Reclaiming 'Fun': A School Leader's Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education
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| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1178-8690 |
| DOI: | 10.2478/jelpp-2025-0005 |
