................................ 48 Ensuring Rigour ........................................................................................................................ 49 Triangulation ......................................................................................................................... 49 Thick Description .................................................................................................................. 49 Member Checking ................................................................................................................. 50 Peer Debriefing ..................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter Summary ..................................................................................................................... 52 Chapter Four: Findings ................................................................................................................. 53 Chapter Overview ..................................................................................................................... 53 Overview of Preschool Program ............................................................................................... 54 Themes Emerging from Research Questions ............................................................................ 55 Research Question One Themes ............................................................................................... 55 Navigating Communicational Barriers Beyond Language. .................................................. 56 Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in Everyday Early Childhood Education Curricula. .............................................................................................................................. 63 Summary of Research Question One ........................................................................................ 66 Research Question Two Themes .............................................................................................. 67 Finding Community as a Pillar of Support for Newcomer Families. ................................... 67 Inclusion of Family System in Social and Emotional Learning Programs. .......................... 73 Acknowledging a Childâs Socio-Cultural Background. ....................................................... 76 Summary of Research Question Two ....................................................................................... 79 Research Question Three Themes ............................................................................................ 80 Flexibility of the Early Childhood Educator. ........................................................................ 81 Highlighting Social and Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education Programs. ..... 84 Funds of Knowledge Approach. ........................................................................................... 88 Summary of Research Question Three ..................................................................................... 92 Summary of Findings ................................................................................................................ 93 Chapter Five: Discussion .............................................................................................................. 95 Overview ................................................................................................................................... 95 Connections to the Current Literature ....................................................................................... 95 Importance of Finding Community ...................................................................................... 96 Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education ..................... 98 Creating a Classroom Culture of Care for Immigrant Children ......................................... 100 Funds of Knowledge Approach .......................................................................................... 102 Limitations of the Present Research Study ............................................................................. 105 Strengths and Contributions of the Present Research Study ................................................... 107 ixFuture Directions for Research ............................................................................................... 109 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 111 References ................................................................................................................................... 113 Appendix A: Letter of Initial Contact- Recruitment Letter- Early Childhood Education Centre..................................................................................................................................................... 123 Appendix B: Recruitment Letter- Early Childhood Educator .................................................... 125 Appendix C: Recruitment Letter- Caregiver ............................................................................... 127 Appendix D: Early Childhood Education Centre Newsletter Announcement ............................ 129 Appendix E: Screening Questions- Early Childhood Educator .................................................. 130 Appendix F: Screening Questions- Caregiver & Children ......................................................... 131 Appendix G: Consent Form- Early Childhood Educator ............................................................ 132 Appendix H: Consent Form- Caregiver ...................................................................................... 136 Appendix I: Student Assent Letter .............................................................................................. 140 Appendix J: Information Letter for Non-Participating Children ................................................ 142 Appendix K: Background Questionnaire for Early Childhood Educator ................................... 144 Appendix L: Background Questionnaire for Caregiver .............................................................. 145 Appendix M: Participant Observation Guide for SEL Competencies ........................................ 146 Appendix N: Semi-Structured Interview Guiding Questions- Early Childhood Educator ......... 149 Appendix O: Semi-Structured Interview Guiding Questions- Caregiver ................................... 152 xList of Tables Table 1: Characteristics of Caregiver and Child Participantsâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦39 xiList of Figures Figure 1: PRISMA Flow Diagram for Study Selectionâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.13 Figure 2: Overview of Recruitmentâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦...38 Figure 3: Scheduled Days of Participant Observations for Study Participantsâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦.42 Figure 4: Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question Oneâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦56 Figure 5: Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question Twoâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦67 Figure 6: Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question Threeâ¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦â¦..80 xiiAcknowledgments I would like to give my heartfelt gratitude for everyone who has assisted and supported me throughout my Master of Arts journey. I am first thankful to The University of British Columbia and the Musqueam people who have hosted me to work and learn on their land. I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to study at The University of British Columbia and on Musqueam land since 2014 and continue to do so for the future. I am especially thankful for my thesis committee, including Dr. Thomas Schanding and the children, families, and communities lab, for their guidance, insight, and expertise that helped my research and learning throughout my Masterâs program. I also am thankful for my fellow Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education cohort, especially Emma and Shirina, who acted as fellow peer researchers and helped support and strengthen my research thesis and journey in the program. I would like to specifically thank my supervisor, Dr. Laurie Ford who has been an instrumental mentor throughout the entirety of my studies. Since the beginning of my MA, Laurie has been the constant driving force behind my education, from lab meetings that fostered community and comradery, to being accommodating to my complicated schedule and various email addresses, I am incredibly thankful for her patience, kindness, and fellowship. Her guidance and knowledge are what shaped my thesis and interests and her role in my educational journey is immeasurable. A special thank you to Marpole Oakridge Family Place, the staff, volunteers, and families who welcomed me into their space and continue to champion my research and education. Without this community, my thesis would not have been possible, and I am very grateful for all of them. xiiiLastly, I would like to dedicate my MA and thesis work to my family and friends. Thank you to my friends for all the laughs and your intellectual property. To my siblings, who paved the way for me and helped shape me into who I am today, thank you. I would like to especially thank my Mama and Papa, who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 1995 to provide more opportunities for their children. They are the ones who inspired me to pursue my research, and they continue to inspire me every day. To my parents who encouraged all of us to pursue our passions, I am incredibly thankful for your support, prayers, and love. 1Chapter One: Introduction Background Research on early childhood education and social and emotional learning reveals a gap of knowledge that exists for immigrant children and their experiences in social and emotional learning programs, especially when programs are conducted through a North American point of view. Despite increasing numbers of first and second-generation immigrant children in North America, they are still an under-represented demographic in early childhood research (Mondi et al., 2021). In North America, research has shown that educators may be unaware of how to support first and second-immigrant young children, especially with the lack of cross-cultural adaptability of academic programming, including social and emotional learning programs (Bennouna et al, 2019). Educators may be likely to view immigrant children through a deficit perspective, as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (2009), has described children of colour as possessing deficits and lagging behind their peers in foundational skills needed for academic achievement. In early childhood education, children with immigrant parents may be confronted with pressures to assimilate to the dominant sociocultural norms in order to be socially accepted or viewed as socially competent (Hayashi et al., 2022). Research conducted in North American early childhood education programs has shown that minority or marginalized children who do not exhibit the expected social and emotional learning skills of the dominant culture are often viewed as socially incompetent or socially deficient (Gagné et al., 2020; Hayashi et al., 2022). I seek to challenge this discourse and to identify recommendations for educators to create an inclusive curriculum for children regardless of their sociocultural background and heritage, to cultivate more diverse social and emotional programs. 2Research with immigrants from the Philippines is important as they are the third largest source country for immigration to Canada and with social and emotional learning shown to be a significant area of importance for the development of young children to grow in their self-awareness, emotional competencies, and relationship skills (âStatistics Canadaâ, 2023; Taylor et al., 2017). It is essential that equity is established and created in a classroom for educators to fully support students with Filipino roots and their learning needs. However, despite the increase in immigrant residency in North America in recent years, the young immigrant children population continues to be an under-represented demographic within academic research (Mondi et al., 2021). With the lack of research and involvement of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant young children and families within educational research, especially in social and emotional learning interventions, there are issues of extending reliability of previous findings, as well as, culturally relevant information to assist the young immigrant children population (Mondi et al., 2021). Positionality Statement I have conducted this research from the perspective of a second-generation Filipino immigrant currently residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. I am of Filipino heritage, as both my parents are from the Philippines, and immigrated to Canada in 1995. I have two older siblings, both of whom were born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada at 3 years and 5 years respectively. My siblings, who are first-generation immigrants, experienced early education in the Philippines and switched into the educational school system in Canada at a young age. They both personally experienced a cultural shift in the educational curriculum being taught in Canada versus the Philippines and assimilated into the Canadian school system. Being born in Canada, but raised in a Filipino household, I personally experienced a cultural shift when 3transitioning from the home to school. There was a strong process of acculturation experienced by myself and my siblings as we navigated growing up in Canada. With my role in this study as the primary researcher and co-constructor of knowledge alongside the recruited participants, it is important for me to have an in-depth understanding of how I am situated within the present study and how my positionality has impacted my interpretation of the data collected and findings presented. Positionality is dynamic, contextual and informed by broader power relations such as social identity, lived experiences, ontological, epistemological, and disciplinary assumptions (Field, et al., 2024; Kennedy et al., 2024). Positionality is of particular importance when conducting research and analyzing data as the development of themes identified within the data, the meaning of them and how they are presented are deeply connected to our positionality (Field, et al., 2024; Kennedy et al., 2024). My lived experience can impact biases and interpretation of the data in the research. Positionality can be used in conjunction with reflexivity, which asks us to critically reflect on how positionality shaped the knowledge production (Field et al., 2024). Due to my personal and sociocultural connection to the demographic of first and second-generation immigrant Filipino children, I chose to focus on this population. However, when working with the population of first-generation immigrants, I recognize that I am not a first-generation immigrant, as I was born in Canada, and am cognizant of the differences between immigrants of first-generation descent versus second-generation descent regarding language barriers and cultural upbringing. As a second-generation immigrant, I was raised in a culturally Filipino household with the primary language being Tagalog, one of the native languages of the Philippines and am fluent in the language. Being born in Canada and my education taking place in Canada, I am also proficient in English with English being my first language and Tagalog 4secondary. With this background, I was able to recruit participants who may feel more comfortable speaking in either English or Tagalog, with one participant choosing to conduct the interview in a mix of both languages. It is important to note my pre-existing connection to the family centre in which the present research study took place and recruited from. I was previously employed at Marpole Oakridge Family Place as a programâs facilitator from 2018-2019. This background allowed me to connect with the Centreâs Executive Director and be given approval to recruit from their preschool program. However, it is equally essential to recognize that I established a clear distinction between my personal relationships with the staff and my current role as a researcher. I did this by holding meetings with the early childhood educators and study participants about my role in the preschool program and outlining my previous connection to the early childhood education centre as well. With my positionality, I recognize that I do not have any children, which may limit the way parents may respond to me and my ability to understand their experiences. I am conducting research from the perspective of an early childhood education graduate student, with previous post-secondary educational experience from The University of British Columbia. I have previous experience working and volunteering for early childhood facilities, private and non-profit educational centres, but am not a licensed early childhood educator myself. I have also had the opportunity to work with first and second-generation immigrant families in previous workplace and volunteer settings in various capacities. All these systems can impact my positionality as the researcher within the proposed study. 5 Study Rationale An area of learning that does not have much research on its efficacy with first and second-generation immigrant children is social and emotional learning, specifically in an early learning context. Social and emotional learning is a concept that focuses on the ability to understand oneself and others, regulate emotion, and engage in prosocial behaviours (Denham & Brown, 2010). However, measures of competency can be different according to an individualâs socio-cultural background (Garner et al., 2014). As the majority of research based social and emotional learning programs have been created and implemented from North American and European educational frameworks (Moreno et al., 2019), there may be cultural disconnect when conducted with first and second-generation immigrant children from other parts of the world. For first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their caregivers, social and emotional learning programs are not prioritized in the early learning curriculum in the Philippines. The primary educational goal for the majority of early learning centres in the Philippines are to have academically focused curriculum with the intention of ultimately preparing a child for admission to reputable schools and less on developing social and emotional proficiency (Chattergy, 2017). With minimum exposure to social skill development, including structured social and emotional learning programming in the educational frameworks of the Philippines, experiences of first-generation Filipino immigrant families to the Canadian school system may be impacted. Second-generation immigrant children may also have similar experiences to first-generation immigrant children, as their parents immigrate to Canada from the Philippines and hold specific viewpoints and standards for educational competency. Social and emotional learning programs and competency skills are being included in more early learning curricula in Canadian schools, due to research that demonstrates its long- 6term benefits for children such as employment, academic success, and positive relationships (Moreno et al., 2019). As the prevalence of social and emotional learning programs continue to increase in early childhood education, more research needs to be conducted on its efficacy in heterogenous classrooms. Research on social and emotional learning programs with first and second-generation immigrant Filipino children in Canada is essential for ensuring the well-being and success of this specific demographic, promoting cultural sensitivity, and advancing inclusive education policies and practices for this population. Further research with immigrant children contributes to a more equitable and supportive educational environment for all students, regardless of their cultural background. Key Terms Immigrant An immigrant refers to a person who is, or who has previously been, a newcomer and has settled in another country. (Government of Canada, 2023). First-Generation Filipino Immigrant A first-generation immigrant includes persons who were born outside Canada. For the purpose of this study, this will include individuals born in the Philippines (Government of Canada, 2021). Second-Generation Filipino Immigrant A second-generation immigrant includes persons who were born inside Canada and have at least one parent born outside Canada. For the purpose of this study, this will include individuals who have been born in Canada with a parent who has immigrated to Canada from the Philippines between 1990-2025 (Government of Canada, 2021). 7Social-Emotional Learning Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions (CASEL, 2025). The five core competencies of SEL that will be the primary focus in this study include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (CASEL Framework, 2025). Early Childhood Education In British Columbia, early childhood education is a care program that provides supervision, care, and education to preschool aged children who are 36 months old to 5 years of age (Child Care Licensing Regulation, 2024). Early Childhood Educator A person who has been certified by the B.C. governmentâs Early Childhood Educator Registry. Early childhood educators (ECEs) must complete the basic Early Childhood Education training program and meet the character and skill requirements outlined in the legislation. This includes an assessment of the individualâs suitability to work with children. ECEs work with young children from birth to age five. They create and run educational programs that fuel childrenâs intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth (âBritish Columbia Early Learning Frameworkâ, 2019). 8Caregiver For the purpose of this study, a caregiver is defined as the person primarily responsible for the care and upbringing of a child (âPrimary caregiverâ, 2023). A caregiver may also include a parent or legal guardian. Chapter Summary The aim of this chapter was to provide background rationale on the importance of this research being conducted. The topic of social and emotional learning and its significance in early childhood education was introduced, and definitions of social and emotional learning, early childhood education, early childhood educators, first-generation immigrant and second-generation immigrant children, and caregivers provided the background for a deeper understanding of the main terms of the study. 9Chapter Two: Review of Literature Chapter Overview In this chapter, the literature most relevant to this proposed study is presented primarily through a systematic scoping review of the literature on social and emotional learning and its implementation within North American schools for first-generation immigrant children ages 3-12 that was conducted prior to the beginning of the study proposal. The scoping review is supplemented with additional background and history information directly relevant to the study in this chapter. Background Social-emotional learning can be defined as the ability to understand self and others, regulate emotion, attention, and behaviour, make good decisions, and engage in a range of prosocial behaviours (Denham & Brown, 2010). Social-emotional learning has been garnering more importance within the field of education, with research being conducted on the effectiveness of social-emotional programming and how incorporating abstract concepts such as self-awareness, empathy, and the development of inter-and intra-personal skills within the classroom for young children, can lead to both short-term and long-term benefits in an individualâs personal and academic journey (Jackson et al., 2024; Taylor et al., 2017). The rationale behind exploring social-emotional learning and first-generation immigrant children is the lack of previous research on this issue in early childhood education. A goal was to explore the benefits of social-emotional learning in the classroom, such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (Taylor et al., 2017), and if first-generation immigrant children understand and cultivate the benefits from social-emotional learning when conducted by a dominant discourse that differs from their own 10cultural heritage and background. This research is important as social-emotional learning has been shown to be a significant area in the development of young childrenâs self-awareness, emotional competencies, and relationship skills. For immigrant children, as their numbers increase in our classrooms, it is essential that equity is established in the field of education and for educators to properly support their unique needs. In Canada, historically, there have been attempts at cultivating greater inclusion and diversity through policy and educational reform. An example of this is the 1985 Multicultural Act, initially designed to promote the concept of multiculturalism, wherein educational frameworks would work towards reflecting the cultural and racial diversity of Canadian society, as well as recognize the rights of ethnocultural groups and communities to preserve their heritage (Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2012). Rather than promoting these ideals, the Multicultural Act of 1985 has instead grouped all immigrant populations into a single category and ignores the unequal location of these different groups within society, continuing to push the narrative of normative Whiteness as universal, homogenized, and essential (Pacini-Ketchabaw & Berikoff, 2008; Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2012). This normativity of Whiteness is largely seen as being anchored in universalistic educational frameworks and pedagogy, beginning in child development discourses, and needs to be challenged (Pacini-Ketchabaw & Berikoff, 2008; Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2012). Mondi, Giovanelli, and Reynolds (2021) reviewed the current state of literature on social-emotional learning interventions for preschool-aged children by comparing and contrasting the effects of three types of early childhood interventions- general prekindergarten programs, multi-component prekindergarten programs, and skills-based intervention. They found that these programs share a commonality, in that young children are able to gain valuable experience in high-quality relationship development, as well, the programs offer opportunities for the children 11to enhance their overall social and emotional competencies. The children who were enrolled in these early childhood interventions had long-term benefits of social-emotional learning which included empathy, conflict resolution skills, emotional regulation, and positive relationships (Mondi et al., 2021). While discussing their findings, the researchers emphasized the lack of studies that have attended to different impacts of pre-kindergarten interventions on social-emotional learning for children from diverse backgrounds (Mondi et al., 2021). Mondi et al. (2021) also discuss the repercussions on the lack of research and involvement of culturally diverse young children and families regarding social-emotional learning interventions, as this demographic is often overlooked and under-utilized in the field of research, causing issues in extending reliability of previous findings. There also is a gap in the research in the field of early childhood education on the proper methods of assessment on social-emotional learning competencies that are culturally sensitive to help ensure that children from non-dominant cultures are not being improperly defined as having social-emotional deficits, as the current educational discourse is conducted solely through a Western cultural lens (Iannacci, 2016; Mondi et al., 2021; Yates et al., 2008). Scoping Review Purpose The purpose of this scoping review was to describe the current academic and social-emotional programming educational framework that is being conducted in Canada and The United States of America (USA), and how the dominant North American pedagogy may be impacting first-generation immigrant children. This review focuses on scholarly, peer reviewed research studies and literature reviews on social-emotional learning programs conducted within Canada or the USA with first-generation immigrant children 3-12 years of age between the years 122000-2024. A goal of this review is in bringing to the forefront the importance of research in the field of social-emotional learning, with first-generation immigrant children, and the impacts they may experience by receiving education in North America. As first-generation immigrant children are coming from a sociocultural background that differs from the Western culture of North America, the immigrant children may be affected in their understanding of social-emotional learning concepts. This scoping review was guided by the following research questions: What barriers exist for first-generation immigrant children that may affect their understanding of social-emotional learning? and (2) How do educators incorporate diversity and intercultural perspectives into social and emotional learning programs for young children in early learning programs? Search Strategy and Data Sources The databases Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), PsycINFO (EBSCO) including APA PsychArticles, APA PsycBooks, APA Psyc Extra, Google Scholar, UBC SEL Resource Finder, CASEL.org, UBC Library, and ERIC (EBSCO), were searched for relevant literature. Search terms were identified through an initial search, and all identified keywords and index terms were utilized across all included databases. The search terms included social-emotional learning, social-emotional development, early childhood, preschool, kindergarten, immigrants, refugee, first-generation immigrants, Canada, The United States of America, scholarly and peer-reviewed. The initial search of scholarly, peer reviewed articles that included the terms social-emotional learning or development and early childhood or preschool or kindergarten yielded 18,898 articles across all databases. Further refinement of specific terms included social-emotional learning or development, and early childhood or preschool or kindergarten, and immigrants or refugee yielded 3011 results across all databases. Finally, search terms were specified to include social- 13emotional learning or development, and early childhood or preschool or kindergarten, and first-generation immigrants, and Canada or the USA yielded 341 articles. After filtering through for relevant research that utilized quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies, as well as literature reviews that discuss a review of previous studies that focuses on the development of first-generation immigrant children and their understanding and retainment of social-emotional learning programming, 31 scholarly, peer reviewed articles were included in the scoping review. Figure 1 PRISMA Flow Diagram for Study Selection 14Study Selection The study selection took place between July-November of 2022 and again between August-November of 2024 using the criteria outlined above. After search terms were finalized, results yielded 341 studies across all databases. The titles and abstracts of each article were screened, and 170 duplicate studies were removed. 171 studies were screened for relevance to the scoping review research question, and 120 studies were removed. After excluding these articles, 51 research studies were selected and the full texts were reviewed and assessed for eligibility. Articles selected had to review or discuss the specific demographic of first-generation immigrant children and their involvement in Western education (academics, social and emotional development). Studies that were excluded from the final selection were due to participants not being early childhood or elementary school aged, only focusing on refugee populations, and an article not written in English. 