Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy最新文献

{"title":"Critical well-being as a paradigm: Applying indigenous wisdom to transforming systemic SEL","authors":"Roberto Rivera","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper critically examines Systemic SEL through the lens of Critical Well-Being (CWB) and calls for a shift from traditional, performance-based success metrics toward a transformative, equity-centered approach. By centering belonging, community-driven priorities, and holistic well-being, CWB reimagines SEL as a tool for fostering healing, justice, and cultural sustainability. Case studies from Kia Aroha Campus and Paseo Robelita Unified School District illustrate how integrating youth and community voices enhances SEL’s alignment with cultural, social, and collective well-being, creating environments where both students and educators thrive. These examples demonstrate that prioritizing holistic flourishing over economic or political outcomes can drive sustainable educational improvements, even amid systemic barriers and politically conservative contexts. This article contends that for SEL to fulfill its transformative potential, educational systems must embrace authentic collaboration, co-creation, and iterative improvement. Placing youth, parents, and communities at the center of decision-making requires redefining success metrics, supporting educators’ well-being, and embedding sustainable infrastructure for long-term community engagement. A CWB-informed approach fosters equity and resilience while addressing mental health and racial trauma. Research highlights that reconnecting communities of color with cultural practices supports both healing and resilience (Chávez-Dueñas et al., 2019), reinforcing the need for culturally sustaining SEL initiatives. This paper reaffirms education’s role as a space for liberation and healing, offering concrete examples of culturally sustaining SEL practices in both global and U.S. contexts. It concludes with key implications for research, policy, and practice, honoring the legacy of Dr. Roger Weissberg and advancing more equitable, community-driven approaches to SEL.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100178"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When seeing through students’ eyes clouds the view: Rethinking perspective-taking in teacher-focused interventions","authors":"Marjolein Zee","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100177","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100177","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is widely believed that teachers’ perspective-taking can improve students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) and their own social-emotional competencies by fostering a deeper understanding of students’ thoughts, feelings, or viewpoints. It is therefore not surprising that perspective-taking is usually one of the key components in teacher-focused interventions designed to improve various SEL outcomes. Drawing together insights from empirical and theoretical work, this paper focuses on how perspective-taking is embedded in teacher-focused interventions designed to support SEL, and identifies three boundary conditions that may inadvertently limit its effectiveness. These include teachers’ reliance on egocentric and stereotypical defaults when trying to take a student’s perspective, a predominant focus on the perspective taker’s mind when considering intervention outcomes, and potential declines in teachers’ perspective-taking accuracy due to increased confidence. By identifying these boundary conditions, this paper aims to advance a more nuanced understanding of perspective-taking as a mechanism of change and to inform the development of interventions that more effectively foster SEL outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Impact statement</h3><div>This paper reviews how perspective-taking is embedded in teacher-focused interventions designed to support social-emotional learning (SEL), and identifies three conditions that may limit its effectiveness. Drawing together insights from empirical and theoretical work, it offers a more nuanced account of perspective-taking as a mechanism of change. The insights provided may help educators and intervention designers anticipate challenges and strengthen strategies that reliably support SEL outcomes in the classroom.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100177"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The crossroads of social and emotional learning and critical social justice","authors":"Michael J. Strambler","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social and emotional learning (SEL) has seen rapid growth in practice and evidence, yet it is increasingly caught in the crossfire of America’s culture wars. While many view SEL as a necessary tool to address student well-being and school climate, some critics accuse it of being a vehicle for progressive indoctrination. Other critics accuse it of inadequately addressing injustice and argue for integrating critical social justice (CSJ) frameworks into SEL to redress systemic inequities. This paper critically examines the tensions between traditional skills-based SEL and CSJ-oriented SEL, exploring the philosophical and practical divergences between them. It argues that the increasing politicization and conceptual ambiguity surrounding SEL jeopardize its legitimacy and effectiveness. The paper proposes “civic empiricism”—a commitment to open inquiry, rigorous evidence, and pluralistic dialogue—as a guiding principle to help the SEL field navigate ideological divides while remaining anchored to its core mission. Recommendations include fostering intellectual humility, promoting adversarial collaboration, and clarifying definitions around contested social justice concepts such as equity, antiracism, and liberation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100175"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the evidence base of targeted skill-building interventions for improving social-emotional competencies in children at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders","authors":"Erica O. Lee ,&nbsp;Lauren E. Anson ,&nbsp;Gregory J. Benner ,&nbsp;Carolina Kudesey ,&nbsp;Yurou Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often exhibit deficits in social-emotional competencies that hinder their academic and behavioral success. While Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) commonly include universal (Tier I) and behavioral (Tier II) interventions, there is a critical gap in Tier II interventions that explicitly target social-emotional learning (SEL). This systematic review examined 18 peer-reviewed studies evaluating Tier II SEL interventions for K–12 students at risk for EBD. Studies were included if they provided explicit SEL instruction aligned with CASEL’s SAFE framework and measured SEL outcomes. Findings revealed that most interventions targeted self-management, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, with several demonstrating statistically or educationally meaningful improvements. However, only a subset of studies met the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) standards for evidence-based practices. Variability in student identification methods, intervention fidelity, and outcome measurement limited the strength of the evidence base. Despite these limitations, the review supports Tier II SEL interventions as a promising evidence-based practice for students with or at risk for EBD. Implications include the need for more rigorous research, consistent implementation practices, and integration of targeted SEL within MTSS frameworks to address the complex needs of this population.