Social-Based Learning and Leadership (SBL): Theory Development and a Qualitative Case Study
Abstract
Social-based learning and leadership (SBL) is an innovative pedagogical approach that
centers on enhancing relationships within the educational system to address 21st-century challenges.
At its core, SBL aims to help teachers transform into social architects who nurture positive social
processes among pupils. Emphasizing prosocial education, SBL lays the foundation for cultivating
pro-environmentalism and sustainable behavior by fostering a sense of care and responsibility toward
others. SBL’s prosocial education program encompasses social and emotional skills, knowledge,
and dispositions to empower pupils to actively engage in and contribute to a more democratic,
reciprocal, just, and sustainable society. This approach underscores the importance of education
in shaping students’ mindsets and life orientations. By nurturing a sense of interconnectedness
and responsibility for the well-being of others, SBL provides a promising avenue to transform
education by building more sustainable educational systems, thus contributing to creating a more
sustainable future. A qualitative case study, which consisted of 18 in-depth interviews and nine
observations, examined the impact of an SBL-based teacher training program at an elementary
school from 2020 to 2023. The results point to changes in teachers’ perceptions of their roles as social
architects and, more specifically, as facilitators of social, emotional, and cognitive processes. The
teachers gained recognition as meaningful adults from their students and transitioned to hold integral
positions as part of a supportive and connected school community, associating with colleagues
and parents. This study thus showcases patterns of socio-organizational communication that can
unfold in a school influenced by the SBL approach. SBL’s emphasis on positive social relationships
and empowering teachers as facilitators of holistic student development thus further reinforces its
potential to transform education for a sustainable and thriving future.
The Moderating Effect of Performance Feedback and the Mediating Effect of Self-Set Goals on the Primed Goal-Performance Relationship
Guy Itzchakov, Gary P. Latham
Goal Setting
The effect of feedback and a self-set goal on the relationship between a goal primed in the subconscious and performance were examined in three laboratory experiments and one field experiment (n = 241, 465, 201, 74 respectively), using normative (bogus) and absolute feedback manipulations, and different performance tasks that were coded for both performance quality (i.e. creativity) and quantity. The hypothesis that providing feedback, a moderator in goal-setting theory, amplifies the causal effect of a primed goal on performance was supported. Specifically, in experiment 1, participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (prime of effective vs. ineffective performance) × 3 (positive, negative, no feedback) factorial design. The primed goal for effective performance led to higher performance than the negative primed goal. In addition, feedback, regardless of its sign, increased both task and creative performance when a primed goal for effective performance was presented but did not do so when the goal primed ineffective performance. This effect was replicated in two subsequent laboratory experiments which employed three primed goal conditions (effective/neutral/ineffective). In experiments 2 and 3, a consciously set goal, with no prompting by an experimenter, mediated the relationship between a primed goal and performance when feedback was provided. Experiment 4 provided a conceptual replication in a work setting, involving employees in a customer service department of a large communication company. Finally, a meta-analysis of these four experiments indicated an average effect size of d = 0.36, 95 percent CI [0.23, 0.49] with no evidence of heterogeneity across the four experiments. These findings suggest that not only are subconscious goals a foundation for the difficulty level of consciously set goals but in addition, subconscious goals and conscious goals work together in affecting performance.
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Harmony in Political Discourse? The Impact of High-Quality Listening on Speakers' Perceptions Following Political Conversations
Guy Itzchakov, Niv Navon, Jarret T. Crawford, Netta Weinstein, Kenneth G. DeMarree
Listening
Conversations with people who hold opposite partisan attitudes can elicit defensiveness, reinforce extreme attitudes, and undermine relationships with those with opposing views. However, this might not be the case when speakers experience high-quality (attentive, 2 understanding, and non-judgmental) listening from their conversation partners. We hypothesized that high-quality listening will increase speakers’ positive views toward, and their willingness to further interact with, others who hold politically opposed attitudes, and that these effects will be mediated by greater state openness. We conducted three experiments using different modalities to manipulate listening. In Study 1 (N = 379), participants recalled a conversation with an opposing political party member, with listening quality described as high-quality, low-quality, or control. Study 2 (N = 269) used imagined interactions, with participants reading vignettes describing either high-quality listening or a control condition. In Study 3 (preregistered; N = 741), participants watched a video of a listener modeling high-quality or moderate-quality listening and imagined themselves engaging in a similar interaction. Across studies, we found that high-quality listening consistently increased speakers’ state openness to politically opposed others, but did not change political attitudes. We found inconsistent evidence for speakers’ increased willingness to engage in future interactions (meta-analytic effect: 𝑑 = 0.20, p = .015). However, the indirect effect of listening on positive attitudes and willingness for future interactions through increased openness was consistently significant.
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