31 articles that discussed in-depth, the effects of early childhood and elementary school educational frameworks on immigrant children, and how the Western early learning curricula impacts social-emotional learning programs were chosen to be included in the review. A summary of the study selection process is detailed in Figure 1. Analysis This literature review was conducted utilizing thematic analysis, where themes were identified, analyzed, and reported within the data of the selected scholarly and peer reviewed articles. Thematic analysis was chosen as it provides a more detailed account of a group of themes within the data reviewed. The analysis was conducted through a theoretical or deductive thematic analysis, where research articles were chosen due to my analytic interest in the concept of social-emotional learning, and themes reported were selected to provide a detailed analysis of some aspect of data. 15Results Overview. The results of this review revealed three primary themes that identify challenges immigrant children encounter that affect their understanding of social-emotional learning programming as it is developed through a Western centric framework. As the current review of literature has shown a scarcity of research with first-generation immigrant children and their understanding of social-emotional learning programs, I have analyzed the selected articles and have identified three themes that have arisen from the scholarly and peer reviewed articles. The themes include difficulty of engagement in North American education for immigrant families, current views on cross-cultural adaptability in Early Childhood and Elementary Education for social-emotional learning programs, and the importance of integrating socio-culturalism and inter-cultural perspectives within social-emotional learning programs for immigrant children. Theme One: Difficulty of Engagement in North American Education for Immigrant Families. While exploring the ability of first-generation immigrant children to understand social-emotional learning programs in a Western educational setting, previous research pointed to difficulty in curriculum engagement for immigrant children begins in the early yearâs classroom. Immigrant children and their families may have difficulty in engaging with the school environment as oftentimes a Western educational school may not acknowledge the culturally specific ways that immigrant families are able to contribute and involve themselves (Fakhari et al., 2023; Hayashi et al., 2022; Massing et al., 2013). For any young child, learning and development occurs through a process of participation within dynamic cultural communities, in which there are active contributions from individuals, their social partners, practices, traditions, cultural tools, technologies, materials, and values and belief systems (Robbins, 2005). However, 16immigrant children may face barriers in their learning which can include finding difficulty in accessing culturally responsive programs in education, as early education centers in North America utilize educational frameworks through a Westernized perspective which includes tools for assessment, that lack cultural acknowledgement or awareness of the context of immigrant children (Fakhari et al., 2023; Massing et al., 2013). In many Western educational systems, there is a current discrepancy of power and lack of sociocultural acknowledgement, as immigrants who have differing cultural and linguistic backgrounds are often seen from a deficit perspective due to the dominance of pedagogies that further assimilationist tendencies (Iannacci, 2016). The prevalence of these deficit models continues to construct cultural and linguistic diversity as hinderances to academic achievement, which in turn, reasserts the individualsâ devalued status within their newfound country (Iannacci, 2016). The deficit perspective is perpetuated especially within education, where educators who are teaching young children are utilizing a Euro-North American centric framework that often accompanies the expectation that diverse families must learn the dominant culture in order to be academically successful (Ball, 2010). Within early childhood education, culturally diverse families are marginalized, as they are placed in a space that is framed by Euro-North American pedagogies (Massing et al., 2013). This current framework is further maintained by the cultural context used by the educator, as the non-immigrant teacher uses the dominant Western culture which reflects their own past experiences and interactions rather than those of the students and community (Massing et al., 2013). Especially in early childhood education, teachers play a significant role in childrenâs social and emotional skill development through classroom interactions such as assisting children in regulating their feelings and navigating social interactions (Jackson et al., 2024). When the educator lacks cultural awareness, their own biases 17impact the interactions they have with the children, as well as, the curriculum they implement, and attempts at including multiculturalism within the classroom are taught in the form of a cultural tourism approach. In this concept, different cultures are discussed briefly and often in a stereotypical fashion never to be addressed again (Massing et al., 2013). The current approach within a Western society continues to perpetuate the colonist objectification of culturally diverse families, making them less likely to participate in educational activities (Iannacci, 2016). To combat the unequal power dynamic that exists in a Western educational classroom, Iannacci (2016) elaborates on the empowerment framework. This framework asserts that when power relationships between schools and communities are collaborative, interactions help empower both parents and children, leading to positive academic outcomes. By reconceptualizing the often-dominant educational framework through a sociocultural lens, educational curriculum can develop a transformative approach that work towards efficacy and empowerment (Iannacci, 2016). The empowerment framework is one example provided in previous research that encourages educators to have open communication with culturally diverse families to discuss their needs and how to best support their transition into Western education, providing them the opportunity to be given a voice and ownership in the educational space (Iannacci, 2016; Jagers et al., 2019). Immigrant children are being impacted by their educational experiences due to the often-dominant Western educational discourse. For these children, they are often expected to participate in activities structured around a culture that does not reflect their lived experiences and sociocultural backgrounds, with themselves and their families being viewed as guests in the educational space, rather than partners in construction, further marking them as a vulnerable minority and marginalized group of individuals (Ball 2010; Hayashi et al., 2022; Massing et al., 182013). These findings demonstrate the lack of cultural awareness and sociocultural understanding in the current Western pedagogy, and these shortcomings can ultimately impact an immigrant childâs overall social, emotional, and academic learning journey. Theme Two: Current View of Cross-Cultural Adaptations in Early Childhood & Elementary Education for Social-emotional Learning. Previous research has shown that oftentimes, the current Western educational framework may present challenges for immigrant children to engage in the curriculum (Moreno et al., 2019; Yates et al., 2008). The Western framework also poses challenges in early childhood education pedagogy, and the ability for programs such as social-emotional learning, to have a capacity for cross-cultural adaptation (Iannacci, 2016; Mcmanus, 2021). Social-emotional learning programs are being incorporated more frequently within early childhood education. However, there are questions of cross-cultural adaptability within social-emotional learning programs and a programâs effectiveness when being conducted with a demographic that does not identify as the Euro-North American majority. Chauveron and Perkins, (2009) investigated the extent to which heterogeneity among 7-to-8-year-old students influenced the effectiveness of the well-established social-emotional learning program Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS). PATHS follow a standardized format that includes the training of educators in the delivery of the program, followed by weekly lesson plans that they can integrate into the academic curriculum. Chauveron and Perkins (2009) found there is a relationship between effectiveness of social-emotional competence and levels of heterogeneity, with students in more heterogeneous classrooms expected to have lower social and emotional scores. To further examine this finding, the researchers discussed the need to examine more diverse neighbourhoods with young children, as well as a call for programs such as PATHS to have more educator diversity training to properly 19accommodate diverse students. For Western educators, the current view on the young diverse children demographic focuses more on what the children lack, instead of their strengths (Mcmanus, 2021). Within the current educational framework, there are issues of equity and inclusion, as the majority of social-emotional learning programs have been created with educational pedagogies that are Euro-North American centered (Jagers et al., 2019). In the review of literature focusing on social-emotional learning programs and immigrant Latinx children conducted by Mcmanus (2021), themes of individualism, systems of Whiteness, and control were found weaving itself through the concepts of social-emotional learning. The findings show how the assessments of a childâs school readiness are predominantly framed from the White, Euro-North American perspective (Mcmanus, 2021). A similar study conducted by Colegrove et al. (2023), that observed educators teaching Latinx children enrolled in the early years Head Start classroom, also found that the current landscape of education often denies the opportunities for these children to engage in their agency in culturally sustaining ways, which keeps these culturally diverse children in a highly structured learning and assessment pedagogy that restricts them from demonstrating their wide range of capabilities. This view is greatly impacted by the educatorsâ Western dominant pedagogy which would rarely recognize their studentsâ funds of knowledge and sociocultural backgrounds. A funds of knowledge approach is historically situated and culturally developed based upon the cultural resources that family households use to survive (Massing et al., 2013). The funds of knowledge approach is a critical concept for early childhood educators to incorporate within their pedagogy, as it provides a counter-narrative for marginalized families and communities by forwarding a more nuanced understanding of their lives, skills, knowledge, and practices (Massing et al., 2013). In the research conducted by Massing et al. (2013) the researchers found that early childhood 20educational centres can utilize a funds of knowledge approach through the purposeful inclusion of everyday cultural objects that are significant in a childâs household. By having the children or educator incorporate culturally significant household objects in the classroom and educating the students on its relevance, the early childhood program conventionally honors the childâs cultural diversity and allows them to become active participants in the curriculum. These cultural tools can be utilized as a bridge between an immigrant childâs home and school, helping to preserve the culturally formed and socially transmitted funds of knowledge which may be negatively affected during immigration to a new country (Massing et al., 2013). When educators are able to incorporate a funds of knowledge approach, it provides opportunities for them to co-construct meaning with their students and may also contribute to more equitable shifting on power agency within peer cultures (Mcmanus, 2021). As social-emotional learning programs are conducted through a Euro-North American lens, there is a greater need for these programs to mitigate the current educational gap for immigrant children and the inequalities that exist for them due to the interrelated legacies of racialized cultural oppression (Castro-Olivo & Merrell., 2012; Jagers et al., 2019). To challenge the lack of cultural diversity within an early years educational framework, social-emotional learning programs need to become more transformative, where the framework is not only focusing on social and emotional competencies, but also used to promote equity through the integration and recognition of an individualâs sociocultural background (Jagers et al., 2019). Social-emotional learning programs are still deeply rooted in Euro-North American pedagogies that rarely recognize diverse childrenâs established social and emotional competencies that are already embedded in their own cultural ways of being (Mcmanus, 2021). Immigrant children are assessed as falling behind their Western peers in social-emotional 21competencies necessary for their success in school, ultimately forcing them to assimilate to Western ideals and norms (Mcmanus, 2021). American and Canadian societies at large are characterized as having highly individualist cultures (Oyserman et al., 2002). Consistent with a tendency toward individualism, in North American early education settings, social competence is considered one of the major markers of positive social emotional development and school readiness. Social competence is gauged through observable relationship interactions, behaviours, and engagement that is congruent with the mainstream values and norms of North American individualist cultures which is often in contradiction with the collectivist culture found in many other parts of the world (Hayashi et al., 2022). Children from sociocultural backgrounds that emphasize a collectivistic orientation may instead prioritize group harmony and showing obedience to authority figures over individuality or autonomy (Hayashi et al., 2022). When contextualizing social and emotional skills in North American cultures, these diverse children may appear as dissonant with the dominant culture that define what is considered socially competent. As Western cultural norms continue to be used as paramount indicators of social competence, pedagogy needs to be re-shaped into an educational curriculum that is more inclusive, collaborative, and challenging of assimilative and racialized ideologies. Through the proposed transformative social-emotional learning framework, Jagers et al. (2019) discuss how programs can be reframed to have educators acknowledge the issues of race and culture that persist in the classroom and lives of their students. An example provided by Jagers et al. (2019) includes collaborative inquiry-based activities within pre-existing social-emotional learning programs, that builds upon a childâs prior cultural knowledge and experiences and employs explicit instruction, scaffolding, and application to make the learning meaningful and to facilitate co-construction and understanding between the educator and the child, and the child amongst 22their peers. Educators need to recognize the role they play in ameliorating inequities in their pedagogies by challenging how they think, approach, and conduct educational programming, in order for transformative change to occur (Jagers et al., 2019). First-generation immigrant children are considered to be a vulnerable, minority group, and are at a higher need to be properly supported for their overall cognitive, social, and emotional development (Valencia, 2015). It is through inclusive programming that educators can address immigrant childrenâs specific needs and properly support them in their new country. There is a growing body of research which supports the need for academic programming, specifically social-emotional learning programs, to be adaptable cross-culturally (Bennouna et al., 2019; Castro-Olivo & Merrell., 2012). Cross-cultural adaptations need to be considered when conducting evidence-based interventions such as social-emotional learning programs with immigrant children, and it is essential that inclusive changes are made for Western educational frameworks. Theme Three: The Importance of Integrating Socio-culturalism within a Social-Emotional Programming Framework for First-Generation Immigrant Children. When considering the impacts of social-emotional learning programs for young children, it is important to review if the existing policies that encourage and promote diversity and inclusion in educational frameworks are effective. There is limited research available that focuses on the first-generation immigrant population, and even less on the first-generation young children population within the field of education, and their social, emotional, and academic competencies within a Western educational space (Cheah & Li, 2010; Mondi et al., 2021). Within the research that has been conducted on immigrant childrenâs competency in Western education, some findings have shown that this demographic indicates higher levels of difficulty regarding 23engagement in curriculum within a social-emotional learning program in comparison to their Western-born counterparts (Cheah & Li, 2010; Ren & Wyver, 2014). In North America, there is a significant lack of appropriate assessment tools for young culturally diverse children, and because of this, many first-generation immigrant childrenâs social and emotional skills are seen as weaknesses, hindering their academic competencies (Yates et al., 2008). Educational frameworks do not recognize that some children have a different set of social-emotional skills, and so immigrant children are continuously assessed through a deficit perspective (Iannacci, 2016; Yates et al., 2008). A study that focused on the adaptability of school-based programs for supporting the mental health and social-emotional wellbeing of young immigrant children, found that the main challenges during implementation included the ability to incorporate intercultural exchange, and lack of access to the cultural communities that each child belongs to (Bennouna et al., 2019). The researchers found that schools need to adapt more services to individuals by taking into consideration their sociocultural ecologies, as currently, there is a lack of cultural connectivity that exists in a Western education framework (Bennouna et al., 2019; Colegrove et al., 2023; Robbins, 2005). These shortcomings in sociocultural inclusion for immigrant children are especially concerning, as the acculturative stressors that newcomer children face such as language barriers, unfamiliar norms, and discrimination, continue to be subconsciously perpetuated within the supposed culturally responsive pedagogy framework that Western educators attempt to utilize (Bennouna et al., 2019; Valencia, 2015). The attempts at being inclusive are instead clouded by underlining assimilative tendencies, as young children continue to be seen as developmentally delayed in their social, emotional, and academic competencies (Bennouna et al., 2019; Massing et al., 2013). 24Social-emotional learning programs are an expanding area of education that is garnering more research and support on its overall short-term and long-term benefits for the development of young children (Jones et al., 2015). Despite being an evidence-based practice, many social-emotional learning programs in place are lacking in their ability to incorporate socio-cultural understanding for different subpopulations of children (Garner et al., 2014). There is a significant lack of research that has been conducted on social-emotional learning programs and their efficacy when isolating for specific cultural and ethnic backgrounds, as previous research has often yielded mixed and inconclusive results (Garner et al., 2014; Houri & Sullivan, 2019). Inconsistent research makes generalizability difficult, as each child is unique in their own sociocultural systems that can affect their social, and emotional competencies when being assessed through Western frameworks (Jung et al., 2012). Within the limited research on social-emotional learning and immigrant children, an underlying theme throughout the literature is how important social and emotional skills and competencies are for immigrant children when considering their likelihood of comfortability, acceptance, and welfare as they begin their studies in a Western society (Gagné et al., 2020; Valencia, 2015; Yates et al., 2008). As evidence-based research has shown the importance of social-emotional learning regarding the development of a young child, the need for inclusivity and socio-cultural awareness within these programs is important. Social-emotional learning and competency is not only beneficial for long-term development but is also beneficial for immigrant children and their preparedness for education in a new country when it is utilized positively by an educator (De Feyter & Winsler, 2009; Halle et al., 2014). In the research study conducted by De Feyter and Winsler (2009), school readiness of newcomer immigrant children was described, with an emphasis on how nativity status, race/ethnicity, and national origins might be related factors. The 25researchers found that when an immigrant child can connect with and demonstrate stronger levels of social-emotional learning comprehension, there is greater opportunity for an educator to utilize these strengths by creating enhanced educators to child, and child to child interactions within the classroom (De Feyter & Winsler, 2009). Halle et al. (2014) further discuss this discourse in their study that focuses on the social-emotional development of dual-language learners and immigrant children. Halle et al. (2014) found that successful social-emotional learning programs can be beneficial for these children for their overall integration and development in a Western classroom. However, previous research suggests that immigrant children may be more vulnerable to psychological stressors that result in measurable differences in social-emotional competencies when being compared to their non-immigrant peers (Halle et. al., 2014). These additional factors contribute to immigrant children being assessed as lagging behind their peers in foundational social and emotional skills, which impacts their academic achievement in the long-term (Halle et al., 2014; Massing et al., 2013). The current assessment tools utilized for the measurement of social, emotional, and academic competency continue to be taken from a Euro-North American perspective and do not consider the sociocultural contexts or cultural sensitivity that comes with working with diverse individuals (Ren & Wyver, 2014; Yates et al., 2008). It is important to develop cultural competence and to consider the myriad of factors that influence the social-emotional development of immigrant children in order to effectively assess and assist these individuals (Ren & Wyver, 2014). Through increased research towards this educational discrepancy, there can be greater educational reform that assists the vulnerable and minority population of first-generation immigrant children (Halle et al., 2014; Yates et al., 2008). Discussion & Implications for Future Practice and Pedagogy 26There continues to be a paucity of research for immigrant children and their understanding of social-emotional learning programs when conducted within a Western early childhood education curriculum. Despite their increasing numbers they are under-represented in early childhood research. Social-emotional learning programs are currently operating through assimilative views, which impact the ability for immigrant children to utilize social-emotional competencies as a way to cultivate a more welcoming and inclusive school environment (Bennouna et al., 2019; Halle et al., 2014). There remains to be a greater need for their inclusion in the research that seeks to improve and advance the early education frameworks and pedagogies in North America. Educators need to become more culturally responsive and to acknowledge the underlying prejudice and biases that exist within a Western dominated classroom (Rodríguez-Izquierdo, 2018). Social-emotional learning programs have evidence-based research showing that they promote academic excellence, social responsibility, and personal growth. However, there is still a significant lack of research on social-emotional learning in the context of the cultural, linguistic, and social diverse young learners from various contexts (Rodríguez-Izquierdo, 2018; Taylor et al., 2017). More work needs to be done in order to defy and combat the discourses that negatively affect culturally diverse communitiesâ ability to engage in early childhood education settings and to develop transformative approaches that work towards efficacy and empowerment. An early learning framework needs to revisit the terms inclusion, diversity, and socioculturalism, and consider how immigrant childrenâs social and emotional development are embedded within their cultural background which may differ from the newfound host culture (Halberstadt & Lozada, 2011). Scoping Review Summary 27This review of research has shown that young first-generation immigrant children can understand and benefit from social-emotional learning lessons and excel in these programs if they are to be assessed according to their own sociocultural and ethnic background. What is still lacking from the current literature on social-emotional learning and immigrant children is how educators can effectively and meaningfully incorporate diversity and intercultural perspectives into social-emotional learning programs for young children in early childhood education. My proposed study aims to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant young children with social-emotional learning concepts in an early childhood education centre within British Columbia, Canada. Through the stages of observations of young first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and semi-structured interviews with their early childhood educators and caregivers, I aim to find future recommendations for a multifaceted social and emotional learning approach that is inclusive of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children that can become a critical practice within BC early learning programs that teach this specific demographic. Additional Literature Review At the beginning of the study, additional literature beyond the specifics of the scoping review, and related literature between completion of the scoping review and completion of the overall study were reviewed to provide additional support given the focus of the present study. Social and Emotional Learning Frameworks There are various social and emotional learning frameworks that are used for competency assessments around the world. These frameworks may include the EU NESET framework for social and emotional education used primarily in Europe, UNICEFâs India life skills education, or the International Rescue Committee (IRC) social and emotional learning competencies 28framework used primarily in crisis and conflict settings. For this research study, social and emotional learning was framed by the competencies defined by the CASEL framework which is primarily used in North America. The social and emotional competencies outlined by the CASEL framework include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision making and relationship skills (CASEL Framework, 2025). These five competencies are often used as a guide in North American education to assess childrenâs development in social and emotional learning skills (Gagné et al., 2020). History of Early Childhood Education in the Philippines This research study explores the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. I have chosen to focus on a demographic from the Philippines, as this country tends to define âschool readinessâ as primarily academic curricula, such as reading and writing, and less on abstract concepts such as those taught in social and emotional learning programs (Chattergy, 2017). In the Philippines, early education has only been acknowledged as an essential component to a childâs educational and personal development within the last two decades, due to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all (Bustos-Orosa, 2022). Due to this policy which promotes access to quality education for all children, the Philippines responded by creating an Early Childhood Care and Development Council (The ECCD) which showed an increased enrolment rate in kindergarten programs from 33% to 63% in the 5 years from 2008-2013 (Macha et al., 2018). The ECCD were tasked to strengthen the early childhood education systems in the Philippines and specifically develop a manual on competency standards. In response to the development of concrete competency standards, the Philippine 29government enacted The Philippine Early Years Act of 2013 that recognizes that children aged 0-8 years old are at the first crucial stage of educational development and acknowledged that the early childhood education system in the Philippines needed to be strengthened (Biana et al., 2021). Historically in the Philippines, early childhood education was introduced during the Spanish era rule, with education being a privilege granted only to wealthier families, and with most educational centres being privately owned, education was inaccessible for the majority of the population which was categorized as low-income (Chattergy, 2017). Despite the Philippines becoming independent in 1946, early education remained a privilege elusive for wealthier families, with access continuing to be the biggest issue in educational systems in the Philippines (Chattergy, 2017). With the Philippine Early Years Act of 2013 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4), early education is slowly becoming more accessible for all young children in the Philippines, however, a new issue arises in the lack of research and structured curriculum within their early childhood education system. Currently, early childhood education in the Philippines focuses on academic curricula with the focus being on arithmetic, writing, and sciences, with the idea of elementary school readiness in mind (Chattergy, 2017). With the Philippines emphasizing the importance of early childhood education only in the last few years, for immigrant families moving to Canada, there may be cultural differences that arise between their experiences in early education in the Philippines versus in Canada; specifically, with social and emotional learning programs. 30Chapter Three: Methodology Chapter Overview In this chapter, the methodology and methods used in the present study are detailed. The purpose of the study and research questions are highlighted. The theoretical background guiding the study is provided. The approaches used for data collection, procedures including ethics and consent, recruitment, and participants, approach to data analysis, and approaches to ensure rigour are also detailed. Purpose As first and second-generation immigrant children are an under-represented demographic in early childhood education literature, including those of Filipino descent, more research needs to be conducted with this population. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Research Questions 1. What are the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs? 2. What are the experiences of the caregivers of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs? 3. What are the experiences of early childhood educators in implementing social and emotional learning with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant young children? 