</div><div>Impact Statement</div><div>This review of 18 studies shows that targeted Tier II SEL programs can help students at risk for EBD by strengthening crucial social-emotional skills. However, the evidence base is still developing, with gaps in research quality and consistency. For educators, the findings highlight the promise of integrating targeted SEL supports into MTSS frameworks. Investing in stronger research and implementation practices can ensure schools deliver effective SEL interventions to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students at risk for EBD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Navigating social and emotional learning evidence in a polarized socio-political environment: A qualitative pilot study of SEL stakeholders","authors":"Michael F. McCarthy ,&nbsp;Eliya Ahmad Herskowitz ,&nbsp;Sophie P. Barnes ,&nbsp;Zi Jia Ng ,&nbsp;Cheyeon Ha ,&nbsp;Christina Cipriano","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100170","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100170","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An increasingly polarized socio-political climate is diminishing the public's confidence in the SEL research evidence. In some cases, producing misinformation – or false evidence- as well as disinformation – or intentionally false evidence. Both have the potential to contribute to exclusionary policies and inequitable social and emotional experiences for students in the United States. This manuscript explores whether and how SEL stakeholders (<em>n</em> = 25) understand, access, and use evidence to inform SEL-related decisions across professions, including K-12 educators, school administrators, and district personnel as well as policymakers, parents, and SEL researchers and advocates. Results from this pilot study suggest that SEL research evidence currently lacks accessibility for policymakers, educational leaders, and practitioners, and that the evidence that is available is limited in how it can be translated to and used in practice. How stakeholders identify and use SEL evidence is diverse, and most stakeholders access SEL evidence via news and education media. Opportunities for improving SEL evidence understanding, access, and use in the current U.S. socio-political climate are discussed.</div></div><div><h3>Impact statement</h3><div>Findings suggest that SEL misinformation is likely more accessible to decision makers than the evidence that illustrates the success and benefits of SEL programming. Without continued proof and confirmation about what SEL is and how SEL is benefiting the nation’s youth, false narrative surrounding SEL that is being advocated for by specific groups and politicians is likely to prevail, resulting in continued skepticism about the use of SEL approaches in classrooms. This policy analyses and research study yield significant implications for SEL researchers and other stakeholders interested in creating, disseminating, and using SEL research in practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100170"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841714","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceptions, challenges and opportunities of system-level social emotional learning interventions in India","authors":"Saba Ahmad ,&nbsp;Varsha Pillai ,&nbsp;Sreehari Ravindranath ,&nbsp;Pankaj Sinha ,&nbsp;Sharique S. Mashhadi ,&nbsp;Vishal Talreja","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100171","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article examines the implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives in India's public education system, focusing on three states: Delhi, Uttarakhand and Nagaland. Within the context of India's expansive public education network serving over 167 million students (UDISE, 2022) and the National Education Policy 2020's emphasis on education as “<em>a great leveller and the best tool for achieving economic and social mobility, inclusion and equality</em>,<em>”</em> this article maps seven key policymakers' perceptions of SEL integration in public schools. Through interviews with education department officials, the study reveals growing institutional support for social emotional wellbeing in education, particularly as it relates to future-ready skills development. The findings highlight policymakers' perspectives on SEL's potential impact on student mental wellbeing, moral development, academic achievement and life preparedness, while underscoring the critical role of teachers and school systems in successful implementation. It indicates a fundamental paradigm shift among policymakers interviewed from viewing education as merely knowledge transfer to a comprehensive system supporting both academic and social emotional development. This analysis provides insights into how SEL is being conceptualized and advanced at the state level within India's public education policy framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145771854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"Mark T. Greenberg","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100169","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100169"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acceptability and student engagement in high school social emotional learning: A mixed-methods study of the development of Well Connected©","authors":"Elise T. Pas ,&nbsp;Katrina J. Debnam ,&nbsp;Jessika H. Bottiani ,&nbsp;Danielle De Lucia ,&nbsp;Catherine P. Bradshaw","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The groundbreaking work of Roger Weissberg and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL, 2015) framework have resulted in increased interest in social and emotional learning (SEL) across multiple grade levels and school types, including high schools. As research and programming emerge for this critical and often overlooked adolescent audience, it is important to understand both how high school teachers and students perceive SEL and which programmatic features