Summative, Formative, Inspirative: Transforming Questionnaire Administration into an SEL-Driven Dialogic Learning Opportunity

This case study examines an unexpected practice that emerged in a middle school participating in a large-scale social and emotional learning (SEL) initiative in Israel. During the administration of student questionnaires—typically a routine evaluative procedure—the school transformed the event into a structured Dialogue-Day centered on dialogue and reflection before students completed the questionnaires. Drawing on observations of ten dialogue circles, nine student group interviews, and interviews with teachers, school leaders, and SEL practitioners, the study explores the origins of this practitioner-led innovation, the organizational conditions supporting its implementation, and the issues that students chose to discuss once authentic dialogic space had been created. Drawing on these findings, we propose the concept of Inspirative Evaluation , whereby practitioners appropriate routine evaluation activities and reinterpret them as opportunities for dialogue, reflection, relationship-building, and social and emotional learning while preserving their evaluative functions. The findings suggest that such innovations are supported by a combination of organizational conditions, including supportive leadership, practitioner ownership, collaborative partnerships, dormant organizational practices, and the broader pedagogical context of SEL. The study contributes to evaluation theory while highlighting the potential of SEL initiatives to inspire creative reinterpretations of routine educational practice. Impact Statement This study shows how a middle school turned a routine SEL questionnaire administration day into a meaningful social and emotional learning experience. By creating small dialogue circles before students completed the survey, teachers and students engaged in authentic conversations about academic pressure, fairness, belonging, and the transition to high school. The case highlights how required evaluation processes can be reimagined as opportunities for connection, reflection, and student voice. We introduce the concept of Inspirative Evaluation , showing how schools can repurpose measurement demands to strengthen SEL, improve school climate, and inspire more relational, student-centered practices.