31Theoretical Orientation This research was conducted through the theoretical orientation of a social-constructivism paradigm. Developed in the 1930âs by Lev Vygotsky, a social-constructivist paradigm is the idea that reality is built upon individualized perceptions and experiences, influenced by societal norms and values, with each person seen as continually making sense of reality and the world around them within a cultural framework of socio-cultural contexts and interactions (Cohen et al., 2018; Hughes, 2010). Social constructionism holds that individuals seek to make meaning of their social lives, and that the role of the researcher is to examine the participant through the multiple lenses of the individuals involved, to obtain their definition of the situation and see how they make sense of their situation by focusing on the various interactions, contexts, and socio-cultural environments (Cohen et al., 2018). The knowledge generated by the participant is gained through social interaction, interpretation and understanding, and cannot be separated from the social environment in which it occurs (Bruce et al., 2016). The reality that is then created becomes meaningful through the interaction from others, as well as the time and context in which the interactions have occurred (Bruce et al., 2016; Cohen et al., 2018). In qualitative research, a primary objective is to understand the meaning or knowledge constructed by people, and the way they make sense of and experience the world, as there are multiple realities, and therefore, there is no absolute truth (Denzin and Lincoln, 2018; Yazan, 2015). Social constructivism shares a similar viewpoint, emphasizing the impact of social and cultural influences on students and how their varied socio-cultural backgrounds can shape the way the students understand and interpret concepts (Schreiber & Valle, 2013). In this research study, my positionality as the researcher utilized a social-constructivist paradigm and shaped various aspects of my study. The research questions posed, data collection, 32and data analysis were all impacted by a social-constructivist framework. The data collected and analyzed relied on the participantsâ experiences on the phenomena being studied (i.e. social and emotional learning) and I inductively identified themes and sub-themes or patterns of meaning for the research questions posed (Cohen et al., 2018). The qualitative, case study approach utilizing a social constructivist paradigm was essential to having an approach centered on exploring the particular case of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant childrenâs experiences with social and emotional learning concepts. This theoretical orientation acknowledges the multiple socially constructed realities of the participants, as well as my own understanding of their lived realities from my subjective, socially constructed context. Case Study Methodology Rationale for Case Study Design A qualitative, case study research design was used through observations and semi-structured interviews with the participants. In a case study approach, the methodology allows for a detailed understanding of an individual, group, or social unit (Yazan, 2015). Case study research does not aim to make large generalizations across a range of settings, but rather to provide valuable insights that may guide cases that are similar or are within a similar context when investigated through multiple sources of evidence (Merriam, 2009; Yin, 2014). Conducting a case study enabled me to attain an understanding of the experiences of the Filipino immigrant families and their early childhood educator with social and emotional learning, by exploring their diverse perspectives on and experiences in the early childhood education classroom (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Case study research as a strategy for methodological exploration has its origins in qualitative approaches to research, specifically in the discipline of educational research 33beginning in the 1970âs to explore factors such as the impact of educational programs and policy decisions that supported social and educational change (Harrison et al., 2017). A case study offers a detailed understanding of an individual, group, or social unit, in order to better conceptualize the lived experiences about the âhowâ and âwhyâ of an issue rather than the âwhatâ (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Yazan, 2015). Three prominent case study methodologists provide varying perspectives on the utilization of the case study method in the field of educational research. Robert K. Yin (Yin, 2014), Sharan Merriam (Merriam, 1998), and Robert E. Stake (Stake, 1995), are foundational methodologists in the area of case study research, offering different applications of the case study methodology that would provide the most appropriate function for qualitative research purposes (Yazan, 2015). Yin defines case study as a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, by addressing the âhowâ or âwhyâ questions concerning the phenomenon of interest (Yazan, 2015; Yin, 2014). Yin offers a highly structured approach to case study, focusing on the scope, process, and methodological characteristics of case study research and the importance of context to the case (Harrison et al., 2017; Yin, 2014). Stake approached case study with more flexibility in comparison to Yin, with a greater focus placed on the case being studied as a âbounded systemâ and inquiry into the case is examined as an independent object rather than how it is studied (Harrison et al., 2017; Yazan, 2015). Stake defined case study as âthe study of the particularity and complexity of a single case, coming to understand its activity within important circumstancesâ (Stake, 1995, p. xi). Sharan Merriam, the third prominent case study methodologist, defines a qualitative case study as âan intensive, holistic description and analysis of a bounded phenomenon such as a program, an institution, a person, a process, or a social unitâ (Merriam, 1998, p. xiii). A case 34study has three defining characteristics, particularistic, focusing on a particular situation, event, program or phenomenon; descriptive, yielding a rich, thick description of the phenomena under study; and heuristic, illuminating the readersâ understanding of phenomena under study (Merriam, 1998). According to Merriam, cases are selected based on the research purpose and question, and for what they could reveal about the particular phenomenon or topic of interest (Harrison et al, 2017; Merriam, 1998). Using Merriam approach to case study, the aim is to provide a rich holistic description that illuminates oneâs understanding of the phenomena being studied (Merriam, 1998). I have chosen to utilize Merriamâs case study design approach as it best aligns with my theoretical perspective of a social-constructivist stance, maintaining the view that âreality is constructed by individualsâ interaction with their social worldsâ (Merriam, 1998, p.6). Through conducting a qualitative case study approach bounded by Merriamâs approach, the phenomena being studied, the experiences of second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning concepts, was detailed and analyzed by the inclusion of perspectives from the early childhood educator and caregivers of each child. The emergent themes identified from the analysis of data collected conceptualized the how and why this particular group experiences social and emotional learning concepts in their own lived realities and allows for the findings to potentially extend to other cases that may exist in similar contexts (Harrison et al., 2017; Yin, 2014). Selecting the Case When selecting a case, Merriam (1998) emphasizes the need for the phenomena being studied to be within a bounded context. Bounding the case typically involves identifying the specific details of who is involved and in what context and who is not (Merriam & Tisdell, 352016). For the purpose of this present study, the specific case under study is the experiences of second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning concepts in an early childhood education program within Vancouver, British Columbia. Procedures Ethics Approval Ethics approval was obtained from the University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board (BREB). I provided the early childhood education centre with formal documentation that the research has been approved by the University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board (BREB) and sent them a letter of initial contact which outlined the details of the research study to gain approval of site selection and recruitment from that particular centre. Recruitment and Screening Site Recruitment. The research study took place at a non-profit family centre in Vancouver, British Columbia that runs an early childhood education program for children 3-5 years of age. This particular site was chosen as I was previously employed as a program facilitator from 2018-2019 and for the enrollment of children of Filipino descent. A recruitment letter was sent to the executive director of the site through email, and they expressed interest in participating (See Appendix A). Early Childhood Educator Recruitment. There were two early childhood educators employed at the site. The executive director provided me their respective emails and the recruitment letter for the early childhood educators was sent (See Appendix B). One educator responded expressing interest in participating in the research study. A screening questionnaire was sent to the interested educator through email, and they met all the screening requirements 36(See Appendix E). After the educator passed the screening questionnaire, they were emailed the consent form to participate (See Appendix G). I coordinated with the early childhood educators on the ideal time for me to attend the early childhood education program for the two-week observation period, as well as being able to visit the centre one week before the beginning of the program to meet with the educators, interested participants, and additional families. After selecting a date, I visited the early childhood education centre one week before the beginning of the observation period and met with the early childhood educator to discuss the research study and they signed the consent form in-person. Prior to the observation period beginning, I emailed the early childhood educator a background questionnaire (See Appendix K). Child and Caregiver Recruitment. Upon gaining approval for site selection, I recruited participants enrolled in the early childhood education program at the site. All initial contact with recruitment of participants took place through email correspondence. After obtaining the email contacts for the early childhood educators, they both agreed to assist me in recruiting the children and caregivers for the research study. I sent the early childhood educators a newsletter announcement with information on the research study, and they included the newsletter in their weekly email updates that are sent to all the families enrolled in the early childhood education program, as well as printed out the newsletter to be posted on a bulletin board located inside the family centre. The newsletter detailed how to contact the primary researcher if they were interested in participating (See Appendix D). Interested participants who contacted me were sent recruitment letters through email with detailed information on the research study and their role if they wanted to participate (See Appendix C). The participants who expressed interest were sent a screening questionnaire through email to ensure that they qualified as participants (See Appendix F). 37Two caregivers responded and expressed interest in the study and met all criteria except year of immigration to Canada. Further discussion was held with my research supervisor who also raised this with my other committee member, and a decision was made to extend the time from year of immigration being 2019-2024 to 1990-2025. Subsequently, the two interested caregiver participants were informed and expressed their continued interest in participating in the study. Consent forms were sent to both caregivers and the assent form for their participating child was also provided through email (See Appendix H for Caregiver Consent form and Appendix I for Child Assent form). I informed the caregivers on the approved dates for the observation period agreed upon with the early childhood educators and informed them of my visit to the family centre one week before the research study officially began with the purpose being to review the details of the research study and to sign the consent and assent forms in-person. During the visit to the family centre before the observation period, I met with the caregivers and their children who participated in the study. The caregivers of two second-generation Filipino immigrant children ages 3 and 4 agreed to participate. I met with each family individually to go through the consent form. They also provided assent for their childâs participation. Following the caregiver assent for the children, I spent time with each child introducing myself and going through the assent form at a level that is comprehensible for the child. The children did not have any questions for me and their caregivers provided the final signature at the bottom of the assent form. After meeting with the participants, the caregivers were emailed a background questionnaire that was filled out and returned to me prior to the start of the observation period (See Appendix L). 38Classroom Observations. During the visit I made to the family centre one week before the observation period, I spoke to each of the families not participating in the research study and provided them an information letter that outlined the study and the role I would play at the centre for the next two weeks. I informed the families that if they have any questions or concerns regarding my role in observing the preschool program that they may let me know, but there were no issues (See Appendix J). Figure 2 presents an overview of how the early childhood education site, and participants were selected for this study. Figure 2 Overview of Recruitment Participants Site. The research study took place at a non-profit family centre, located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The family centre runs an early childhood education or preschool, program for children 3-5 years of age, Tuesday-Thursday from 1:00pm-3:30pm. The early childhood 39education program had approximately 12 children enrolled in the 2024-2025 school program, including the two second-generation Filipino immigrant children participating in the study. Early Childhood Educators. The early childhood educator recruited for the research study was one of the teachers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children in the early learning program. The educator was 49 years of age and was previously employed in the field of medical radiology before obtaining their early childhood educator certification. They have worked in early childhood education for three years and have been working as a certified early childhood educator for two years. For the purpose of this study, the participant has been given a pseudonym and will be referred to as âBrittanieâ. Child and Caregiver Participants. The caregivers of two second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their children participated in the study. Both caregivers identified as the mother of the children and were first-generation Filipino immigrants born in the Philippines. One caregiver was of full Filipino descent, and the second caregiver was of mixed Filipino descent. Both caregiversâ children were born in Canada. Both childrenâs first language was English. One caregiverâs first language is English, and the second caregiverâs first language was Tagalog. Most of the correspondence between the participants and myself was conducted in English. One of the caregivers used Tagalog, one of the native languages of the Philippines, as a secondary language and completed parts of her interview in Tagalog. For the purpose of this study, the participants were given a pseudonym (See Table 1). Table 1 Characteristics of Caregiver and Child Participants Pseudonyms Identified Gender Role Relationship to Participant Age First Language Year of Immigration to Canada 40Kay Female Caregiver #1 Mother 45 Tagalog 2011 Rianne Female Child #1 Daughter 4 English Born in Canada Natalie Female Caregiver #2 Mother 40 English/Tagalog 1991 Kyna Female Child #2 Daughter 3 English Born in Canada Sources of Data Screening Questionnaires Early Educator Screening. The screening questionnaire was written as a Word document and converted into a fillable pdf. The participant was given the option to complete the screening through the pdf or through a link to a Qualtrics survey with the same questions. The pdf and link to the Qualtrics survey was sent to the educator through email, and the participant returned the questionnaire via pdf. The screening questionnaire asked if they were a licenced early childhood educator and their years of experience (See Appendix E). Caregiver/Child Screening. The screening questionnaire was written as a Word document and converted into a fillable pdf. The participants were given the option to complete the screening through the pdf or through a link to a Qualtrics survey with the same questions. The pdf and link to the Qualtrics survey was sent to the caregivers through email, and the participants returned the questionnaire via pdf. The screening questionnaire asked the participantsâ country of origin, year of immigration to Canada, where their child was born, and if their child was previously enrolled in an education program (See Appendix F). Background Questionnaire for Early Childhood Educator. After the educator signed and returned the consent form, a background questionnaire was completed. The background questionnaire was written as a Word document and converted into a fillable pdf. The participant was given the option to complete the questionnaire through the pdf or through a link to a 41Qualtrics survey with the same questions. The pdf and link to the Qualtrics survey was sent to the educator through email, and the participant returned the questionnaire via pdf to get a better understanding of their background information (See Appendix K). Background Questionnaire for Caregivers and Children. After the caregivers signed and returned the consent form and the assent form, a background questionnaire was completed. The background questionnaire was written as a Word document and converted into a fillable pdf. The participant was given the option to complete the questionnaire through the pdf or through a link to a Qualtrics survey with the same questions. The pdf and link to the Qualtrics survey was sent to the educator through email, and the participant returned the questionnaire via pdf. The caregiver questions were designed to get a better understanding of the background of both the caregiver and their child (See Appendix L). Participant Observation A participant observation guide was developed to observe how the child participants were situated within the classroom. The observation guide was developed around CASELâs five competencies of social and emotional learning which include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making (CASEL Framework, 2025). On the first day of the observation period, all of the children enrolled in the early childhood education program were made aware of my position as a researcher and my active involvement in the classroom by the early childhood educator. I briefly introduced myself to the children as a student researcher and informed them that I will be joining the school for the next two weeks. I utilized participant observational methods so the children in the classroom, especially the participants, were comfortable with my presence and are aware of my position as a researcher 42in their environment (Mukherji & Albon, 2018). Participant observational methods allowed me as the researcher to study the natural setting of the early childhood classroom, and to gain an understanding of the cultural practices of each child participant through my engagement in the classroom. With participant observation, inferences were made about the underlying patterns of behaviour made by the participants within the particular setting under study (Mukherji & Albon, 2018). I entered the classroom environment with general themes of the CASEL Framework as a guide but wrote a narrative of what I heard, saw, and understood (Lambert & Taylor-Francis, 2019). I observed the children for a total of six days across two weeks. The program operates Tuesday-Thursday from 1:00pm-3:30pm. Each child participant was observed for a total of three days across the two week observation period (see Figure 3). I was engaged in the classroom through sitting with the children during activities and conversing with the children while also taking notes but never conducted any lessons or teaching myself. Using the participant observation guide, I wrote down detailed and rich observations of the child participants operating within the early childhood classroom within the categories of the guide. The schedule of observations is outlined in Figure 3. Figure 3 Scheduled Days of Participant Observations for Study Participants Week Day Kyna Rianne Week 1 Tuesday â Wednesday â Thursday â Week 2 Tuesday â Wednesday â Thursday â 1 Pseudonyms are used for participant names. 43Observations were mainly noted three times a day for 30-minute intervals, at the beginning of the preschool program around 1:00pm, during the mid-way point of the program around 2:00pm and before the end of the school day at 3:00pm for 30-minute intervals. These times were chosen as they were the periods of a school day where children were interacting the most with one another and are transitioning from different activities (See Appendix M for a copy of the Observation Guide). Semi-structured Interviews Overview. After the observation period, I conducted three semi-structured interviews through the Zoom platform with the early childhood educator and with the primary caregivers (mother) of each child. The semi-structured interviews allowed me to have questions prepared and the flexibility to guide the conversation according to the responses provided to further explore the experiences of the participants and the meanings they attribute to them (Tong et al., 2007). The responses of the participants dictated the direction of the interview, allowing me to do probes and follow-ups to inquire further into statements and potential issues (Cohen et al., 2011). I took notes throughout the interviews and audio recorded the interview with participant consent. Each interview session lasted between 30-50 minutes in length. Early Childhood Educator Interview. The primary focus of the educator interview was on the perspective of their teaching experience in early childhood education, possible cultural differences they may have observed with the second-generation Filipino immigrant children when conducting the program curriculum, and their assessments on the childrenâs social and emotional learning competencies. The interview was also used to gain insight on the educatorâs perspective on social and emotional learning competencies and examples of this in their early childhood program curriculum. Questions asked also touched upon the early childhood 44educatorâs perspective on how culturally adaptable the current curriculum may be and the goals they had for the preschool program (See Appendix N Early Childhood Educator Interview Guide). Caregiver Interviews. The caregiver interviews focused on their personal background and previous education in the Philippines and Canada, their understanding of social and emotional learning, and their experiences with the early childhood education centre, including the curriculum and educators. The interview with the early childhood educator and caregiver Natalie were conducted in English, and the interview with the caregiver Kay was conducted in a mix of English and Tagalog (See Appendix O for the Caregiver Interview Guide). Researcher Journal Throughout the study, I kept a researcher journal to reflect upon my impressions, thoughts, emotional-responses, insights, and to acknowledge any personal biases that arose during the two months of the study. Journal entries were made throughout the research study, to document my own experience and perspectives and to acknowledge any personal biases that may arise. While the journal was not specifically analyzed or data coded, it was used to provide me with greater context on the situation and environment I was in at that time. Data Analysis Observation Coding The observations were documented on the participant observation guide for 30-minute intervals during the preschool program. Each observational guide was completed using a narrative approach by the sections of the guide. Each guide was digitized into a Word document and uploaded to the qualitative software program NVivo. NVivo was used as an organizational tool, and I went through each observed action and behaviour to create initial codes. NVivo was 45not used to generate codes. At this phase, codes were created while I was continuing to collect data and were made only with the data collected through the participant observation guide before the interviews took place. Semi-structured Interviews Transcription. The semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim. All the interviews took place on UBC-Zoom with transcription turned on. The mp4 file of the audio, alongside a transcription of the audio using Zoom transcription was downloaded, saved and uploaded to the UBC OneDrive. I took the Zoom mp4 recordings and uploaded them to Microsoft Word on OneDrive to transcribe the audio. Revisions to the transcriptions were made on Microsoft Word where I reviewed the written transcript and details were added or edited from my own handwritten transcription and cross-referenced with the Zoom transcription to ensure accuracy. All verbalizations, hesitations, and pauses were included in the transcript. The semi-structured interview with the early childhood educator and caregiver Natalie were conducted in English, and the interview with the caregiver Kay was conducted in a mix of English and Tagalog. In the interview with Kay, the transcription was written in the language spoken and translated by me during the generating initial codes phase of data analysis. Thematic Analysis Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach from Braun and Clarke (2006; 2019). Thematic analysis was chosen as it aligns with my epistemological approach of social-constructivism and allows for flexibility across different forms of data collected such as observations and semi-structured interviews (Bruan & Clarke, 2006; 2012). 46Thematic analysis phases include, familiarizing yourself with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, defining and naming themes, reviewing and finalizing themes, and producing the report (Braun & Clarke, 2006; 2021). The analysis process was recursive, where the stage of data analysis can move back and forth throughout the phases. Consistent with the approach of Merriam (1998) to case study and utilizing thematic analysis, I concurrently collected data and analyzed that data using the approaches outlined by Braun & Clarke (2019; 2022). Familiarization with the Data. I initially familiarized myself with the data by reading and re-reading the textual data which included the responses to screening and background questionnaire, participant observation guide, and transcript of interviews to gain a holistic understanding of the content within the collected data (Braun & Clarke, 2012). During this stage, I also consulted my researcher journal to provide contextual information about the data. Generating Initial Codes. Codes were generated to provide labels for important and relevant information found in the data pertinent to the research questions. Consistent with Merriamâs (1998) approach to thematic analysis, data was analyzed concurrently, and initial codes were generated after each stage of data collection. The qualitative software NVivo was utilized as an organizational tool, where the data was uploaded and used to sort the observations and direct quotations from the interview transcripts. NVivo was not used to create codes. Initial codes were first generated with the participant observation guides. I continued to analyze the data and generated initial codes after the interview with the early childhood educator, after the interview with the first caregiver, and after the interview with the second caregiver. Coding was an inductive process, where codes were identified based on what is identified in the data set to identify a pattern or similar themes of meaning. Observation notes and direct 47quotes from the interviews were chosen during the analysis process to identify codes. Contextual information, including the socio-cultural backgrounds of the participants, the additional text surrounding the codes, and additional observations made by myself as the researcher were also considered during this phase (Braun & Clarke, 2012). Examples of additional observations I made included the childrenâs preference with who they socialized with in the family centre and the tone and pauses made by the educator and caregivers during the interviews. The CASEL framework (2025) was used as a guide for organizing the observed behaviours and actions of the children, and from there, the actions were coded individually. Examples of codes included isolation, prosocial behaviour towards others, and impulse control. The interview transcription for all three interviews were transcribed verbatim. Interview questions were asked only in English. The early childhood educator (Brittanie) and one caregiver (Natalie) completed the interview only in English and their interviews are transcribed in English. The second caregiver (Kay) responded to some of the interview questions in English and Tagalog. Approximately 40% of the interview was conducted in Tagalog. In response to Kayâs answers in Tagalog, I sometimes responded in a mix of English and Tagalog. Her interview was transcribed verbatim and included English and Tagalog. For quotes and text spoken in Tagalog, translation of the text to English was made during this phase of generating initial codes of data analysis. Searching for Themes. Once the participant observation guide and interviews were coded, all the codes were brought together, analyzed and sorted into emerging themes by looking for similar patterns across the data collection. The basic process of identifying themes or sub-themes amongst the set of data involved clustering codes that share unifying features, so that 48they can reflect and describe a coherent and meaningful pattern in the data (Braun & Clarke, 2012; 2019). Themes were developed based on their relevance to the research questions and I noted the number of times there were similarities in the identified codes and how they would fit together to potentially create an overarching theme. This process happened alongside data collection, allowing themes to evolve as more data was gathered. Revisions were made after discussions with my supervisor and a peer researcher to ensure a thorough and reliable analysis before finalizing the themes. Defining and Naming Themes. Once the themes were identified and before they were finalized, I did a peer debriefing with another graduate student in our research lab. I sent the peer researcher a copy of the participant observation guides and interview transcripts, alongside a Word document outlining the codes and initial themes and sub-themes I had created. After the peer researcher reviewed the documents, we had a Zoom meeting to discuss the codes and themes created. There were no disagreements on the named themes and sub-themes between myself and the peer researcher. Reviewing and Finalizing Themes. While meeting with the peer researcher, the codes, themes and sub-themes were reviewed against the collected data carefully and meticulously. The themes chosen were named to reflect a clear focus, scope, and purpose that is in alignment with the data set and the research questions (Braun & Clarke, 2021; 2022). During our meeting, there were no disagreements with the codes, themes and sub-themes created and the themes were finalized for each research question. Producing the Report. While writing the Chapter Four findings of this document, I made a slight adjustment to the name of one theme for research question two and three to make 49the theme concise. The change in the name of the theme was from âfunds of knowledgeâ to âfunds of knowledge approachâ. The final report is presented in Chapter Four and provides a clear and organized summary of the collected data. Ensuring Rigour Triangulation Data triangulation was utilized through collecting several sources of data, such as making observational notes on three separate days over the span of two weeks during different points of time throughout the day and in different settings (i.e. indoor and outdoor), through semi-structured interviews, and my researcher journal (Mathison, 1988). These various sources of data can align, diverge, or even contradict each other to provide a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the research questions (Mathison, 1988). The varied perspectives brought by the diverse participants in the research study provided a holistic and rich description of the data that aligned with the themes and sub-themes. When defining and name the themes, I looked at all the sources of data to understand the experiences of the early childhood educator, caregivers, and children with social and emotional learning in the early learning program. When analyzing the codes across the several sources of data, patterns were found that included peer relationship skills, family dynamics, and connection to community. The observations made with the second-generation Filipino immigrant children and interviews with their early childhood educator and caregivers provided valuable insight and reflection on the research questions. Thick Description Thick description was utilized through the description of the setting and context of the specific case under study. With the screening and background questionnaire, I gained more information on the participants such as their year of immigration to Canada, cultural background, 50and previous educational experience. Obtaining this information was helpful for providing thick description because it offers important context about the participants lived experiences, allowing me to interpret their perspectives more deeply and meaningfully. For example, knowing the year of immigration to Canada for the caregivers, allowed me to understand why one caregiver has more knowledge on the educational landscape of the Philippines versus the second caregiver. Through the researcherâs journal, I built upon the thick description in order to describe the social and cultural context of the participants and to place my own subjective biases in the context of the environment being observed. I made journal entries at each stage of data collection. Entries made during the on-site participant observation and after the interviews allowed me as the researcher to gain an in-depth view of the participantsâ complex relationships with themselves, peers, and the educators within their particular social and cultural context. I included details on the physical environment inside and outside of the classroom, atmosphere of the classroom, and my own subjective opinions on the actions conducted by the children, including my understanding of their behaviour based off my observations and the interviews with their educator and caregiver. The researcherâs journal included my reflections, thoughts, and emotional responses throughout the two month data collection, helping make transparent my own assumptions and biases, to help add depth and honesty to the analysis of the data. Member Checking During the stage of familiarization with the data, I emailed the early childhood educator and both caregivers the transcript of their interview and invited them to contact me if there was a discrepancy in the document and what they recall having said or meant such as incorrect transcription of words or phrases said in the interview. No participant responded to the follow-up request for document verification. 