are most engaging for high schoolers. Using a mixed-methods approach, we examined closed- and open-ended survey responses collected from students and their teachers in 16 high schools across the 2020–2021 remote schooling year. This was conducted as part of the development of the <em>Well Connected</em>© SEL and wellness curriculum, which was recently created through a research-practice partnership (Pas et al., 2024). Findings indicate high acceptability of SEL, with about three-quarters of teachers and students reporting that it is important or extremely important to explicitly teach SEL. Over 80 % reported that <em>Well Connected</em>© content was a fit for their grade level. Despite this, student engagement was noted as the top challenge for teachers. The most preferred engagement strategies were games and low-stakes ways for students to share ideas (e.g., polling students). Themes about technology and teacher readiness to implement emerged in both the qualitative and quantitative data. We highlight implications for optimizing implementation of SEL in high schools. We note how these findings complement the legacy of Dr. Weissberg and his research on SEL.</div></div><div><h3>Impact Statement</h3><div>Social and emotional learning (SEL) is linked to improved student outcomes. There are relatively few SEL programs available for and tested in high schools. This study examines how high school teachers and students perceived an SEL and wellness program and which programmatic features effectively engaged high schoolers. The data for this study were collected as part of the development of <em>Well Connected©</em> in close collaboration with a large district and sought input from teachers and students in 17 high schools. Findings indicate high acceptability of SEL programming with concurrent challenges to engage students. The most preferred engagement strategies were games and low-stakes ways for students to share ideas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100166"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145623411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring adults’ social and emotional competencies: Development and validation of a new self-report questionnaire – Social and emotional competencies questionnaire - Hebrew (SECQ-H)","authors":"Haggai Kupermintz ,&nbsp;Einat Kleider Tesler ,&nbsp;Heidi Gleit ,&nbsp;Daphne Kopelman-Rubin","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the development and validation of the Social and Emotional Competencies Questionnaire in Hebrew (SECQ-H), which aims to assess the social and emotional competencies (SEC) of adults in Israel. This instrument is grounded in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework for social and emotional learning (SEL), which categorizes SEC into five core areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The SECQ-H was developed to address the need for universal, culturally appropriate SEC measures. Following a comprehensive translation and adaptation process, a pilot version was utilized as a tool for self-reflection and framing during professional development activities for educators. The final version was administered to 573 educators across Israel. Analyses provided support for the validity of CASEL’s 5-factor model and the reliability of the resulting scales. Factor analysis patterns shed light on the theoretical distinctions between the underlying constructs. Findings also revealed significant differences between the scales’ average ratings. The SECQ-H shows promise for use in educational contexts such as professional development, pedagogical discourse, research, and program evaluation. It may also be a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners in other fields and for additional populations. Future research should explore convergent validity with other assessment methods and adapt the questionnaire for additional cultural contexts, including developing an Arabic version.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing children’s innate systems intelligence to enhance social and emotional learning","authors":"Peter M. Senge ,&nbsp;Lana Cook ,&nbsp;M. Jennifer Kitil ,&nbsp;Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl ,&nbsp;Jean M. Clinton ,&nbsp;Mette Boell ,&nbsp;Jacob S. Martin ,&nbsp;Charlotte Ruddy","doi":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100167","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sel.2025.100167","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the concept of <em>systems intelligence</em> in children and highlights its links to social and emotional learning (SEL), proposing that young people possess an innate capacity to understand interdependence, relationships, and change within complex systems. The argument centers on the importance and feasibility of cultivating systems intelligence in children and youth as a response to the complex challenges societies face today. Traditional education often overlooks this innate capacity, emphasizing technical academic content and reductionistic approaches instead. Drawing on insights from Goleman and Senge’s (2014) <em>The Triple Focus</em>, we propose that integrating attention to intrapersonal, interpersonal, and broader social and ecological interdependence can deepen and extend SEL. Practical examples of systems intelligence in action—such as young children using feedback loops to resolve conflicts—illustrate the intuitive nature of this form of thinking. We also show that a variety of practical tools now exist to help educators weave systems science into SEL in diverse contexts. Finally, we situate cultivating systems intelligence within recent educational innovations, arguing that, together, these can enable a transformative educational paradigm that fosters both deeper understanding of interconnectedness and agency in addressing global issues.</div></div><div><h3>Impact Statement</h3><div>This paper highlights how children’s natural systems intelligence—their intuitive ability to see patterns, relationships, and interconnections—works together with social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL skills such as empathy, self-awareness, and perspective-taking can strengthen children’s systems intelligence, helping them understand how their actions influence others and the world around them. Using real classroom examples, the paper shows how combining systems intelligence and SEL supports students in navigating complex issues like conflict, community challenges, and climate change. The paper offers practical guidance for educators and clear direction for policymakers seeking to enhance student well-being, agency, and preparedness for an interconnected world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101165,"journal":{"name":"Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100167"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}