Giving Voice, Creating Change

MMEA Perspectives on Culturally Relevant SEL Curriculum Adaptations

Abstract

This constructivist grounded theory study examines how Islamic school teachers adapt social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula for Muslim Middle Eastern American (MMEA) students. Drawing on intensive interviews, focus groups, and graphic elicitation with 20 educators across two North New Jersey USA Islamic schools, three key adaptation areas emerged: promoting cultural awareness, addressing gender roles, and reframing collectivism as a foundational worldview. Findings reveal a critical disconnect between the CASEL framework’s individualistic assumptions and MMEA students’ communal values, challenging SEL’s foundational premises about selfhood and identity. Practical curriculum recommendations are offered with implications for educators in Islamic school and public school settings.