51After meeting with the peer researcher and finalizing themes, I emailed the educator and caregivers a Word document that included a summary description of the themes and sub-themes for all three research questions that had been identified from the data collected. I invited the participants to review the data presented and to reach out to me if they did not believe the themes chosen accurately portrayed their experiences. I did not hear a response from any of the participants and no changes were made to the identified themes and sub-themes. Peer Debriefing Peer debriefing took place during the data analysis phase of defining and naming themes. I recruited the assistance of a peer researcher who is also a Master of Arts student in Early Childhood Education from the Children, Families, and Communities lab at The University of British Columbia, who took part in analyzing the data being collected during the thematic analysis phase of defining and naming themes, where codes were clustered to reflect a meaningful pattern in the data. When meeting with the peer researcher, clarification was asked regarding the use of the CASEL framework and MPAC checklist when coding the participant observation guide. We had a discussion regarding the use of these two frameworks as they are the primary tools utilized in North America and provided the greatest breadth of social and emotional learning examples that children exhibit through their behaviour and actions. I explained to the peer researcher how these frameworks were used as a guide for the participant observation and assisted me on deciding what behaviour and actions should be noted down. We discussed how and why the CASEL framework and MPAC checklist were not used for coding. We did have a discussion regarding the potential inability to utilize the CASEL framework and MPAC checklist in an objective manner as it is a tool created and assessed 52through North American standards and cannot accurately assess the behaviours of the second-generation immigrant children who exhibit social and emotional competencies in their own socio-cultural ways of being. We discussed adding this commentary to my rigour and discussion chapters of this document. We also discussed the organization of the main themes and sub-themes. I had initially created a flow-chart that included all the themes and sub-themes together. After having a discussion with the peer researcher on each theme and sub-theme, we had decided it would be better to create three separate flow-charts for each research question posed. None of the main themes or sub-themes were re-named or changed. Three separate flow-charts were created for each research question that included the main themes and its corresponding sub-themes that were relevant for the specific research question. I also had discussions with my supervisor, at each stage of the study (before data collection, during data collection, and during data analysis) for guidance and to discuss initial findings. Chapter Summary In this chapter, the purpose of the study and research questions were introduced. The theoretical framework along with the study procedures including recruitment, participants, and data courses was detailed. Finally, the details of the approach to data analysis and procedures that were used to help ensure the rigour of the study are detailed. 53Chapter Four: Findings Chapter Overview In this chapter the results of the case study are presented. I observed two second-generation Filipino immigrant children and interviewed their early childhood educator and caregivers to gather data about the young childrenâs experiences with social and emotional learning concepts in early childhood education within British Columbia. The findings are taken from the data collected in the observational notes on social and emotional learning competencies and the interviews conducted with the second-generation Filipino immigrant childrenâs early childhood educator and caregivers on their perspectives on the early childhood education system. The findings address the following research questions: what are the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs? What are the experiences of the caregivers of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education? What are the experiences of early childhood educators in implementing social and emotional learning with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant young children? I will be presenting the research study results from the on-site participant observations with the recruited second-generation Filipino immigrant children, Rianne and Kyna, and from the interviews with their early childhood educator Brittanie, and respective caregivers Kay and Natalie. The themes that have been identified highlight the primary goal of this research study, to provide insight on the experiences of second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning competencies within the Canadian education system 54Overview of Preschool Program At the early childhood education centre, the preschool program is structured through a play and learn framework where children are provided various activities that they can engage in independently or alongside other peers. This preschool program had at least one early childhood educator and 2-3 volunteers for each day, with a class attendance of about 12 children. There were also occasional group activities led by the early childhood educator that all children were encouraged to engage in. The structure of the preschool program has the children arriving at the early childhood education centre at 1:00pm with their caregivers for drop-off and sign-in, where the children are then led into the indoor classroom space and given the option to eat a healthy lunch, which varies each day, or to sit in the reading corner to read or be read a book by one of the early childhood educators or volunteers. After around 30-minutes into the program, children are then invited to explore more of the classroom space and to engage in the various activities that have been set-up. Activities during my 2-week observation period included the following, Play-Doh, finger painting, dress-up corner, soft-jungle gym and building materials, puzzles, and drawing. On special occasions, the early childhood educator organized a group activity and invite all the children to participate. One example of this was to celebrate St. Patrickâs Day, and the educator invited all the children to participate in making green smoothies. Around 3:00pm, there was a circle-time where the children were invited to a carpet to listen to a storybook reading, story discussion, and/or singing and dancing. The final 30-minutes of the program is in preparation for pick-up, and the children gather their personal items and go outside to the preschoolâs attached patio to play with the outdoor materials and wait for their caregivers to sign them out of school. The outdoor play materials included, ride-on non-motorized cars, sensory 55puzzles (attached to the walls), chalk, bubbles, and a water table. The program concluded once all the children were signed out by their respective caregivers. Overview of Participant Observations The participant observation period took place over the span of two weeks in March 2025. The early childhood education centre chosen was a non-profit centre that also offered a preschool program that operated Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:00pm-3:30pm. Observation notes were written on the experiences of the two child participants regarding social and emotional learning competencies guided by the CASEL framework. Themes Emerging from Research Questions Overview This research study posed three research questions that sought to better understand the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning competencies within early childhood education. To better understand the experiences of this demographic, it is also important to take into consideration the experiences of the caregivers of the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their early childhood educator. After observing the second-generation Filipino immigrant children for a two week duration, interviews were conducted with each of the childrenâs primary caregiver and their early childhood educator. When analyzing the observation notes and interview transcripts, themes and sub-themes emerged that specifically addressed each of the three research questions. For each research question, figures were created that outline the themes and sub-themes found. Research Question One Themes Overview. Research question one aimed to better understand the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early 56childhood education programs. There were two primary themes that emerged from this research question. The first theme focuses on learning to navigate communicational barriers beyond language, with the sub-themes of family dynamics and the flexibility of the early childhood educator. An additional theme found was on integrating social and emotional learning competencies in everyday early childhood curricula, with the sub-themes of self-awareness and responsible decision-making (Figure 4). Figure 4 Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question One Navigating Communicational Barriers Beyond Language. Overview. In education research, there have been findings that discuss how differing languages may pose a barrier in the educational experience of first and second-generation immigrant children due to the inability for communication between the children and the early childhood educator (Bennouna et al., 2019; Halle et al., 2014; Valencia, 2015). However, in addition to language barriers, the theme âNavigating communicational barriers beyond languageâ highlights how different personal attributes of a child can be the root cause of barriers between them, the early childhood educator, and the preschool. Two sub-themes were identified 57in this theme: family dynamics and the flexibility of the early childhood educator. The information discussed in this theme shows how childrenâs individual backgrounds can impact their socialization within early childhood education and the important role that the early childhood educator must play to support each unique child. Family Dynamics. This sub-theme focuses on how the at-home lives of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children significantly influenced their social and emotional competencies, both individually and in interactions with peers throughout the preschool program. While the two children in the study shared a common Filipino cultural heritage, which was reflected in aspects of their home lives such as being dual-language households and honouring cultural traditions, for example, celebrating events with extended family gatherings or participating in regular family prayers, there were notable differences in their socio-cultural backgrounds. Rianne had both parents of Filipino descent, whereas Kyna had parents who were each half Filipino. Their family dynamics also differed, with Rianne being the youngest of three siblings, while Kyna was an only child. These varying familial systems, alongside the shared cultural practices, impacted the levels of social and emotional learning competencies that Rianne and Kyna would display at the preschool. Kay, Rianneâs primary caregiver shared how Rianne is the youngest in her family, having two brothers who are much older than her. Because of this, Rianne often spends most of the time at home, playing by herself and conversing with those who are much older than she is (i.e. parents and older brothers). When speaking in the interview, Kay emphasized, She has two more siblings, but theyâre like older [â¦] so itâs a long gap. And then theyâre both boys, so theyâre not like playing with her. Theyâre gonna, they play with her, but itâs 58just minutes and then thatâs done. Itâs not like, playing for long time? No. So itâs still Rianne, like playing by herself all the time. Rianneâs actions in the preschool demonstrated this home-life situation well, as she was often observed taking part in activities by herself, preferring to be independent or conversing mainly with the staff and volunteers at the early childhood education centre. Rianne was coded highly under the code of isolation, engaging in independent play for most of the preschool program time and talking to herself or to the staff when prompted. Her early childhood educator, Brittanie, shared, So, when she started with us, she was just, you know, focused on herself. So, she wasn't really aware of, you know, what's surrounding her. And even like, you know, the friends are crying over there, she didn't really care. She wasn't, you know, paying attention to it. [â¦] Still Rianne, she's working on a play at a face-to-face, not a parallel play. As she'd more prefer to play parallel. Itâs more like you know, she plays her own thing and then sometimes look at the friends and then that's it. Parallel play occurs when children play independently, but within at least three feet of other children, not directly interacting with their peers as they do not share a common goal or objective in their play (Cetken-Aktas & Sevimli-Celik, 2023). Rianne exhibited many examples of solitary or parallel play throughout the preschool program, showing preference for activities that were not overly crowded or staying in areas of the classroom that would offer solitude. Having knowledge about Rianneâs family dynamics allows for greater understanding of her actions within the preschool and why she may display certain social and emotional learning competencies more than others. 59Kyna demonstrated a different demeanour in the preschool, as she was often observed as being more outgoing and outspoken. As an only child, Kynaâs primary caregiver Natalie discussed how in one of the parent-educator meetings, the early childhood educator shared how Kynaâs lapses in impulse control could potentially be connected to her lack of socialization as an only child. Natalie shared, I do remember like at the meeting with Paige [another early childhood educator], she was telling us, um, just because of [â¦] herself and Brittanie both have only, um, having only childâs themselves, so sometimes they see like how Kyna interacts. Like if somebody's like building blocks, and if she wants to join in, she'll like push, like ruin the blocks just so it can [â¦] it's like her way of like getting in to help, like build it [â¦] instead of just saying like, oh, can I join and can I play? Because obviously, when she's here at home, like if she breaks her block, she's the one who's gonna have to, like, fix it herself, right? As Kynaâs personal family system does not offer opportunities for her to interact and share her play materials, Kyna was seen navigating difficult situations in the preschool regarding communicating with her same-aged peers and learning how to self-regulate her frustrations. Similar to Rianne, Kyna showed a preference to speaking with the staff and volunteers of the preschool rather than her peers. As most of her at-home experience is in interacting with adults, Kyna would sometimes find difficulty in how to best communicate with her peers when sharing in an activity. When discussing the childrenâs level of engagement in the preschool, Brittanie explained, Kyna, on the other hand, she is super high level. However, still she struggled with communicating with friends. So yes, she can explain, she can understand, she can, you know, she's amazing. But, uh, talking about communicating with peers, she sometimes 60has struggled because she cannot get the idea how is, uh, like how to say like, how much she can go for it, how much she should step back? This quote from Brittanie directly connected to the observations I had made on Kyna at the preschool and in the interview with her caregiver Natalie. Having a greater understanding of Kynaâs familial background, allowed the early childhood educator to better address her caregivers and hold a thoughtful discussion on how to best support Kyna within her current developmental state. Brittanie continued to share the importance of understanding each child and their personal backgrounds, so they have an easier transition as they enter and engage in the preschool program. Knowing that the preschool is diverse, she highlights how she provides various options for each child to engage in the play materials and to explore activities that provide comfort but also allow the children to go beyond their comfort-zone. She says, It's also important some of the friends who is, uh, pre-kinder because they understand what, what they like and what they don't, what they're not interested in. So sometimes we explain during the lunch break the lunch time that, okay, today we're going to do this, this, this, this and then, you know, they get a little idea. âOh, today we're going to do this! Oh, I want to try that.â And once the time comes, and then even they're playing with something else, they can get into that, uh, activity because they wanted to or they're looking for it. So, yeah, that's, that's how we do. Knowing each child as an individual, allows for greater support and connection between the early childhood educator and the child. As an early childhood education program is attended by a diversity of children, in order to fully understand their actions, motives, and behaviour, it is important to also know their family heritage and background. 61Flexibility of the Early Childhood Educator. This sub-theme emphasizes the critical role the early childhood educator plays in the preschool program. Beyond language barriers that can pose communicational issues between the early childhood educator and immigrant families, additional barriers such as the familyâs structure, prior socialization of the children, and the need for individualized support may come into play. Navigating these barriers requires the early childhood educator to be flexible in their teaching approach, knowing how to best support and guide the learning of each child in the preschool. Brittanie shares how in her observations, the social and emotional learning development of the children in the program, specifically with Kyna and Rianne, vary in many ways. When asked about her observations on Kyna and Rianneâs social and emotional learning competencies, she goes on to share, I've been seeing that two friends, uh, even like, you know, all those five skills are growing. At the same, maybe you know the different speed, [â¦] different amount, but they're actually growing, that's, [â¦], um, that's also the one other thing that I love this job because, you know, you see growth. Right, so whatever they do, whatever they're doing this time, maybe next year they're different, the two years they're doing differently. So, uh, to me, the communication, self-regulations, you know all those stuffs, they're building slower, and trying to find a way that how they can actually grow by themselves. Brittanie acknowledges the differences between Kyna and Rianne and continues to share how her approach in teaching is influenced by how to support them through their individual needs. Brittanie shares how her teaching approach is in being able to meet each child where they are and learning to communicate to them in a way that is specific to how they can best understand. When conducting the preschool program, Brittanie discusses the framework of a play and learn preschool, where children are given autonomy and freedom to choose activities 62they want to engage in without feeling forced or pressured to do so. When children may not appear to be engaged in the activities, Brittanie remarks, What I think the important thing is that the, the teacher also, um, uh... encourage them to look around, talk to others. You know, like invite them to get into the communication, like a conversation into it instead of just let them do. So, any, any activities what we throw in most likely we do, uh, teacher leading but not a whole thing like you know partially or even like in just only the beginning. The teacher leading that program but then leave it to the children. So that way they also have a, a freedom to explore themselves. Freedom and flexibility are what is heavily emphasized in this preschool, allowing the children to grow and learn at their own individual paces rather than being grouped and assessed altogether. The individualized support provided for each student is only possible due to the ratio of early childhood educators, volunteers, and children within this centre, and is what makes this preschool program revered by the families and caregivers. Kay went on to say, Oh! Oh I'm so happy. I saw Rianne happy, then I'm happy. [Laughs] Yeah. Happy and excited. Because like this preschool, it helps Rianne to be like by herself [â¦], so I don't need to worry about going to kindergarten because she can do it like she's ready [â¦]. Yeah. She's ready to kindergarten because of that preschool, I think [â¦]. Yeah, they learned a lot. Having an early childhood educator who is adept at understanding the children enrolled in their preschool program and how to navigate communicational barriers that may arise, can positively impact the overall experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in early childhood education. 63Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in Everyday Early Childhood Education Curricula. Overview. Another theme that emerged from this research question was on the value of âintegrating social and emotional learning in everyday early childhood education curricula.â The main focus of this theme is to emphasize the need for early childhood education programs to incorporate lessons and competency education on social and emotional learning skills. This theme highlights the importance of incorporating social and emotional learning competencies into the preschool curricula, especially when they are not teaching a social and emotional learning program. Brittanie explained how in their preschool program, there is no formal social and emotional learning program or framework that is being taught to the children. Instead, lesson plans and activities may provide the platform for children to develop social and emotional competencies in transferable ways. From the observations made in the preschool, the main social and emotional learning competencies that were worked on the most for the children was self-management and responsible decision-making. Self-Management. Self-management can be defined as, âthe abilities to manage oneâs emotions, thoughts, and behaviours effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirationsâ (CASEL, 2025, para. 2). Developing this social and emotional learning competency for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children is especially important as they spent some of their early years in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kay specifically discussed the pandemic and how it impacted Rianneâs involvement in programs designed to help her develop socialization skills by saying, âI think that's all that time she stopped a full year, so 2020 to 2021. That's a full year stop by herself because that time that's a, a, you don't go, you canât go outside, right? [â¦]. You canât, there's nothing, nothing to do during the pandemicâ. Kay continued to say 64that because of the pandemic and Rianneâs home life, there were little opportunities for her to develop her social and emotional skills. She shares, So, with, because with Rianneâs social interaction with other kids is like a little [â¦] because like she don't have any other like, [â¦], or she don't have friends or playdate to play with [sic]. So, you, if you notice at preschool, she's just sometimes she just always play by herself because she used to play by herself at home. As the children were unable to be socialized at an early age, their enrolment in the preschool is one of the first experiences of engaging in peer socialization. Self-management skills were impacted as the second-generation Filipino immigrant children were observed as having greater difficulty in listening and following the directions of the early childhood educators and volunteers. The children would display feelings of apathy and disengagement by not showing emotional reactions or communicating when being addressed by the staff in the preschool program, needing to be reminded several times about etiquette and behaviour before agreeing to follow the rules. The data reflects how the situational experiences of a child can impact the way they enter the preschool classroom and chooses to interact with others. As the preschool program does not have any specific social and emotional learning frameworks incorporated, there can be missed opportunities in developing and strengthening competencies that have been hindered due to the worldly circumstances these children have found themselves in. Acknowledging this, Brittanie emphasized the importance of teaching communication to the children stating, âI think that's the whole point that you know the parents put the children into the preschool, is that children build their social skills. Something that they cannot learn, or they 65cannot practice at a home. So, we tried to encourage, you know, the children how to talk to friends, like as a model.â Responsible Decision Making. An additional social and emotional learning competency that the early childhood educator would integrate into the play and learn activities was responsible decision-making. When creating activity stations for the children, Brittanie shared how the activities would be designed in a way that allowed children to respond in prosocial responses to the needs of others, such as limiting materials available to encourage sharing and communication. One example of this was when Rianne was at the arts and crafts table and playing with the playdoh activity. On the table were a few different tools that the children could utilize to make various shapes, textures, and patterns with the versatile material. When Rianne needed a specific tool for her design, she politely asked her peer who had it on their side if she could borrow it for her project. Rianne had also noticed that some of her peers were making food related items with the playdoh and in wanting to participate, had asked them if she could also make some food items alongside them. Rianne and her peers continued to work together harmoniously at the arts and crafts table sharing materials and creating different works of art. However, Brittanie goes on to discuss how the play and learn model they follow does not specifically guide the educators on how to develop social and emotional learning competencies for each child. In the observations I made on Kyna and Rianne, they demonstrated various strengths and weaknesses in social and emotional learning competencies. As situations would arise in the preschool program, there were no specific frameworks that could guide the early childhood educator in how to best address these behaviours. Brittanie went on to say, âIt's like, you know, it might be easier if I have a checklist. And then if I said OK, check, check, check, check. OK. She's good at this, sheâs weaker for this, but I don't have the checklist, [â¦] so it's, 66yeah, it's hard to sayâ. Without knowing how to integrate social and emotional learning competencies into the preschool curriculum, it poses challenges for the early childhood educator to best support the second-generation immigrant children in developing these social and emotional competencies. Despite the lack of formal social and emotional learning programs in the preschool, there are still opportunities to integrate these competencies into the everyday curricula in early childhood education. Brittanie shared examples that included guided play, encouraging peers to socialize and communicate with one another, and offering various types of activities that allow the children to navigate new challenges and obstacles. However, without proper guidelines and education on social and emotional learning, it may be difficult for the early childhood educator to know what areas to best focus on for the children and to recognize which competencies need to be further developed, especially as demonstrated by the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Summary of Research Question One The key findings that have emerged from research question one highlights the essential need for early childhood education programs to be adaptable and flexible for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Beyond language barriers that may exist for this demographic, additional barriers such as oneâs family dynamic may pose a challenge for these children in an educational space which may impact their experiences with social and emotional learning. When early childhood education centres are not supported in their knowledge in social and emotional learning, then the children in the preschool program may be highly impacted in their learning and development. 