View in EDS

Reclaiming 'Fun': A School Leader's Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Reclaiming 'Fun': A School Leader's Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education
Language: English
Authors: Melanie Drake (ORCID 0009-0003-8709-271X)
Source: Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice. 2025 39:63-76.
Availability: Paradigm Publishing Services, a company of De Gruyter Poland. Nowogrodzka 4/3, 00-513 Warsaw, Poland. Tel: +48-22-245-3355; e-mail: contact@pps.pub; Web site: https://paradigmpublishingservices.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Principals, Leaders, COVID-19, Pandemics, Psychological Patterns, Social Emotional Learning, Creativity, Cooperation, Foreign Countries, Well Being, School Culture, Leadership Styles, Student Needs
Geographic Terms: South Africa
DOI: 10.2478/jelpp-2025-0005
ISSN: 1178-8690
Abstract: In an era where schools are under immense pressure to deliver top academic results and meet performance expectations from stakeholders such as government departments, parents, and school boards, the idea of prioritising 'fun' over academic outcomes might appear unconventional. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, exposed the fragility of traditional schooling models and underscored the urgency of addressing students' social and emotional well-being. This South African leadership narrative reflects on how the principal and leadership team, in the first 'normal' school year following the pandemic, implemented a year-long initiative known as the Fun Project. Designed to rekindle joy, connection, and emotional recovery, the project centred on fostering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through creative, collaborative, and academically aligned cross-curricular learning experiences. Drawing on a reflexive autoethnographic and pracademic approach, this study situates the author's lived leadership experience within wider educational leadership theory, exploring the tensions between academic accountability and student well-being. The narrative demonstrates how integrating SEL and joy into school culture can reframe educational priorities, cultivate resilience, and model a form of leadership grounded in reflection, relational trust, and hope.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1493280
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1493280
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1493280
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Reclaiming 'Fun': A School Leader's Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Melanie+Drake%22">Melanie Drake</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8709-271X">0009-0003-8709-271X</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Educational+Leadership%2C+Policy+and+Practice%22"><i>Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice</i></searchLink>. 2025 39:63-76.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Paradigm Publishing Services, a company of De Gruyter Poland. Nowogrodzka 4/3, 00-513 Warsaw, Poland. Tel: +48-22-245-3355; e-mail: contact@pps.pub; Web site: https://paradigmpublishingservices.com/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 14
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Principals%22">Principals</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leaders%22">Leaders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Emotional+Learning%22">Social Emotional Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Creativity%22">Creativity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperation%22">Cooperation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Culture%22">School Culture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leadership+Styles%22">Leadership Styles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Needs%22">Student Needs</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22South+Africa%22">South Africa</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.2478/jelpp-2025-0005
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1178-8690
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: In an era where schools are under immense pressure to deliver top academic results and meet performance expectations from stakeholders such as government departments, parents, and school boards, the idea of prioritising 'fun' over academic outcomes might appear unconventional. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, exposed the fragility of traditional schooling models and underscored the urgency of addressing students' social and emotional well-being. This South African leadership narrative reflects on how the principal and leadership team, in the first 'normal' school year following the pandemic, implemented a year-long initiative known as the Fun Project. Designed to rekindle joy, connection, and emotional recovery, the project centred on fostering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through creative, collaborative, and academically aligned cross-curricular learning experiences. Drawing on a reflexive autoethnographic and pracademic approach, this study situates the author's lived leadership experience within wider educational leadership theory, exploring the tensions between academic accountability and student well-being. The narrative demonstrates how integrating SEL and joy into school culture can reframe educational priorities, cultivate resilience, and model a form of leadership grounded in reflection, relational trust, and hope.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1493280
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1493280
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.2478/jelpp-2025-0005
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 63
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Principals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Leaders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Emotional Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Creativity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cooperation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Culture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Leadership Styles
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Needs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: South Africa
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Reclaiming 'Fun': A School Leader's Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Melanie Drake
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1178-8690
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 39
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice
              Type: main
ResultId 1