Implement social and emotional learning programmes in educational institutions to increase student engagement¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Based on the finding that SECs are mostly positively associated with engagement, the review concludes that "educational institutions should implement social and emotional learning programmes to increase SE". The recommendation rests on the review's synthesis showing positive SEC–SE associations across school levels and backgrounds, and on prior meta-analytic evidence the review cites that universal school-based SEL programmes enhance SECs, attitudes, social behaviour and academic performance. The strategy positions SEL programming as an institutional-level lever for engagement rather than an individual remediation.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• programmes must target the broad CASEL-defined competencies so that measured SECs correspond to the framework's five domains

Constraints¶

• the supporting evidence is observational and associational; the review did not test whether SEL programmes causally raise engagement

Target Learners¶

• youth students aged 10–25 in middle school, high school and university

Target Learning Goals¶

• social and emotional competencies
• student engagement

Affordances¶

• Casel 5 Sec Framework

Claims¶

• Most studies show social and emotional competencies are positively associated with student engagement and negatively associated with disengagement across school levels and backgrounds [+W]
• Longitudinal studies suggest reciprocal associations between some SECs and student engagement over time [+W]
• Some SECs show no association with engagement dimensions in individual studies, including emotion regulation with behavioural engagement and intentional self-regulation compensation [~W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Anabela Caetano Santos, Celeste Simões, Márcia H.S. Melo, Margarida F. Santos, Iara Freitas, Cátia Branquinho, Carmel Cefai, Patrícia Arriaga. (2023). A systematic review of the association between social and emotional competencies and student engagement in youth. Educational Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.100535