67Research Question Two Themes Overview. Research question two focused on the experiences of the caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs. There are three primary themes that emerged from this research question. The first theme focuses on finding community as a pillar of support for newcomer families with the sub-themes of importance of cultural community and developing a supportive social network. The second theme is on the inclusion of the family system in SEL programs, and the third theme is on the value of acknowledging a childâs socio-cultural background, with the sub-themes of communication with dual-language learners and the childrenâs self-awareness (Figure 5). Figure 5 Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question Two Finding Community as a Pillar of Support for Newcomer Families. Overview. The first theme, âFinding community as a pillar of support for newcomer familiesâ discusses how important it is for immigrant families to establish a sense of community within their newfound home. When immigrating to a new country, oftentimes, these families are 68faced with various interconnecting barriers that they need to navigate in their resettlement, with one major barrier being the lack of a social network and support system within their new home (Fakhari et al., 2023). The data collected under this theme highlight the two sub-themes identified which are, the importance placed on oneâs cultural community when immigrating and how valuable it is to find a strong system of support. Importance of Cultural Community. This first sub-theme discusses the importance of connecting to oneâs cultural community when immigrating to a new country. During the interviews with Rianneâs caregiver Kay, and Kynaâs caregiver Natalie, they both shared similar sentiments in establishing a found community with fellow Filipinoâs after immigrating to Vancouver. Immigrating to Vancouver in 2011 alongside her 2 other children, Kay expresses how her older children who had previous educational experience in the Philippines had some difficulty when they began school in Canada. When reflecting on her older childrenâs experiences in their initial move to Canada, she goes on to share, The culture differences because sa Philippines, they have lots of friends [â¦] and their family is there, right? So like more comfortable, sila sa Philippines, bago, nung pumunta sila dito. Like they don't know any from school or even here, just yeah, kami lang. So, yeah, there's a culture shock for them. The culture differences because in the Philippines, they have lots of friends [â¦] and their family is there, right? So, they would be like more comfortable, in the Philippines. Before we came here in Canada just by ourselves. Like they don't know any from school or even here, just yeah, just us alone. So, yeah, there's a culture shock for them. When her children first began a new school, Kay discusses how they underwent a culture shock due to the lack of community and family with whom they can connect with. However, Kay 69went on to discuss that an important aspect in her childrenâs transition into Canada and beginning to feel comfortable in their newfound home, was in the establishment of finding friends that share the same cultural background as themselves. When I had asked her if it took a longer period of time for her children to become comfortable in their educational space, she remarked, I think no, it's not that long [â¦] because like at the school too [there are a lot of] Filipinos, there's a lot of Filipino too, so that's not it's not that bad. Yeah. I think just a few months or like maybe like that for the culture shock. So even like the weather, the time, it's all different, so it's a culture shock. But all of a sudden, like when they're at school and then they meet new friends, and they're hang out with their friends, mostly, [sic] the Filipino. With the found cultural community that her children created at school, they were able to build a community with a group of Filipinos who hold shared cultural values within their newfound country. Natalie also shared her own experience when discussing her familyâs immigration to Canada. Natalie immigrated to Canada as a young child and spent the majority of her education in Vancouver, where she shared that there was not as big of a culture shock for her in the education system as her school had a higher percentage of Filipinos in attendance. Referencing her own educational experiences, Natalie says, Since the school that I went to was mostly Filipino, [the school] was like, you know like 80% Filipino, back then it was. I know now it's all mixed too, but yeah, it's just all Filipino [laughs] lifestyle over here. Natalie continues to share that although the school she was enrolled in was initially chosen for its proximity, she continued her education in that same school as her and her family 70had built a good foundation with the community, having made family-like friends that kept them in that same community. During the first few months of an immigrantâs transition into a new country, they can encounter different barriers that can pose issues in their resettlement. One factor that can assist first-generation immigrants navigate these systemic and cultural barriers is to develop their own community within the new country and being able to find a community with whom they share a similar cultural values and heritage. When immigrants can find a cultural community, this can provide an additional level of comfort, especially for young children transitioning into the educational system. Developing a Supportive Social Network. An additional factor that can assist first-generation immigrants in their transition into a new country, is for them to develop a social network of individuals with whom they feel comfortable and supported by. Throughout the interviews with Kay and Natalie, they both emphasized how they chose to enroll their children, Rianne and Kyna, at Marpole Oakridge Family Place due to the strong support network that they have created with the early childhood educators, staff, and other families. When discussing her previous knowledge of early childhood education in the Philippines, Kay shares that preschool is not a prevalent program in the countryâs school curriculum. She says, Or even I didn't hear sa Province namin, I mean, I don't hear any, like preschool. You know that, like the public school? Something like, not even in kindergarten. Alam mo nasang yon mga munisipyo, I hear that before during that time. Yeah, I hear that. But with my kids in Philippines, they don't attend that. Back home in the Philippines, preschool is not very popular or not often utilized, or even I didn't hear in our Province. I mean, I don't hear any, like preschool. You know that, like 71the public school? Something like [that], not even in kindergarten. Do you know about community centres or city halls? I hear that before during that time. Yeah, I hear that. But with my kids in Philippines, they don't attend that. Kay further elaborates to say that preschool was never a norm in the Philippine education system when she was growing up or for her older children who both grew up in the Philippines. Instead, children entered school by grade 1, where curriculum was framed around academic coursework and school hours were longer compared to the Canadian education system. Kay shared, âI think only [sic] four or five subjects here in Canada, compared to Philippines. I think in Philippines they have English, Tagalog, PE, what other, Sibika [Social Studies] something like that. I think there's 8,8 subjects [â¦] and more hours, compared to here [â¦] 5 hours compared to the Philippines, 8 hours, right? So, very much so, longer hours and more subjects [in the Philippines].â When she moved to Canada and she learned about early childhood education, her goal became to find a suitable preschool that her daughter Rianne would be comfortable in attending. Not being familiar with the concept of preschool, Kay first found the early childhood centre through their drop-in program where she was then informed of the additional preschool program they offer. Although sharing her apprehension at first, Kay discusses how the preschool program has become a great level of support in Rianneâs development, and how her and her daughterâs comfort with the school and educators continues to bring them back to this program, despite it being farther in proximity. Kay elaborates, I think Rianneâs fine. She's happy. So, this is her second term at preschool, yeah [â¦] [pause]Because like it's [sic] because I live in [redacted] a little bit far, I need to take two buses. But, Rianne, I think Rianne likes it there, and she used to it already. She knows the teachers, she knows, so, yeah, I keep in her too. 72This direct quotation from Kay demonstrates how valuable it is for individuals to create a strong and supportive social network for themselves and their family members. Especially for immigrant families, creating a system of support in their community is essential in the formation of relationships in aiding in the transition to a new country and in the childâs educational experience within the new country as well. The early childhood education system and its educators and staff provide a level of support that allows for the first-generation Filipino immigrant families, alongside their second-generation Filipino immigrant children to feel safe and welcomed into this newfound space. Natalie also shared in Kayâs experience of being very comfortable at the preschool program, especially for her own daughter. Being familiar with Marpole Oakridge Family Place because of their family drop-in program, Natalie was informed of the additional preschool program and wanted to enroll Kyna. She shared, When it came to the time for her to go to preschool, it was just inevitable she would go there just cause she knew all the teachers already, [and] felt comfortable there? So yeah, they're very good there. And also bonuses that they provide lunch [laughs], which other places do not, which is amazing. Um, yeah, they're really great with the kids and Kyna, she loves it. She loves it there. The systems of support offered to the caregivers by the early childhood education centre are what propelled Kay and Natalie to send their children to that specific preschool program, knowing that they are cared for, learning well, and welcomed in the educational space. The caregivers continued to discuss at length that with the support given to them by the early childhood educators and with the community they created with the other families, they felt more at ease with the education system for their young children, as the space created for the children 73has been made to best support their individualized needs and development of social and emotional learning skills. Through the strong support system developed in the preschool, the caregivers were able to take notice of the social and emotional growth that their children were exhibiting and have thoughtful discussions with the early childhood educator regarding the different competencies their children had strengths and weaknesses in. Kay elaborated on her own observations of Rianne saying, So, [sic] with Rianneâs social interaction with other kids is like a little [â¦] because like she don't have any other [sic] or she don't have friends or playdate to play with [sic]. So, you if you notice at preschool, she's just sometimes, she just always play by herself because she used to play by herself at home. With the level of support Kay received from the early childhood educator, she continued to remark how the preschool has allowed for Rianne to interact with so many different people, specifically noting how the preschool helps to âenhance her communication skills.â The discussions held with the caregivers showcased how the supportive systems they have built with the early childhood educators and the staff has greatly impacted the overall development of their children in a positive manner. Their experiences can be categorized as very positive, aiding in the development of strong social and emotional learning competencies. Inclusion of Family System in Social and Emotional Learning Programs. The second theme that emerged from research question two is the âInclusion of family system in social and emotional learning programsâ. Within this theme, the interviews pointed towards a lack of knowledge on social and emotional learning for the caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. When discussing the value of social and emotional learning programs in 74early childhood education, it is important to also note the role of the family in programming, as they provide additional support in the development of social and emotional learning competency for young children, extending their learning beyond the classroom and into the home. Throughout the interviews with the caregivers, a shared experience they both discussed was on the lack of knowledge on social and emotional learning. Kay discusses how education in the Philippines had no specific programming that focused on or incorporates social and emotional learning competencies. It was not until she had enrolled Rianne in preschool, that she learned more about how early education can help her daughter develop different types of social and emotional skill sets that she may not be confident in. Natalie shared a similar experience, noting that social and emotional learning was never spoken about in her previous educational experience, and she could also not think of any course curriculum that may have touched upon social and emotional learning competencies. In fact, when both caregivers were prompted to share their current knowledge on social and emotional learning, they expressed how they did not have much information on the topic and had asked for me to elaborate on what social and emotional learning is and its role in education. When I had prompted them to share if the preschool or early childhood educators have talked to them about social and emotional learning competencies, both Kay and Natalie expressed how it was never explicitly spoken about during parent-teacher meetings or in the preschool framework. The lack of awareness and education on social and emotional learning impacted the experiences of the caregivers, as they each spoke about competencies that they wanted their children to work on and further develop through preschool, but were not aware of the specific terminology on how to identify what type of skills their children may need to work on, or how to continue the learning and development of those skill sets through valuable program 75activities at home. As the preschool does not implement any social and emotional learning programs or follow a research-based framework, the caregivers also shared how there are no take-home activities the early childhood educators provide for the families that can further assist them in providing continuing education for their children on honing into their social and emotional competencies. Although the caregivers did not have any previous knowledge of social and emotional learning, they did share with me some activities they conduct at home with their children that could assist them in developing transferable social and emotional learning skills. Kay shared some of Rianneâs favourite activities to do at home saying, âat home we do have arts and crafts, reading books, and then like baking, [â¦] yeahâ. When asked if Rianne had any favourite activities, Kay said, âprincesses? [â¦] Especially mermaids. Princess, mermaids, yeah...But I think it's all- and oh, books tooâ. Natalie also shared Kynaâs favourite at-home activities, saying, She loves puzzles. We do that all the time, puzzles [â¦]. Now, I notice she likes to help in the kitchen [laughs], so we bought, like, you know, those little play knives, so she can help cut her fruit. But she always wants to help [laughs] those things. Yes, a lot of crafts. Like, we try to do lots of crafts. These various activities that the caregivers conduct at home alongside their children, represent the important connection between learning in the classroom and continued learning at home. The activities the families would conduct at home were also representative of the types of favoured activities the second-generation Filipino immigrant children would participate in at the preschool, as I observed them for two weeks. Gaining knowledge on the childrenâs preferred activities can be a catalyst for developing social and emotional learning competencies and 76working towards furthering the childrenâs learning of certain skills. However, without the proper education or tools on how to integrate social and emotional learning in everyday activities, at-home interactions through arts and crafts, cooking, baking, and playing dress-up may not be utilized in a way that can maximize its educational capabilities. Acknowledging a Childâs Socio-Cultural Background. Overview. The final theme that emerged from research question two was on the importance of âacknowledging a childâs socio-cultural backgroundâ. While conducting this research study, through the data collection of observations and interviews, it became clear how important the different relationships each second-generation Filipino immigrant child had in their lives, and how it impacted their experiences with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. A key relationship for these children is their primary caregivers and additional family members, who are directly involved in the socio-cultural upbringing of these children and are laying the groundwork for their early experiences and the reality these children have built for themselves. The role the caregivers played in the early childhood education space was heavily emphasized through the actions of the children in the preschool, and in particular, of their self-awareness at school. Communication with Dual-Language Learners. The children recruited in this research study have a diverse personal heritage, as second-generation Filipino immigrant children with at least one parent being a first-generation Filipino immigrant having moved to Canada before them being born. This socio-cultural background is pertinent to note when considering their experiences within the preschool and in their experiences with social and emotional learning. The caregivers of Rianne and Kyna discussed their rich cultural backgrounds and how their at-home lives and the dynamics of their families have impacted the development of their children. 77Focusing on an immigrant family perspective, the caregivers Kay and Natalie, both shared how they were raised in a dual-language home and that they are currently raising their children Rianne and Kyna in a dual-language home as well. Natalie discusses how her daughter Kyna experiences a dual-language upbringing with English and Tagalog by spending time with her grandma who is Filipino. When I had asked if Kyna can understand Tagalog, Natalie shares, She can understand some words, yes, and obviously all the foods, like she eats all the foods because my parents watch her when I'm at work. Like on Fridays theyâll watch her. My husband will drop her off and then my mom will like, you know, say things to her that she'll [sic] understand it. Kay also goes on to share in her interview how the communication at her home with Rianne is in both Tagalog and English, where she has been teaching Rianne how to speak and understand Tagalog, especially in preparation for their trips to the Philippines to ease communicational barriers. Knowing how these children communicate at home, and their cultural upbringing can greatly impact the experiences they have in the classroom. The level of comfort the caregivers have in the preschool and with the early childhood educators is representative of the efforts made by the early childhood educator to recognize the socio-cultural background of each child through their approach in communication and programming. When discussing how she approaches conversations with the caregivers, the early childhood educator, Brittanie, shared, When I talk to parents or when I, you know, explain to the parents, it'll be a little bit different, because Kyna's mom, she's more like a Canadian, like, you know, she's been here for a long time [â¦] and her husband is Canadian, so it's more like a Canadian way. However, on the other side, if I talk to Rianne's parents, it's a little more different. 78Brittanie continued to explain how she chooses to acknowledge the cultural backgrounds of the children and their caregivers, to help navigate how she communicates and interacts with the families. Brittanieâs recognition of the socio-cultural background of the Filipino families is reflected in their high levels of comfort in communicating with her regarding any aspect of the preschool program. When asked about her level of comfort with the preschool, Kay enthusiastically expressed, âOh yeah, I feel comfortable like so. Like I always ask [â¦] if, like, how is Rianne at school? And then, yeahâ. Natalie also shared a similar sentiment stating, Theyâre really, they're really good. Like, um, I like how they're really open about like communication. Like if I have questions about what's going on in the schools, you know, give them a quick e-mail, they'll give me updates and they do like meetings every now and then, um, like how your child is doing, you know? Tell us the good and the bad. So no, I like that that they're really communicative or their communication is really good with the parents. Self-Awareness. Reflecting on the importance of communication, an example of the childrenâs socio-cultural backgrounds impacting how they communicate in the preschool was represented in their increased self-awareness. As both second-generation immigrant children are pre-dominantly surrounded by adults in their home life, this type of socialization is representative in how they move around the preschool and react to different situations. For Rianne, when approaching a new situation, she was observed as acting cautiously, curious with what is taking place, but apprehensive with joining in with her peers immediately. If Rianne chooses to participate in an activity that already has other peers engaging, she will quietly look for an open space that allows her to join, or if the area is busy, would choose to move onto another activity that has less people. Rianne was able to identify her feelings clearly when she 79was prompted by the educator, however, would only do so when speaking to an adult, showing her preference in speaking to the older staff versus her same aged peers. Kyna showed a similar preference in her choice of communication and was observed speaking predominately with the early childhood educator or staff rather than her peers. From the interviews conducted with the early childhood educator Brittanie and the responses provided by the caregivers Kay and Natalie, they reflected upon the value placed on acknowledging the socio-cultural backgrounds of participating families in the early childhood education space, cultivating an environment of open communication, care, and comfort. The observations corroborated this theme as the self-awareness established by the children was highly influenced by their socio-cultural backgrounds and upbringing. Summary of Research Question Two The second research question explored the experiences of the caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. The themes that were revealed through this research question discusses the importance of finding community as a pillar of support for immigrant families, recognizing the socio-cultural backgrounds that impact the development of their children, and further education for the families of the young children on the topic of social and emotional learning within early childhood education. For first-generation Filipino immigrant caregivers, a common shared experience that they both discussed was on their lack of knowledge on social and emotional learning competencies. To mitigate this gap of knowledge, an early childhood educator must cultivate avenues of learning that is respectful of the varying socio-cultural backgrounds of each child, creating a culture of care to further aid in the growth and development for the child and in the comfort of their caregivers. 80Research Question Three Themes Research question three focused on the early childhood educator and asked the question, what are the experiences of early childhood educators in implementing social and emotional learning with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant young children? Although this particular early childhood education centre did not implement a social and emotional learning program in its preschool, the framework of a âplay and learnâ centre, highly impacted the social and emotional development of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. The three primary themes that emerged from this research question include, the flexibility of the early childhood educator, highlighting social and emotional learning into early childhood education programs, with the sub-themes of integrating social and emotional learning competencies in everyday early childhood curricula and professional development in social and emotional learning within early childhood education. The final theme focuses on the value of utilizing a funds of knowledge approach (Figure 6). Figure 6 Themes and Sub-themes for Research Question Three 81Flexibility of the Early Childhood Educator. The first theme âflexibility of the early childhood educatorâ focuses on the role the educator must play when conducting a preschool program with a heterogenous classroom. As discussed in research question one, examples of barriers that exist for children to engage in the early childhood education classroom include family dynamics and previous socialization of the children. For early childhood educators who are teaching a diverse group of children, it is essential that they remain flexible and adaptable in their teaching approach. Within the early childhood education centre, despite the educators following a âplay and learnâ framework, Brittanie emphasized the importance for herself, the fellow staff and volunteers to be flexible and adaptable in their approach to teaching. Brittanie shared with me her core values in early childhood education and how she approaches teaching children in this pivotal developmental period. Brittanie expresses, As a ECE like focus on early child not like you know, school age group, I feel like we were, um, building a children. I mean, we were supporting a children to build their life skills. So, the life skill is not only like you know, um, communicate with others or you know, um, talking to the teachers, it's more like you know how to follow the rules, how to follow routines and even like you know how to even wait. So that's the biggest thing that we were doing in the classroom. [sic] And it is also that's something that we cannot really do like as a parent, we cannot do at home because you know at a home like I have only one child. So, she never ever be able to learn how to wait for other friends because at home she's a princess, right? She doesn't need to wait. So, um, yeah, that's, um, that's [sic] what we were doing at the school. And then I think that the, big, the ECE is a big part of it. It's not just teaching, it's more like a supporting them to build their skills. 82Brittanie, who references her own personal experience as a parent, emphasizes how early childhood education works to assist young children in developing essential life skills and social and emotional learning competencies that allows them to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Beyond academic competencies, Brittanie shares how her beliefs as an early childhood educator focuses on the individual growth of each child in the classroom, working towards meeting each child where they currently are in their learning and development, and creating suitable activities that work towards their growth. When talking about how her and the other early childhood educator organize the âplay and learnâ framework of the preschool, Brittanie discusses how they try to follow a loose structure that still allows for the freedom and flexibility to make the program adaptable to the children. She goes on to say, âBasically, [â¦] we kind of agreed that you know, we need to have some sort of structure like, you know, the [sic] system at the base. However, we don't want to stick too much on it, [â¦] so it's kind of general idea that we set goals according to the, uh, frameworks. However, we also, um, change accordingly as a yeah, flexibilityâ. This flexibility is important for the preschool as Brittanie also shares how different the children are, making it clear how there is a need for the educators to learn how to navigate the differences amongst the diverse landscape. A key role in creating a teaching approach that allows for flexibility is communication, which Brittanie references back to often during the interview. She says, I'm sure that you've seen a lot of different types of children in a class [laughs] [â¦], even like, you know, [laughs] like a socializing skills too. Everybody has a different level, different way. You know, they're, they're different. [â¦] So, um, I think that communication is very, very important. Even though people say that you know, now 83we're like, you know, AI or communicating, texting and stuff. I think you know the face-to-face communication is a base and a fundamental. The role of communication is essential when considering the flexibility of an early childhood educator. In addition to assisting the children develop their communication skills, the early childhood educator themselves needs to learn how to best communicate with each child in the classroom, as well as, with one another, fellow staff, and the caregivers of the children in order to create an educational atmosphere that is welcoming and considerate of each family. Brittanie and the early childhood education team at the preschool, represent how being openly communicative and flexible in their approach to teaching has created a strong community and culture of care, which is reflected in the comfort of the children and their caregivers. Natalie supports this by sharing, They're really good. Like, um, I like how they're really open about like, communication. Like if I have questions about what's going on in the schools, you know, give them a quick e-mail, they'll give me updates and they do like meetings every now and then, um, like how your child is doing, you know? Tell us the good and the bad. So no, I like that that they're really communicative or their communication is really good with the parents. When the early childhood educators are open and clear in their communication regarding the education of their children, the children will become better supported by all of the various systems who assist in aiding their growth and development, including the development of social and emotional learning competencies. 