SEL interventions improve attitudes, self-regulation, behaviour, and academic performance across reported effect-size ranges¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i0 A review of meta-analyses reports socio-emotional skills can be taught, with improvements ranging up to d = 0.93 in attitudes and d = 0.46 in academic performance. → Lucciarini 2025

Evidence¶

Lucciarini 2025¶

Lucciarini, E., Carr, A., Bressoud, N., Boniwell, I., Audrin, C., Gay, P., & Burel, N. (2025). Evermore Wellbeing for Teens: A Scoping Review of Stand-alone and Brief Positive Psychology Interventions for Potential Use in Educational Settings. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10033-3

q2 · i0 · review · r2

The review reports, citing Durlak et al. (2022)'s review of meta-analyses of educational interventions, "notable improvements in attitudes (d = 0.07 to d = 0.93), self-regulation (d = 0.00 to d = 0.46), prosocial behaviour (d = 0.11 to d = 0.39)"; academic performance effects ranged d = 0.18 to 0.46.

"Their research demonstrates notable improvements in attitudes (d = 0.07 to d = 0.93), self-regulation (d = 0.00 to d = 0.46), prosocial behaviour (d = 0.11 to d = 0.39)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Universal school-based SEL programs improve students' behaviour, with a small and, in recent randomised trials, negligible effect on academic achievement — related
• SEL programs improve social emotional skills — related
• Social-emotional learning benefits persist at follow-up — related
• SEL programs improve students' engagement and academic performance, with an 11-percentile-point achievement gain in the Durlak meta-analysis — related
• Social and emotional learning programs promote competencies, reduce behavior problems, and improve engagement and achievement, with sustained longer-term benefits — a broader claim this one bears on
• School-based SEL programs promote the development of social and emotional competencies across grade levels — a broader claim this one bears on
• Schoolwide SEL programs are associated with long-term achievement gains, with multiple meta-analyses estimating an 11-percentile-point gain on average for participating students — related
• Effects on secondary behavioural outcomes (conduct problems, delinquency, substance use) are negligible or non-significant — reports the opposite
• Interventions that change educator behaviour to match standard global definitions of quality have delivered negligible effects on children's developmental outcomes — related
• SEL programs reduce disruptive behavior problems and emotional distress and foster prosocial behavior — related
• Self-regulation interventions showed positive associations with distal outcomes: academic achievement in 11 of 13 studies (85%), substance abuse in 4 of 5 (80%), and conduct disorders, social skills, depression, behavioral problems, and school suspensions in all reporting studies. — related