84Highlighting Social and Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education Programs. Overview. Another theme that emerged from research question three was âhighlighting social and emotional learning in early childhood education programsâ. The preschool in which this research study took place, did not have a specific social and emotional learning program being implemented. Instead, the early childhood educators expressed how they work towards incorporating social and emotional learning competencies within the various activities they organize on a day-to-day basis. Findings from the interview with the early childhood educator highlight both limited knowledge in the field of social and emotional learning and a continuing need for targeted professional development. The sub-themes in connection to research question three includes integrating social and emotional learning in everyday early childhood education curricula and professional development in social and emotional learning within early childhood education. Integrating Social and Emotional Learning in Everyday Early Childhood Education Curricula. In the interview with Brittanie, she spoke of how the current framework in the preschool which she follows is not specifically supported by any research-based social and emotional learning program. Although they do not follow any particular social and emotional learning framework, she discusses how they try to follow a âplay and learnâ structure, which invites children to engage in various activities, positioning the aspect of play as a pivotal learning tool for young children, and work towards incorporating learning in each activity that can be connected to broad social and emotional learning competencies. When asked if they have a firm framework that guides the classroom program, Brittanie shares, 85I should say it's all mixed. So mixed, I mean is that we [sic] have a little like, you know, not this, um, firm structures for the framework. However, we also reflect [sic] it too, like when we set up the goals for each children. In uh, each week we follow that, um, the frameworks. However, we're so flexible, so sometimes the children, we found that oh, children need to go this way, or maybe she needs to practice that one. So, we are flexible to change it and then, uh, apply to them accordingly. Brittanie highlights how for each child in the preschool, she tries to create tangible goals that each one may need to work on and adjusts the activities accordingly. Specifically for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children, Rianne and Kyna, Brittanie states how the goals for each of them are focused on developing stronger social and emotional learning competencies. For Rianne, Brittanie shares how the goals set for her focus on relationship skills and developing positive communication and socialization. Whereas for Kyna, Brittanie focuses on developing self-management, through regulating her emotions and impulses. Some examples she provides include group activities where Rianne and Kyna need to learn how to share limited materials or work in pairs to complete a project, as well as, setting up clear rules and boundaries for participating in activities where they may be forced to close down activity centres if they are not being properly followed. An observed example of this took place with Kyna, who was playing at the sensory table and learning about the science of colour mixing. When Kyna joined her peers, the educator explained the rules of the activity and then focused her attention on the children who were having difficulty operating the materials. When Kyna had noticed this, she began to perform actions that were against the rules set-up by the educator. After being reminded a few times about the etiquette at the table, Kyna continued to act out, and that had forced the educator to close the sensory table altogether. Although Kyna understands rules and directions very well, 86she sometimes exhibited lapses in impulse control when situations were not working according to her personal preference or when attention needed to be shared amongst her peers. This shared observation I had with the early childhood educator shows how the activities in place are specifically designed to hone onto social and emotional learning competencies. Without having a proper framework on teaching these competences, the early childhood educators are finding alternative ways to integrate social and emotional learning into the everyday activities, in hopes that the children can gain transferable skills. The caregivers, Kay and Natalie, share in the interview how they have each observed growth in their children regarding social and emotional learning competencies, with Brittanie echoing a similar sentiment stating, â[sic] According to that time, like what they're doing, how she's feeling, um, so, their communication skill or even like a socializing skill is definitely growing, um, compared to the time that they startedâ. The value of utilizing a teaching framework that can incorporate social and emotional learning competencies in diverse ways, is important for reaching the developmental goals for young children. Brittanie expresses how she tries to weave social and emotional learning within the various activity centres that they prepare in the preschool, and it is through the active socialization amongst the children with one another, the staff, and the educators that these skill sets can be worked and improved upon throughout the preschool day. Brittanie also shares how in her teaching, it is important for her to create an environment that is enriching and developmentally sound for the children, despite not having the tools that may allow for her to conduct rigorous and research-based activities. Despite this, she discusses how herself and her fellow educator work towards creating a preschool program that can incorporate essential 87learning milestones, such as social and emotional learning, so that each child is provided the opportunity to grow in these competencies. Professional Development in Social and Emotional Learning Within Early Childhood Education. Within early childhood education, the lack of educator training and knowledge in social and emotional learning was highlighted in the interview with Brittanie. When asked about her knowledge on social and emotional learning, Brittanie was able to highlight the important concepts, but also remarked on how there is a lack of focus and support through materials on social and emotional learning within the framework of the preschool, which can make it difficult to assess children on their social and emotional learning competencies. As mentioned earlier in research question one, Brittanie discusses how it would be easier to assess the children on their strengths and weaknesses on social and emotional learning if they have a checklist that focuses on the types of competencies that are important for young childrenâs development. Without proper tools or measures, it is difficult for her to understand how to properly create learning assessments and activities that are assistive for each child. In addition to these obstacles, the lack of professional development in social and emotional learning for early childhood educators is also due to the shortened hours for early education. Brittanie shares, So, our preschool, we do have you know, um, [â¦] first of all our hour is really short because we have you know, lunch, we have outside play, you know it's a very short time. Um, but also, we set up like programming everyday like, um, we plan ahead, and we try to you know, uh, introduce hands on activities or even like a communication game you know. Um, and then also, you know we only have three days a week, [â¦] that's also really short time. So, we kind of separate like, OK, let's say Tuesday, we do focus on sensory activities, Wednesday, we focus on, um, creatively, creative activities, and then 88Thursday, we can do like a motor skill activity that kind of that kind of stuff. [â¦] So, um, it's more to me, it's quite hard because short time. [sic] Um, less days, um, but we were trying to accommodate and provide, uh, as much as possible to [â¦] the children, how, like, you know, they can grow inside of the classroom [â¦] and interact with others? With these preschool hours, it is challenging for the early childhood educators to provide diverse educational opportunities for the children and to specifically work on social and emotional learning development. Kay, the caregiver of Rianne, also shared in a similar sentiment on how the shortened hours of the preschool can make it difficult for the children to learn more, and it can post challenges for the caregivers as well. When school hours are shorter, due to operational plans of the centre, it can limit the opportunities for further education that can be provided to both the children and the educators themselves. As an early childhood educator, Brittanie discusses how she has varying experience in different preschool environments, private and non-profit. With each different centre, there are areas that can be improved upon, but especially in a non-profit sector, issues of funding and support can lead to lack of continued educator development, program offerings, and research-based early learning programs such as social and emotional learning that can be offered to first and second-generation immigrant children who may be more likely to access that type of preschool. Equal opportunities for all early childhood educators to be given professional development in fields such as social and emotional learning can be pivotal in supporting the demographic of immigrant children, specifically those of Filipino descent. Funds of Knowledge Approach. The last theme for research question three is the value of utilizing a âfunds of knowledge approach.â Early childhood educators play a key role in the educational experiences of second-generation Filipino immigrant children. The educator is 89responsible for the first formal education experience that a young child will have, and in the introduction of organized activities that work on developing their social and emotional learning competencies. To best support first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children, it is important that educators are incorporating a funds of knowledge approach within their program curricula. In an early childhood education program, early educators can utilize a funds of knowledge approach through the purposeful inclusion of cultural objects that are significant in a childâs household. Through the incorporation of culturally significant objects in the classroom and educating the students on its relevance, the early childhood program honors the childâs cultural diversity and invites the culturally diverse child to become an active participant in the curriculum (Massing et al., 2013). Having the opportunity to attend the preschool program to observe the second-generation Filipino immigrant children permitted me to see first-hand the heterogenous landscape of the classroom. Brittanie also touched upon the culturally diverse enrollment rates of their preschool program, as the non-profit early childhood education centre is often attended by new immigrants within the Greater Vancouver community. To best support this community and in finding ways to incorporate their cultural heritage in the classroom, Brittanie shares an example of how she works towards inviting these families into the preschool. She shares a personal experience saying, Well, of course we celebrate different, you know, uh, holidays and stuff. But, uh, we also, not only this term, but also, we have been inviting the parents. For example, we had, uh, some family from India, so inviting, we [sic] invited the parents and then they dress up their, you know the special, uh, dress. And then they made their food, and then we, you know, learn about the cultures and stuff. So, we always, that's one of the benefits as well 90because we have different cultures. And then when we ask the parents, the parents are so supportable. They're like a very, very, we're so lucky, so, they're like, happy to share the idea. Even, like a one of the family, they came from Egypt, so the parents brought a little, you know, like a pyramid, like a little pyramid. Brittanieâs example of honoring the cultural diversity within her classroom, represents how she is actively including the voices of the families and children in the preschool by utilizing a funds of knowledge approach that is culturally situated and representative of each child. Brittanie continues to discuss how in the preschool program, they emphasize the importance of open communication and actively inviting the caregivers and children into dialogue. When incorporating a funds of knowledge approach, it may go beyond including cultural items into the educational space and can also extend to best practices when having conversations with those of varying socio-cultural backgrounds. When discussing how she approaches parent-teacher meetings, Brittanie shares how herself and her fellow educator work on best practices when approaching each caregiver and how to best communicate with them, uniquely and individually, acknowledging their individual backgrounds beyond a subconscious cultural stereotype. Brittanie shares, Let's say when we set up the meeting, we always you know, have a meeting in a staff first, and how we like there's a goal that we like to explain this, but how we can approach? How we can explain how we can, you know lead to the point? But it's not we are, when we are talking about it, it's we never said oh, because they're coming from that country or because they're coming from this country, it's more like, oh, this parents, let's say, oh, these parents are very sensitive [â¦] or this parents is very open, you know, more like, you know, personal, uh, character that we were talking about and then we bring it all 91together into the meeting. So, it's not because that coming from this country or coming from, you know different prefect, or I don't know area. It's more like the person who how they take or how we can explain, how itâs more easier for them. Recognizing each caregiver and family by their individuality and beyond an overarching assumption based on cultural background is also important to consider when using a funds of knowledge approach in early childhood education. As a funds of knowledge approach allows for a counter-narrative on marginalized families and communities, which includes the immigrant children population, it is important that these individuals are being invited into communication that is thoughtful and considerate of their socio-cultural background and moves beyond addressing them based off cultural assumptions. Brittanieâs approach is valued in the preschool, especially with the caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children who shared how the interactions with the early childhood educators are greatly appreciated, comfortable, and necessary in the development of their children, especially when it comes to developing social and emotional learning competencies. When talking about how to support Rianne, her caregiver Kay talks about how she is being supported and affirmed by the early childhood educators in the preschool saying, So, because for Rianne social communication, it's hard for her [â¦] because like so, it's hard for her because she with other kids she had, she had a hard time...saying her feelings. So, I also saw [the early childhood educator] always tell me that she needs a support for that. Kynaâs caregiver Natalie also shared in her interview her appreciation for the open and considerate communication the early educators have in their dialogue with her. When asked about how her experience with the early childhood educators, Natalie shares, 92They're good. Yeah. Again, like the communication is key and, um, like I know every time I pick Kyna up, there's always something [laughs] like there's something that goes on with her. And I mean, you know, I'm happy for them to tell me everything that's going on with her and um...I don't know. They're just, they're great. They're just great with everything that they do [â¦] They always give us like, what do they call it, like, um, they try to give us some like tasks to work on for like the next term like, like that. Like before the spring break started, we met with them and just to like go over some things that we should work on with Kyna and like those things, yeah. The reflections made by the caregivers highlight the approaches made by the early childhood educators to actively create a preschool that is inclusive and considerate of each culturally diverse child and their family. The experiences of the early childhood educator places at the forefront the value of a funds of knowledge approach in education and in setting a precedence of incorporating the voices of the children through their caregivers and community as a means of furthering their learning and development in early education. Summary of Research Question Three Research question three focuses on the experiences of the early childhood educator of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children in social and emotional learning in early childhood education. Within this preschool, there is no social and emotional learning program being conducted, but the early educator was able to find alternative means in incorporating social and emotional based competencies in their daily program curricula. However, the lack of resources and support in the education system also created a gap of knowledge for early childhood educators in how to purposefully and thoughtfully incorporate social and emotional learning within the preschool curriculum for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. 93When discussing how to best approach the educational needs of the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children population, the additional themes of flexibility of the early childhood educator, professional development opportunities in social and emotional learning, and utilizing a funds of knowledge approach were important to note. Summary of Findings The first research question explored the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. Two main themes emerged from this question that discuss the potential challenges the immigrant children encounter in early childhood education. The first theme, learning to navigate communicational barriers beyond language included two sub-themes of family dynamics and the flexibility of the early childhood educator, demonstrating the importance of the childâs personal background and relationship with the early childhood educator within their education. The second theme was on integrating social and emotional learning competencies in everyday early childhood curricula. As the early childhood education centre where this research study took place did not have a social and emotional learning program being implemented, it was important for the program to find creative avenues of learning that can highlight the development of social and emotional learning competencies, such as self-management and responsible decision-making. The second research question focused on the experiences of the caregivers of the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning, yielding three main themes. The first theme focused on finding community as a pillar of support for newcomer families with the sub-themes of importance of cultural community and developing a supportive social network. This theme discusses how the important role that culture and community networks play in the experiences of caregivers within the field of education. The second theme of 94including the family system in social and emotional learning programs was also important to note, as the interviews revealed the lack of knowledge caregivers may have on the field of social and emotional learning. The last theme discusses the value of acknowledging a childâs socio-cultural background, emphasizing the critical role a childâs family and greater community play in the educational experiences of the Filipino immigrant children. The third research question provided insight on the experiences of the early childhood educator with implementing social and emotional learning with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. The first theme was on the flexibility of the early childhood educator. When the educator can adapt their program curricula to best reflect the children enrolled in the preschool, there were greater opportunities for the young children to connect with the activities and lessons. With there being no social and emotional learning program being taught in the preschool, the theme of highlighting social and emotional learning in early childhood education programs, with the sub-themes of integrating social and emotional learning competencies in everyday early childhood curricula and professional development in social and emotional learning within early childhood education was heavily emphasized. Finally, the theme of a funds of knowledge approach is important to recognize when discussing the teaching experiences of the early childhood educator with the second-generation Filipino immigrant children, as a funds of knowledge approach can assist in formulating a deeper connection to the cultural communities that these children bring into the classroom. 95Chapter Five: Discussion Overview This research study posed three research questions to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning within early childhood education. Following a qualitative, case study approach, this research study followed two second-generation Filipino immigrant children, their caregivers, and early childhood educator to explore their experiences, adding to the literature that currently has minimal to no research conducted on first and second-generation Filipino immigrant childrenâs experiences with social and emotional learning in the early years. Data was analyzed thematically from on-site observation notes and semi-structured interviews. This chapter seeks to discuss how the identified themes and sub-themes from each research question connect to the current literature in place on social and emotional learning and first and second-generation immigrant children. The studyâs contribution to the field of early childhood education research and social and emotional learning is discussed, including its strengths and limitations. This chapter also explores future directions on work in this area and additional reflections I have as the researcher. Connections to the Current Literature In the current literature, there are no research studies that solely focus on the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. For this section, literature that focuses on all first and second-generation immigrant children is instead discussed in connection to the present research study. In this present study, there is a connection made on the importance of finding community for first and second-generation immigrant children, the value of incorporating social and emotional learning within early childhood education and creating a classroom culture of care for the first 96and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Additionally, the importance of educators utilizing a funds of knowledge approach in their teaching practice is discussed and how it can be incorporated into further research specifically in research-based social and emotional learning programs. Importance of Finding Community One recurring theme discussed by the caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children was on the value they place on finding community within their newfound home in Vancouver, Canada. A barrier that immigrant families may experience when moving to a new country is the loss of community and cultural connection, as many newcomers are being separated from extended family and the strong community ties that they have established in their home country. When first-generation immigrant caregivers can form community connections, these new social networks may act as a main source of emotional and informational support, helping families feel welcomed into the country and learn more about valuable programmes in their city and especially for their children (Fakhari et al., 2023). The caregivers in this research study, both shared personal anecdotes on how pivotal the role community played in their immigration to Canada. Kay connected with the value of developing a strong social network and community by discussing how a factor that assisted her and her family in their move to Canada was meeting fellow Filipino families and creating cultural connections with these individuals who assisted in supporting, guiding, and providing familiar comfort for them in this newfound country. Although initially feeling apprehensive in their new country, Kay shared how her children were able to overcome this challenge and feel more comfortable in Canada after they had met fellow Filipinos and developed friendships and systems of support. Natalie also shared a similar experience noting how as a first-generation 97Filipino immigrant, her family chose to settle in a neighbourhood that was predominately Filipino and where they were able to establish a strong cultural community. These findings connect to the study conducted by Fakhari et al., (2023) in identifying systemic barriers that may exist for immigrant families during resettlement into a new country. A fundamental need that Fakhari et al., (2023) identified is the establishment of a strong, supportive social network and acknowledgment of the unique sociocultural background of each immigrant family for a smoother transition in resettlement to a new country. Finding your own community and developing that social network may play an essential role in the immigration for a family and in the development of the young children. Finding comfort in a shared cultural community amidst a new cultural landscape allows young first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children to see themselves as active participants in their new home rather than guests in the space (Ball 2010; Hayashi et al., 2022; Massing et al., 2013). Within the field of education, the Filipino families who are navigating a new educational space in Canada, may experience a culture shock due to the differing ways that education is offered in the Philippines versus Canada. One of the first-generation Filipino caregivers provided further insight on this issue, discussing how the education system in the Philippines has stark differences in comparison to Canada, such as longer instructional hours, less individualized attention provided to students, and curriculum focused solely on academic competencies such as Science, Math, Languages (English and Tagalog), and Sibika at Kultura or Civic education. In addition to navigating these system challenges as a first-generation Filipino immigrant, she also discussed how she experienced a loss of cultural identity, loss of familial ties, and was faced with navigating a new landscape. Through meeting fellow Filipinos who shared in a similar experience, the caregiver was introduced to an early childhood education centre that was 98considerate of her current situation and worked towards supporting her and her family in their newfound country. Upon developing a strong system of support with the early childhood education centre and the early childhood educators who welcomed and supported her and her child into the educational space, the caregiver expressed how they found an additional community of support through the preschool program. In education, when there is a lack of cultural awareness and sociocultural understanding of the first and second-generation immigrant children, they continue to be treated as outsiders and are alienated in the educational space. The findings in this research study and in previous literature point towards the essential need for these spaces to become inclusive and welcoming to the culturally diverse population as the concept of finding community can move beyond those with whom you share a cultural connection with and may also include spaces of education. Incorporating Social and Emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education There are significant benefits to incorporating social and emotional learning within early childhood education, but oftentimes, due to lack of resources and educator training, research-based social and emotional learning programs are unable to be operated within schools. In this situation, it is important for early childhood educators to be adaptable in incorporating social and emotional learning competencies within the everyday preschool curricula. The early childhood education centre chosen for the research study reflected this limitation, as a non-profit centre, they did not have a social and emotional learning program operating in their preschool. The early educator instead would find opportunities to incorporate social and emotional learning competencies through their play and learn activity framework. For the second-generation Filipino immigrant children, developing social and emotional learning competencies was highlighted by their caregivers and educator as an educational and 99developmental goal, and it was essential that the early childhood educator adapt lesson plans to best reflect their individual needs. In the previous literature, there have been questions posed regarding the cross-cultural adaptability of social and emotional learning programs, including the social and emotional learning competencies outlined by CASEL (2025) to those who do not identify as the Euro-North American majority. This issue was prevalent in this research study, with the first-generation Filipino immigrant caregivers expressing how they are not familiar with the concept of social and emotional learning and how it was not a topic of conversation within education in the Philippines or in their own education experiences and that of their children after they immigrated to Canada. Previous research in the field of social and emotional learning has shown the issues surrounding equity and inclusion, as activities and measures of assessment regarding social and emotional learning for the culturally diverse children population may pose these children as developmentally delayed in comparison to their Western peers (Bennouna et al., 2019; Massing et al., 2013; Jagers et al., 2019). One way the early childhood educator in this research study worked towards combating this issue, was from framing her teaching pedagogy from a social-constructivist point of view, noting that each child was a unique individual with their own educational goals, competencies, and ways of being (Bruce et al., 2016; Cohen et al., 2018). Although they did not have a standardized social and emotional learning program operating in the preschool, the early childhood educator would actively work towards providing opportunities to incorporate ways for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children to further develop social and emotional learning competencies that they needed to strengthen such as impulse control, managing emotions, and communicating with same aged peers. An important belief shared by the early childhood educator at the preschool program was to âmeet each child where they are at,â and the thoughtful and purposeful inclusion of activities 100that can assist the second-generation Filipino immigrant children in the development of their individual social and emotional competency needs, reflected this idea. The lack of cultural competency in education continues to be perpetuated in the North America, as some current frameworks do not consider the sociocultural contexts or incorporate cultural sensitivity when working with culturally diverse individuals or are implemented by educators who are unaware of how to adapt these programs for culturally diverse students (Ren & Wyver, 2014; Yates et al., 2008). When educators are able to create a culture of care for the immigrant children, educational frameworks and social and emotional learning programs of assessment can become avenues of cultural promotion and respect, rather than furthering an agenda of assimilation in order to succeed. Creating a Classroom Culture of Care for Immigrant Children When working with culturally diverse individuals, such as first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and caregivers, it is important for the early childhood education centre and educators to create a classroom that is rooted in care and thoughtful consideration of the heterogenous landscape. The caregiver Kay connected with the value of developing a strong social network and community by elaborating on how she chooses to send her daughter Rianne to this specific preschool due to the valuable connections she has formed with the early childhood educators and fellow families, despite the school being a longer commute from their residence. Natalie also went on to share how a conversation with a fellow mother led her to find the early childhood education centre, and with the relationships she established with the staff and families throughout the last three years, she had no second thoughts in enrolling her daughter in the preschool program. 101When accessing programmes for young children, it is essential that the early childhood education centre is reflective of the first and second-generation immigrant children enrolled in the classroom, offering individualized support for the newcomers who are encountering these systemic barriers in access and resettlement. The findings in this research study further emphasize the importance of finding an early childhood education program that supports the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and families, as caregivers make a purposeful decision in enrolling their children in a centre that reflect these values. The preschool where this research study took place was strongly supportive of the various sociocultural backgrounds each child brought to the classroom, including the second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Previous research has shown that first and second-generation immigrant families may have difficulty in engaging with the early childhood education centre as a Western school and educator may not acknowledge the culturally specific ways that immigrant families are able to contribute to the educational space and involve themselves (Hayashi et al., 2022; Massing et al., 2013). The caregivers in this research study shared in a similar sentiment, stating the importance of open communication amongst themselves and the early childhood educator and how the level of support they receive is essential in the education of their children and allows them to feel like active participants in the preschool space. The communication and relationship created between the early childhood educator and the caregivers in this research study reflects the concept of an empowerment framework discussed by Iannacci (2016) which asserts that when power relationships between schools and communities are collaborative, the interactions help empower both caregivers and children, leading to positive academic outcomes. The strong relationship established between the early childhood educator and caregivers of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children 102showcase how utilizing an empowerment framework in early education is beneficial for the culturally diverse children as it encourages educators to have open communication with the caregivers to discuss education goals. In the particular case of the research study, the goals set were the social and emotional learning competencies the second-generation Filipino immigrant children needed to continue working on, and the early childhood educator worked alongside the caregivers to develop individualized education plans to best support each child. From a broader perspective, the CASEL framework provides a useful lens to critically reflect on this process, not only through its five core competencies, but also through its systemic emphasis on creating supportive learning environments and fostering partnerships among educators, families, and communities (Jagers et al., 2019). The educatorâs collaboration with caregivers aligns with CASELâs ecological approach, which situates social and emotional learning within a broader system of relationships and contexts rather than as a set of isolated skills. By engaging caregivers as co-educators, the early childhood educator enacted CASELâs principle of building equitable learning environments where social-emotional development is co-constructed across home and school. In this way, the empowerment framework and the broader CASEL model intersect to demonstrate how culturally responsive and collaborative practices can enhance both childrenâs social and emotional learning outcomes and family-school relationships. When early childhood educators can provide this platform of communication for caregivers, the caregivers and young children are given a voice in the educational space, becoming collaborators in the educational classroom (Iannacci, 2016; Jagers et al., 2019). Funds of Knowledge Approach Funds of knowledge is a historically and culturally situated teaching approach that focuses on utilizing the cultural resources that each family in the classroom brings to the 103educational space, providing a counter-narrative for marginalized participants and allowing them to become active members in the education system (Massing et al., 2013). In the review of literature, a funds of knowledge approach was discussed regarding the support it may offer for first and second-generation immigrant families when enrolling in a school within their new country. When educators incorporate a funds of knowledge approach in their teaching pedagogy, the program curriculum works towards honoring the childrenâs cultural heritage and utilizes their sociocultural backgrounds in an advantageous manner, uplifting them and creating a path for open communication to take place (Massing et al., 2013). The theoretical orientation of social constructivism used in the present study works in coordination with a funds of knowledge approach, as it views each person as an individual entity whose reality is built around their own cultural framework of socio-cultural contexts and interactions (Cohen et al., 2018; Hughes, 2010). To gain a better understanding of the second-generation Filipino immigrant childrenâs lived reality, it is pivotal to take into consideration their social and cultural influences to see how they are interacting with the different contexts and socio-cultural environments in which they are situated in (Cohen et al., 2018; Schreiber & Valle, 2013). With a funds of knowledge approach, educators are encouraged to actively include each childâs unique socio-cultural background into consideration in their teaching approach, finding ways to incorporate culturally relevant ways of thinking, being, and even physical household items that can be utilized in the education curriculum (Massing et al., 2013). In doing this, the educators are including each child into the framework of the program, encouraging them to use their diverse socio-cultural backgrounds for their own educational development and meeting each chid through their own lived reality. 104The present research study reflected the benefits a funds of knowledge approach may present for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children in the preschool program. A shared experience that the second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their caregivers had at the preschool program, was expressing their level of comfort and familiarity with the preschool and the early childhood educators. The children in the preschool were often observed interacting the most with the early childhood educator, opting to engage in activities and conversation with the educator versus their same-aged peers. Their caregivers also corroborated this observation by stating how they purposefully have chosen this early childhood education centre due to the culture of care and consideration that the early childhood educators have created for each of the children in the preschool program. The caregivers noted that a way the early educators create this environment is by encouraging consistent communication between all members of the preschool and working together alongside the families to create concrete goals for the children to work on throughout the school year. The early childhood educator also worked towards acknowledging the cultural diversity within the preschool program, using diversity as an educational tool rather than suppressing the varied cultural backgrounds. The early childhood educator shared her own use of a funds of knowledge approach, in which she would invite caregivers into the classroom to teach the children more about different culture and heritage. By welcoming the caregivers into the preschool space, it allows the families to become co-constructors of knowledge and may also contribute to greater equity being established in the school system amongst the educators, caregivers, and children (Mcmanus, 2021). The first-generation Filipino immigrant caregivers shared in this sentiment, discussing how they always feel welcomed to share their thoughts and 105opinions with the early childhood educator, noting that they are working together cohesively for the growth, development, and education of their children. The overall contribution of a funds of knowledge approach can be beneficial in the engagement and establishment of respect for first and second-generation Filipino immigrant families. The findings in this present study suggests that first and second-generation Filipino immigrant families are more likely to attend and engage in a preschool program that is respectful and acknowledges the varied socio-cultural backgrounds of their participants through open communication and tailored lesson plans. More research is necessary to determine how to best incorporate a funds of knowledge approach across different early childhood education programs and amongst early educators who may not have professional development in this teaching pedagogy. Limitations of the Present Research Study This research study provided findings on the experiences of second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning within a Canadian early childhood education centre. Some of the limitations of the study can be shared with the same limitations presented when conducting a qualitative research study. In this case study approach, the research design involves me as a researcher who is interacting with the participants through participant observation methods and semi-structured interviews, analyzing the data and behavioural interactions through my own perspective and potentially introduces biases. Through participant observation, I entered the classroom with the children with them being aware of my presence and what my role as a researcher is. I also collected data through descriptive observation notes as heard and seen by myself, and because of this, potential bias could be weaved throughout the data collected (Lambert & Taylor-Francis, 2019; Rozsahegyi, 2019). I also have a prior 106relationship with the early childhood education centre which may impact my understanding and interpretation of the data. While conscious efforts were made to manage bias, including keeping a reflective journal, my theoretical orientation of social constructivism discusses how efforts made to mitigate bias can never be entirely effective, and it should also not be completely eliminated in the research process. Although this research study encompassed the perspectives of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children, a notable voice absent in the research study was that of first-generation Filipino immigrants and their experiences with social and emotional learning in early childhood education. The lack of participants who identify as first-generation Filipino immigrant children was due to the limited scope of early childhood education centres who had this specific demographic enrolled in a preschool program during the 2024-2025 school year. A conversation was held with the director of a partner non-profit family centre, who shared that a first-generation Filipino immigrant family had a child attending the centre but chose not to enroll in the preschool program due to personal and financial reasons. The inclusion of these individuals could have provided valuable and in-depth perspectives on potential cultural differences that first-generation Filipino immigrant children may experience when transitioning into a school system within their newfound country. The two families who participated in the study have lived in Canada for more than 5 years respectively, and although they have experience with the educational system in the Philippines, they are more familiar with the Canadian education system and how to navigate any challenges they may encounter, which can impact their experience and perspectives. An additional limitation of this study is the small and specific sample. The research study included only one early childhood educator, two caregivers, and two children, which may limit 107the breadth of perspectives captured. While qualitative case studies aim for depth and contextual understanding rather than generalizability, the narrow sample may affect the transferability of findings to other early childhood settings or Filipino immigrant family contexts. As well, the experiences and interactions observed and discussed may be unique to this particular educator, family, and children, which could influence the themes identified and the conclusions drawn. Future research with a larger and more diverse sample would provide greater insight into the applicability of these findings across different educational and cultural environments. As the present study conducts a case study methodology, it is ultimately not designed to provide broad generalizable findings for all first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. The goal of this study was intended to offer valuable insights about similar cases within comparable contexts and to provide potential takeaways to inform further research on social emotional learning amongst first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Strengths and Contributions of the Present Research Study The present research study has notable strengths by utilizing a variety of perspectives in connection to the case under study, and analyzing data collected from multiple sources and in varied forms. In this qualitative, case study methodology, data was collected through on-site participant observations with the second-generation Filipino immigrant children and semi-structured interviews with their primary caregivers and early childhood educator. With the utilization of multiple methods, the varied sources of data worked to align the findings and themes found through thematic analysis and provided a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the three research questions I posed for this study (Mathison, 1988). Utilizing participant observation allowed me to make detailed observational notes on the experiences and interactions the second-generation Filipino immigrant children had in connection to social and emotional 108learning competencies. The interviews held with the caregivers and early childhood educator provided additional data that supported the observation notes and gave additional insight on their experiences in the Canadian preschool education system and with social and emotional learning competencies that the children are developing. Utilizing a participant observational method allowed the children to feel comfortable with my presence in the classroom and this method was acknowledged by the early childhood educator during the interview, with Brittanie stating that my presence in the classroom was well-received. This research study provides valuable insight into the experiences of second-generation Filipino children who are under-represented in the field of education research. In previous research conducted on social emotional learning and the experiences of immigrant children, there has been no peer-reviewed, published articles that focus on the Filipino children population and their experiences in the field of early childhood education. The present study collected data directly from the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant families enrolled in preschool in British Columbia, Canada, providing insights into their experiences and perspectives on the education system, social and emotional learning and development, and highlights strategies that can be taken to assist this particular demographic in their transition into the Canadian education system. Although the findings in this study cannot be generalizable to all first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and families, it offers valuable insight on this specific demographic and highlights their voices in educational research. An additional strength this research study holds, is its contribution to the research on social and emotional learning within early childhood education. Previous literature discusses the importance of introducing social and emotional learning concepts and competencies in the early years due to its long-term developmental benefits academically, socially, and emotionally 109(Moreno et al., 2019). However, there is a significant gap of knowledge on social and emotional learning programs and its impact on culturally diverse young children, specifically those who identify as first and second-generation immigrants (Mondi et al., 2021). This thesis acts as a foundational study, offering insights into the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their experiences with social and emotional learning. This research can act as a catalyst for future research to be conducted in the field of social and emotional learning with first and second-generation immigrants, providing a voice for this demographic and contributing to a better understanding of their experiences in Canadian education. Future Directions for Research The present research study offers suggestions on how to support the learning and development of second-generation Filipino immigrant children within an early education system. The findings in this study point towards a potential lack of resources available for early childhood educators to receive professional development on how to incorporate a social and emotional learning framework within an early childhood education curriculum. In the chosen early childhood education centre, there was no formal social and emotional learning program conducted in the preschool and the early childhood educators worked to find alternative ways to incorporate social and emotional learning competency development through ad hoc activities for the children. This case study research study provided the unexpected finding on the critical need for preschool programs to provide professional development opportunities for early childhood educators to grow in their knowledge on social and emotional learning, as well as, to provide additional resources that supports them in integrating social and emotional based programming within everyday early learning curricula. Further research should continue to explore the discrepancies that may exist in early childhood education centres who may experience a lack of 110support and professional development in the operation of their preschool programs. Furthering knowledge on social and emotional learning within early childhood education is pivotal as many developmental goals set by the early educator for the second-generation Filipino immigrant children focused on social and emotional learning competencies. It will be valuable to have research on how to best support early childhood educators and preschool programs in adapting social and emotional learning into the preschool curriculum and creating lesson plans that are adaptable, flexible, and supportive of each unique child can ensure that each child, especially those who are culturally diverse, are supported in their early education. Another area for further research is to explore how a research-based social and emotional learning program can be transformed to be more culturally responsive, inclusive, and respectful for the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in early childhood education. Although the present research study suggests ways an early educator can include the Filipino families into the educational space and integrate social and emotional learning competencies that is specific towards the second-generation Filipino immigrant children, there is still further research that needs to be conducted that focuses specifically on the current programs that center around social and emotional learning development and their cultural adaptability. When collecting data for this present study, observational notes and coding of the collected data was guided by the CASEL framework (2025) and the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC), which are two measures of assessment utilized in the North American education system. As behaviours and competencies were being coded and analyzed, an issue that arose was on my interpretation of the second-generation Filipino immigrantsâ behaviours and experiences being organized within the confines of the CASEL framework (2025), and not allowing for the individual cultural ways of being the children may present that can extend beyond the 111competencies outlined by CASEL. An example of this was when coding the behaviours of the child participant Rianne who was often isolated, with the early educator remarking on her introverted behaviour. When observing this behaviour through a North American lens, she can be understood as lacking in relationship skills and leadership, whereas, in a cultural, Filipino lens, she can be understood as asserting autonomy and exceeding in self-regulation. Even though the behaviours and experiences of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children may not fit well within the competencies outlined by CASEL (2025), this framework was referenced as the main measure of assessment by myself and the early childhood educator when remarking on the childrenâs competencies. Despite the children being second-generation immigrants, there was no inter-cultural adaptability taking place when analyzing their behaviours and competencies with social and emotional learning. For future research, it is essential to explore ways in which social and emotional learning frameworks can become more adaptable and flexible for the culturally diverse children population. More specifically in the context of this study, for the frameworks to be representative of the Filipino diaspora and the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their families. Exploring the field of social and emotional learning in greater depth with the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant and general immigrant family population not only provides valuable insight on the current effectiveness of early childhood programs but also provides further suggestions on the adaptability for these programs to be supportive of the social and emotional development of those who are culturally diverse. Conclusions This research study explored the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning in British Columbiaâs early childhood 112education settings. Utilizing a qualitative, case study approach, data was collected through participant observation of the second-generation Filipino immigrant children attending a licenced preschool, and semi-structured interviews with their first-generation Filipino immigrant caregivers and early childhood educator for a comprehensive understanding of their experiences. The research generated findings that highlight the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant family experiences with moving to Canada and discusses potential challenges they may encounter with early education and social and emotional learning. Further research on first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and their families is essential in the field of education, especially with a focus on their experiences with research and evidence-based social and emotional learning programs that are becoming more prevalent in the Canadian educational school system. 113References Ball, J. (2010). Enhancing learning of children from diverse language backgrounds: Mother tongue-based bilingual or multilingual education in the early years (UNESCO Education Position Paper). United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002122/212270e.pdf B.C. Regulation. (2024). Child care licensing regulation. 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Research methods in early childhood: An introductory guide, (3rd. ed., pp. 161-180). Sage. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). Position statement. In C. Copple & S. Bredekamp (Eds.), Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (pp. 1â31). National Association for the Education of Young Children. Oyserman, D., Coon, H. M., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2002). Rethinking individualism and collectivism: Evaluation of theoretical assumptions and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 128(1), 3â72. Pacini-Ketchabaw, V., & Berikoff, A. (2008). The politics of difference and diversity: From young children's violence to creative power expressions. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 9 (3), 256-264. Pacini-Ketchabaw, V. (2012). Revisioning multiculturalism in early childhood. In N. Howe & L. Prochner (Eds.), Recent perspectives of early childhood education and care in Canada. (pp. 159-181). University of Toronto Press. 121PATHS program: Social emotional learning for pre-k, elementary, and middle school. PATHS Program. (2021). Retrieved December 2022, from https://pathsprogram.com/ Pokorny, B., Jason, A., Schoeny, E., Townsend, M., & Curie, J. (2001). Do participation rates change when active consent procedures replace passive consent. Evaluation Review, 25(5), 567-580. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193841X0102500504 Ponterotto, G. (2006). Brief note on the origins, evolution, and meaning of the qualitative research concept thick description. The Qualitative Report, 11(3), 538-549. Ren, Y., & Wyver, S. (2014). Social-emotional adjustment of Chinese immigrant children in Western countries. Virginia Review of Asian studies, 16, 231-242. Robbins, J. (2005). Contexts, collaboration, and cultural tools: A sociocultural perspective on researching children's thinking. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 6(2), 140-149. Rodríguez-Izquierdo, R. M. (2018). Researching the links between social-emotional learning and intercultural education: Strategies for enacting a culturally relevant teaching. Intercultural Education, 29(5â6), 609â623. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2018.1528527 Rozsahegyi, T. (2019). Case study. In M. Lambert (Ed.), Practical research methods in education: An early researcherâs critical guide (pp. 124-131). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351188395 Schreiber, L. M., & Valle, B. E. (2013). Social constructivist teaching strategies in the small group classroom. Small Group Research, 44(4), 395-411. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496413488422 Stake, Robert E. (1995). The art of case study research. Sage. Statistics Canada. (2023). Filipino Canadian proud with a sense of belonging, June 19, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/3883-filipino-canadian-proud-strong-sense-belonging 122Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156â1171. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12864 Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 349-357. Valencia, M. (2015). Research synthesis report: Settlement needs of newcomer children. CMAS: Supporting the Settlement of Young Immigrant and Refugee Children. (https://cmascanada.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2015/12/Supporting_Refugees/Settlement%20Needs%20of%20Newcomer%20Children%20v03.pdf). Yates, T., Ostrosky, M. M., Cheatham, G. A., Fettig, A., Shaffer, L., & Santos, R. M. (2008). Research synthesis on screening and assessing social-emotional competence. Retrieved from Center on Social emotional Foundations for Early Learning (http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/documents/rs_screening_assessment.pdf). Yazan, B. (2015). Three approaches to case study methods in education: Yin, Merriam, and Stake. The Qualitative Report, 20(2), 134-152. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2015.2102 Yin, Robert K. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods. Sage. 123Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix A: Letter of Initial Contact- Recruitment Letter- Early Childhood Education Centre We are writing to tell you about an exciting research project that Abby Dalmacio and principal investigator Dr. Laurie Ford are completing through the University of British Columbia for the completion of Abbyâs Master of Arts thesis. Abby is completing her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. We are interested in learning about the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning concepts in their early childhood education centre through a case study. Within this case study, we are conducting on-site observations with the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and interviews with the early childhood educators and caregivers of the children. The research will be conducted at the early childhood education centre and online via Zoom.ââ â Who is included in this study?â Participants for this study include two to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children, the caregiver(s) of each child, and the early childhood educators of the immigrant children at your early childhood education site. More details on these participants include:â â¢ Children: Up to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Filipino descent is defined as the child being born in the Philippines and have immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, or, the child being born in Canada with at least one parent born in the Philippines and has immigrated to Canada within the last five years (2019-2024). â¢ Childâs family (caregiver): The caregiver of the child who is enrolled in the early childhood education site will be asked to take part in the study for follow-up interviews. â¢ Early Childhood Educator: The early childhood educator teaching the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children will also be asked to participate in the study for follow-up interviews.â They must be a licensed early childhood educator. The study will have the researcher on-site at your early childhood education centre to conduct observations of the recruited first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children attending the program. The research will take place for the duration of 1-2 weeks during the school semester. For the researcher to become acclimatized to the classroom environment, they will be on-site for the entire school day during the 1-2-week observation period and the children will be made aware of my position as a researcher within the classroom, stressing the researcherâs active involvement in, and interaction with, the context being observed. Observations will be mainly 124noted throughout three times a day, in the morning at 9:00am, during lunchtime at 12pm and before the end of the school day at 2:00pm for 30 minutes. Additional Informationâ â¢ Abby Dalmacio and Dr. Laurie Ford do not believe it is a risk to take part in the study. However, if participants do not feel comfortable, Abby will stop the study.ââ â We are requesting permission to conduct this research study at this early childhood education centre. If you think your centre is suitable for this study and you are interested in being involved, you can email Abby Dalmacio at XXXXX@ubc.ca. If you are interested, she will reach out to you with more information.ââ 125Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix B: Recruitment Letter- Early Childhood Educator We are writing to tell you about an exciting research project that Abby Dalmacio and principal investigator Dr. Laurie Ford are completing through the University of British Columbia for the completion of Abbyâs Master of Arts thesis. Abby is completing her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. We are interested in learning about the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning concepts in their early childhood education centre through a case study. Within this case study, we are conducting on-site observations with the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and interviews. The research will be conducted at the early childhood education centre and online via Zoom.ââ â Who is included in this study?â Participants for this study include two to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children, the caregiver(s) of each child, and the early childhood educators of the immigrant children at a specific early childhood education site. More details on these participants include:â â¢ Children: Up to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Filipino descent is defined as the child being born in the Philippines and have immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, or, the child being born in Canada with at least one parent born in the Philippines and has immigrated to Canada within the last five years (2019-2024). â¢ Childâs family (caregiver): The caregiver of the child who is enrolled in the early childhood education site will be asked to take part in the study for follow-up interviews. â¢ The Early Childhood Educator teaching the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children will also be asked to participate in the study for follow-up interviews.â â¢ Abby will conduct an interview with you to learn about your experience with the early childhood education school system in British Columbia and your personal experience as an early childhood educator. â¢ The interviews will take place within 4-weeks after the observational period of the children (first and second Filipino immigrant children) at your early childhood education site.ââ â¢ The interviews will be between 45 to 90 minutes and will be completed at your childâs school or via Zoom.â We will use the UBC Zoom platform which is secure.â â Additional Informationâ 126â¢ The research will follow appropriate procedures outlined by the UBC Office of Research Ethics. â¢ Abby Dalmacio and Dr. Laurie Ford do not believe it is a risk to take part in the study. However, if participants do not feel comfortable, Abby will stop the study.ââ â¢ The researchers will not use your name on anything they write about the study. No individual information will be reported, and no participant will be identified by name.â â If you want to take part in the study, you can email Abby Dalmacio at XXXXX@ubc.ca. If you are interested, she will reach out to you with more information.â 127Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix C: Recruitment Letter- Caregiver We are writing to tell you about an exciting research project that Abby Dalmacio and principal investigator Dr. Laurie Ford are completing through the University of British Columbia for the completion of Abbyâs Master of Arts thesis. Abby is completing her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. We are interested in learning about the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social and emotional learning concepts in their early childhood education centre through a case study. Within this case study, we are conducting on-site observations with the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children and interviews. The research will be conducted at the early childhood education centre and online via Zoom.ââ â Who is included in this study?â Participants for this study include two to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children, the caregiver(s) of each child, and the early childhood educators of the immigrant children at a specific early childhood education site. More details on these participants include:â â¢ Children: Up to three first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. Filipino descent is defined as the child being born in the Philippines and have immigrated to British Columbia, Canada, or, the child being born in Canada with at least one parent born in the Philippines and has immigrated to Canada within the last five years (2019-2024). â¢ Childâs family (caregiver): The caregiver of the child who is enrolled in the early childhood education site will be asked to take part in the study for follow-up interviews. â¢ The Early Childhood Educator teaching the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children will also be asked to participate in the study for follow-up interviews.â â¢ Abby will conduct an interview with you to learn about your (and your childâs) experience with the early childhood education school system in British Columbia and your personal educational experience in the Philippines. â¢ The interviews will take place within 4-weeks after the observational period of your children (first and second Filipino immigrant children) at their early childhood education site.ââ â¢ The interviews will be between 45 to 90 minutes and will be completed at your childâs school or via Zoom.â We will use the UBC Zoom platform which is secure.â â 128Additional Informationâ â¢ Abby Dalmacio and Dr. Laurie Ford do not believe it is a risk to take part in the study. However, if participants do not feel comfortable, Abby will stop the study.ââ â¢ The researchers will not use your name on anything they write about the study. No individual information will be reported, and no participant will be identified by name.â â If you want to take part in the study, you can email Abby Dalmacio at XXXXX@ubc.ca. If you are interested, she will reach out to you with more information.â 129Appendix D: Early Childhood Education Centre Newsletter Announcement 130Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix E: Screening Questions- Early Childhood Educator 1. Are you currently a licensed early childhood educator within British Columbia, Canada? a. Yes b. No 2. What are your years of experience working in Early Childhood Education? 131Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix F: Screening Questions- Caregiver & Children 1. Are you an immigrant? a. Yes b. No 2. Have you immigrated to Canada within the last 5 years (2019-2024)? a. Yes b. No 3. Where were you born? a. Canada b. Philippines c. Other (please specify): 4. Do you feel comfortable in communicating in English to participate in the research study without an interpreter? a. Yes b. No i.If no, what language would you feel the most comfortable communicating in? (please specify): 5. Where was your child enrolled in the early childhood education centre born? a. Canada b. Philippines c. Other (please specify): 6. Has your child and/or children been enrolled in an education program before? a. Yes i.If yes, please specify where and what program: b. No 132Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix G: Consent Form- Early Childhood Educator Experiences of First and Second-Generation Filipino Immigrant Children in Social and Emotional Learning in British Columbia Early Childhood Education School Settings: Consent Form A: Early Childhood Educator Principal Investigator: Laurie Ford, Ph.D.â Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXXX@ubc.caâ Student Co-âInvestigator: Abby Dalmacio Faculty of Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXX@ubc.caâ Dear Early Childhood Educators, Please read the following information carefully. You are invited to take part in a research study that we are doing. Participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If after reading this letter, you would like to take part in this research study, please sign one copy. An electronic signature to consent is required. Please email the forms to XXXXX@ubc.ca. Please save a copy for your own records.ââ The Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social-emotional learning in early childhood education programs in the lower mainland of British Columbia. As an early childhood educator, this study also aims to explore the experiences of the educator in implementing social-emotional learning with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children. As young Filipino immigrant children are an under-represented demographic in early childhood literature, we aim to offer suggestions on how to best support this growing population in British Columbia. What will happen if you take part?â â¢ Abby will conduct an interview to learn about your experience teaching first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in the early childhood education school system in British Columbia, with a specific focus on social and emotional learning concepts. 133â¢ The interviews will take place within 4-weeks after the observational period of the children (first and second Filipino immigrant children) at the early childhood education site.ââ â¢ The interviews will be between 45 to 90 minutes and will be completed at your early childhood education centre or via Zoom.â We will use the UBC Zoom platform which is secure.â â¢ We will also ask you a few questions about your educational and teaching background (e.g., What is your experience teaching first and second-generation immigrant children?). â¢ The interviews will be audio-recorded, and notes will be taken while we talk for research purposes. The researchers will review the audio-recorded information after we talk to better understand what you have shared. If you do not wish for your interview to be audio-recorded, please inform the researcher, Abby, upon your consent. â â¢ You will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for participating in the research study. â After the interview:ââ â¢ After the interview, Abby will transcribe (write it out on paper) the audio recording.â â¢ Abby will contact you to see if you would like to review the transcript.ââ â¢ The researcher will share the results of the study in a presentation or infographic for anyone interested.â â In-person/Zoom Location:â â¢ The researchers have considered two modes of collecting data: in-person or online via Zoom.ââ â¢ For in-person data collection, the researchers will work with the school director to identify a quiet and private room. â¢ If the data collection is completed online, it will be using the Zoom platform, which is a video-conferencing service.ââ â¢ Access to the Zoom platform will require a device capable of video conferencing, a stable internet connection, and a private space to partake in the study.ââ â¢ The In-person and Zoom conversations will be audio recorded for the research project.ââ â¢ You may turn your camera off, mute your audio, and change your display name on Zoom (for example, using a nickname).ââ â Additional Informationâ â¢ The research team does not believe it is a risk to take part in our study. However, if there is any time you do not feel comfortable, we can stop our talk. You can stop participating in the study at any point. If you withdraw from the study, the audio recordings, notes, and drawings will be destroyed.â â¢ During the interview, you may also request to pause the recording and restart at any time. 134â¢ If you have any questions you can talk with us anytime.âWe can talk with you in person, or you can call us/email us. Our emails and phone numbers are written at the top of this letter.â â¢ We will not use your name on anything we write about the study. No individual information will be reported, and no participant will be identified by name.â â¢ The outcomes of the study will be determined by the research findings. Possible project outcomes may include journal articles, a report summarizing findings, or conference presentations. When project results are determined and available, you will not be able to withdraw your contributions. Your name and any other identifiable information will be removed from your contributions to the study.â â¢ All of the information from our talk and our study, including audio recordings, will be kept secure and safe in password protected/encrypted computerized files. Only Dr. Ford and Abby can get the information.ââ â¢ All paper data files will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the lab and electronic and digital files in password-protected/encrypted files on the UBC campus for a minimum of 5 years after the completion of the study and presentation or publication of results.â At the end of the 5 years, if there is no need for the data, paper copies may be shredded, and electronic and digital files will be deleted.âââ â¢ At the end of the study, we will ask if you want to know about what we learn, and we will share a copy of the results with you in person or a short-written paper.âââ â Contact Information for Complaints â¢ If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a person taking part in this study and/or your experiences while taking part in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics, at 604-822-8598 or if long-distance, email RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598.â --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consent to Take Part in Our Studyâ If you sign your name below it means you consent (want) to take part in this study. When you sign below it also means that you have received a copy of this consent form for yourself.â â Your Name (please print): â â Your Name (sign): â ââ Your Email Address: _________________________________________________â â 135Todayâs Date: â â Please indicate if you agree to be audio recorded:â _____ Yes _______ No â 136Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix H: Consent Form- Caregiver Experiences of First and Second-Generation Filipino Immigrant Children in Social and Emotional Learning in British Columbia Early Childhood Education School Settings: Consent Form B: Caregiver Principal Investigator: Laurie Ford, Ph.D.â Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXXX@ubc.caâ Student Co-âInvestigator: Abby Dalmacio Faculty of Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXXX@ubc.caâ Dear Caregivers, Please read the following information carefully. You are invited to take part in a research study that we are doing. Participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. Participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If after reading this letter, you would like to take part in this research study, please sign one copy. An electronic signature to consent is required. Please email the forms to XXXXX@ubc.ca. Please save a copy for your own records.ââ The Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social-emotional learning in early childhood education programs in the lower mainland of British Columbia. As a caregiver of first and second-generation immigrant children, this study also aims to explore the experiences of the immigrant caregiver with the social-emotional learning competencies assessed in early childhood education in British Columbia, Canada. As young Filipino immigrant children are an under-represented demographic in early childhood literature, we aim to offer suggestions on how to best support this growing population in British Columbia. What will happen if you take part?â â¢ Abby will be observing your child in the early childhood education centre for 3 days during the duration of 1 week. â¢ For the researcher to become acclimatized to the classroom environment, they will be on-site for the entire school day during the 1-week observation period and the children will be made aware of the position of the researcher within the 137classroom, stressing the researcherâs active involvement in, and interaction with, the context being observed. â¢ Observations of your child will be mainly noted throughout three times a day, in the morning at 9:00am, during lunchtime at 12pm and before the end of the school day at 2:00pm for 30 minutes. â¢ Observations will be documented in an observation form by the researcher. â¢ After the observation period of your child, Abby will conduct an interview with you to learn about your (and your childâs) experience with the early childhood education school system in British Columbia and your personal educational experience in the Philippines. â¢ The interviews will take place within 4-weeks after the observational period of your children (first and second Filipino immigrant children) at their early childhood education site.ââ â¢ The interviews will be between 45 to 90 minutes and will be completed at your childâs school or via Zoom.â We will use the UBC Zoom platform which is secure.â â¢ We will also ask you a few questions about your background (e.g., Tell me about your previous educational experience in the Philippines). â¢ The interviews will be audio-recorded, and notes will be taken while we talk for research purposes. The researchers will review the audio-recorded information after we talk to better understand what you have shared. If you do not wish for your interview to be audio-recorded, please inform the researcher, Abby, upon your consent. â¢ You will receive a $40 Amazon gift card for participating in the research study. â After the interview:ââ â¢ After the interview, Abby will transcribe (write it out on paper) the audio recording.â â¢ Abby will contact you to see if you would like to review the transcript.ââ â¢ The researcher will share the results of the study in a presentation or infographic for anyone interested.â â In-person/Zoom Location:â â¢ The researchers have considered two modes of collecting data: in-person or online via Zoom.ââ â¢ For in-person data collection, the researchers will work with the school director to identify a quiet and private room. â¢ If the data collection is completed online, it will be using the Zoom platform, which is a video-conferencing service.ââ â¢ Access to the Zoom platform will require a device capable of video conferencing, a stable internet connection, and a private space to partake in the study.ââ â¢ The In-person and Zoom conversations will be audio recorded for the research project.ââ 138â¢ You may turn your camera off, mute your audio, and change your display name on Zoom (for example, using a nickname).ââ â Additional Informationâ â¢ The research team does not believe it is a risk to take part in our study. However, if there is any time you do not feel comfortable, we can stop our talk. You can stop participating in the study at any point. If you withdraw from the study, the audio recordings, notes, and drawings will be destroyed.ââ â¢ During the interview, you may also request to pause the recording and restart at any time. â¢ If you have any questions you can talk with us anytime.â We can talk with you in person, or you can call us/email us. Our emails and phone numbers are written at the top of this letter.â â¢ We will not use your name on anything we write about the study. No individual information will be reported, and no participant will be identified by name.â â¢ The outcomes of the study will be determined by the research findings. Possible project outcomes may include journal articles, a report summarizing findings, or conference presentations. When project results are determined and available, you will not be able to withdraw your contributions. Your name and any other identifiable information will be removed from your contributions to the study.â â¢ All of the information from our talk and our study, including audio recordings, will be kept secure and safe in password protected/encrypted computerized files. Only Dr. Ford and Abby can get the information.âââ â¢ All paper data files will be stored in a locked filing cabinet in the lab and electronic and digital files in password-protected/encrypted files on the UBC campus for a minimum of 5 years after the completion of the study and presentation or publication of results.â At the end of the 5 years, if there is no need for the data, paper copies may be shredded, and electronic and digital files will be deleted.âââ â¢ At the end of the study, we will ask if you want to know about what we learn, and we will share a copy of the results with you in person or a short-written paper.âââ â¢ This observational research study will not result in an assessment of your child's development. Although the final thesis is a public document, there will be no individual reports from the researcher to the caregiver regarding their own child's development. Contact Information for Complaints â¢ If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a person taking part in this study and/or your experiences while taking part in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics, at 604-822-8598 or if long-distance, email RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598.â â 139---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------â Consent to Take Part in Our Studyâ If you sign your name below it means you consent (want) to take part in this study. You agree to have you and your child take part. When you sign below it also means that you have received a copy of this consent form for yourself.â â Your Name (please print): â â Your Name (sign): â â Your Childâs Name: â â Your Email Address: _________________________________________________â â Todayâs Date: â â Please indicate if you agree to be audio recorded:â _____ Yes _______ No â 140Appendix I: Student Assent Letter 141 142Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix J: Information Letter for Non-Participating Children Principal Investigator: Laurie Ford, Ph.D.â Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXXX@ubc.caâ Student Co-âInvestigator: Abby Dalmacio Faculty of Education Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: XXXX@ubc.caâ Dear Caregivers, Please read the following information carefully. This is a notice of a research study that will be taking place at the early childhood education centre your child is currently enrolled in. The Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children with social-emotional learning in early childhood education programs in the lower mainland of British Columbia. As young Filipino immigrant children are an under-represented demographic in early childhood literature, we aim to offer suggestions on how to best support this growing population in British Columbia. What will happen? â¢ Abby will be attending the early childhood education program at the centre for the duration of 1-2 weeks. â¢ Abby will be making written observations of the selected first and second-generation Filipino immigrant participants who have provided their assent, within the early childhood education classroom. â¢ Your child will not be part of the research study and no information about them will be written down or recorded. â After the observation period:ââ â¢ The researcher will share the results of the study in a presentation or infographic for anyone interested.â â âAdditional Informationâ â¢ The research team does not believe there is a risk to our study. â¢ If you have any questions you can talk with us anytime.â We can talk with you in person, or you can call us/email us. Our emails and phone numbers are written at the top of this letter.â 143â¢ At the end of the study, we will ask if you want to know about what we learn, and we will share a copy of the results with you in person or a short-written paper.âââ Contact Information for Complaints â¢ If you have any concerns or complaints about your rights as a person taking part in this study and/or your experiences while taking part in this study, contact the Research Participant Complaint Line in the UBC Office of Research Ethics, at 604-822-8598 or if long-distance, email RSIL@ors.ubc.ca or call toll free 1-877-822-8598.â 144Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix K: Background Questionnaire for Early Childhood Educator Please fill out the following background questions to the best of your ability. If you prefer not to answer, please put âprefer not to answer.âââ ââ 1. Your Age:ââ 2. What is your highest educational level?âââ 3. What is your previous teaching experience? 1. How long have you been employed as an educator? 145Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix L: Background Questionnaire for Caregiver Please fill out the following background questions to the best of your ability. If you prefer not to answer, please put âprefer not to answer.âââ ââ 1. Your Age:ââ 2. Whatâs your relationship to the child who is being observed in the early childhood education centre?ââââ 3. When did you immigrate to Canada?ââ 4. What is your country of origin? 5. What is your first language?âââ 6. What are your additional languages?ââ 8. What is your preferred language? 9. What is your highest educational level?âââ 10. What is your occupation and are you currently employed?ââ 11. What is your childâs biological sex?ââ â â 146 Appendix M: Participant Observation Guide for SEL Competencies Student SEL competencies as outlined by âMinnesota Preschool Affect Checklist-Revised/Shortened (MPAC-R/S) Manualâ (CASEL, 2010; Denham et al., 2012). 147 Observer _______________________ Classroom ID _______________________ Date _____________________ Beginning Time ___________________ Ending Time ______________ Self-Awareness (e.g., identifying feelings, beliefs, and values, selfâconfidence, selfâesteem, appropriate emotional expression, curiosity, optimism, perceived competence, selfâefficacy) Self-Management (e.g., attention, emotion regulation, selfâcontrol, anger management, stress management, setting and achieving goals, flexibility and adaptability, initiative and persistence) Social Awareness (e.g., emotion knowledge, empathy, social awareness, perspective taking, respect for differences, belongingness to family, community culture) Relationship Skills (e.g., peer competence, effective communication and listening skills, ability to work well with others, cooperation with others, conflictâ resolution skills, negotiation skills) Responsible Decision-Making Skills (e.g., follows rules, takes responsibility for mistakes, resists negative peer pressure, responsible decisionâmaking and social problemâsolving skills, leadership skills) SEL Competency Description of Activity/Actions Observed (âWhat is going on?â) 148MISC. Behaviours observed will take inspiration from the Minnesota Preschool Affect Checklist (MPAC) as outlined in âMinnesota Preschool Affect Checklist-Revised/Shortened (MPAC-R/S) Manualâ (CASEL, 2010; Denham et al., 2012). 149Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix N: Semi-Structured Interview Guiding Questions- Early Childhood Educator The interview will be set up in a private space where the participant and researcher can have uninterrupted conversation. Before beginning the interview, the researcher will spend some time talking with the participant about their day and what to expect during the interview. Additionally, the researcher will go over the consent process in detail and answer any question that need to be addressed.â The researcher will explain to the participant that if they feel uncomfortable or want to stop the interview at any time they can.ââ 1. Tell me about your experience teaching in this early education centre. a. Possible prompts: i.How would you describe your profession? ii.Are you currently following a specific early learning framework or theory in your classroom? iii.How flexible is your curriculum schedule day-to-day? 2. What is your experience teaching first and second-generation immigrant children? a. Possible prompts: i.Are there any challenges you encounter when teaching first and second-generation immigrant children? ii.Are there any culturally differences you have experienced when teaching first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children? iii.How comfortable do you feel in conducting lesson plans with first and second-generation immigrant children? iv.Do you find any differences in teaching first vs. second-generation immigrant children? 3. What is your experience working with first and second-generation immigrant families? a. Possible prompts: i.Are there any challenges you encounter when communicating with first and second-generation immigrant families? 4. How knowledgeable are you with SEL programs? a. Possible prompts: i.Can you define social and emotional learning in your own words? 5. With your knowledge of social and emotional learning competencies, please tell me about your own observations of SEL competencies demonstrated by the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in the early childhood centre. a. Possible prompts: i.What are some examples of SEL skills you have observed from the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children? 150ii.Are there any SEL competencies that you have not been able to observe from the first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children? 6. Within your program curriculum, are you able to identify any examples of SEL competencies being included in the lesson plans? (ex. Group projects that develop relationship skills?) a. Possible prompts: i.Do you have any difficulty in finding ways to implement SEL competencies into program curriculum? ii.Are there any current lesson plans that can be approved upon with the inclusion of SEL? 7. What is the engagement of the children with the program curriculum? a. Possible prompt: i.Are there any challenges you observed with first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in their engagement with the program curriculum? ii.Are there opportunities for the integration of culturally inclusive practices in your current curriculum? 8. Please share with me anything else you may want to discuss with me that we have not yet covered. If the early childhood centre conducts a research-based social and emotional program:â 1. Do you have formal education in conducting your SEL program? a. Yes i.For how long: b. No 1. For those who answered yes, what training/education did you receive about your SEL program? a. Professional Development workshop i.Duration: b. Instructor from SEL program i.Duration: c. Online asynchronous workshop i.Duration: d. Self-learning (textbooks/readings) i.Duration: e. Other: 2. How supported do you feel by the school/administration in conducting your SEL program? a. Very supported (5) b. Semi-supported (4) c. Neither supported or unsupported (3) d. Not supported (2) e. Very unsupported (1) f. Please explain why you have chosen your rating of support: 1513. How flexible is the social and emotional learning program in adjusting lesson plans according to the demographic of the classroom? a. Very flexible (5) b. Semi-flexible (4) c. Neither flexible or inflexible (3) d. Not flexible (2) e. Very structured (1) f. Please explain why you have chosen your rating of flexibility: 152Faculty of Education Vancouver Campus Early Childhood Education 2125 Main Mall Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4 Phone: 604-822-0091 Fax: 604-822-3302 https://earlychildhood.educ.ubc.ca Appendix O: Semi-Structured Interview Guiding Questions- Caregiver The interview will be set up in a private space where the participant and researcher can have uninterrupted conversation. Before beginning the interview, the researcher will spend some time talking with the participant about their day and what to expect during the interview. Additionally, the researcher will go over the consent process in detail and answer any question that need to be addressed.â The researcher will explain to the participant that if they feel uncomfortable or want to stop the interview at any time they can.ââ 1. Tell me about your previous educational experience in the Philippines. a. Possible prompts: i.Are there any cultural differences you have experienced in the education system in the Philippines versus British Columbia, Canada? ii.If your child was previously enrolled in an educational program in the Philippines, were there any challenges you observed in their educational transition in British Columbia? 2. How comfortable are you in the early childhood education centre? a. Possible prompts: i.How would you describe your level of support from the early childhood educator? From the community? ii.What emotions do you feel when your child is attending the early childhood program? 3. How would you describe your level of involvement with your childâs education? a. Possible prompts: i.Are there any school activities that you work on together in the home? Tell me about your understanding of social and emotional learning. a. Possible prompts: i.Have you learned about SEL in the past? ii. Are there any examples of SEL programming in your previous educational experience or knowledge in the Philippines? iii.Has there been any discussion regarding SEL programs or competencies between your family and the early childhood educator? 5. Please share with me anything else you may want to discuss with me that we have not yet covered. If there is an SEL program being conducted in the early childhood education centre: 1531. Have you been briefed about the SEL programs being conducted at your childâs school? a. Yes i.Through what format? b. No 2. Do you assist your child with at-home SEL activity? a. Yes i.Duration spent on activity (min): b. No 3. If No, why not? a. No formal instructions sent homeâ b. Instructions not clear c. Did not know about SEL activity d. No time at home e. Other:â
Thesis/Dissertation
eng
Early Childhood Education
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Graduate
Ford, Laurie
Experiences of first and second-generation Filipino immigrant children in social and emotional learning in British Columbia early childhood education school settings
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