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Effectiveness of school-based universal social, emotional, and behavioral programs: Do they enhance students’ development in the area of skill, behavior, and adjustment?
Abstract
To answer the question of whether teaching social and emotional skills to foster social–emotional development can help schools extend their role beyond the transfer of knowledge, the authors conducted a meta-analytical review of 75 recently published studies that reported the effects of universal, school-based social, emotional, and/or behavioral (SEB) programs. The analyzed interventions had a variety of intended outcomes, but the increase in social skills and decrease in antisocial behavior were most often reported. Although considerable differences in efficacy exist, the analysis demonstrated that overall beneficial effects on all seven major categories of outcomes occurred: social skills, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, positive self-image, academic achievement, mental health, and prosocial behavior. Generally, immediate effects were stronger than delayed effects, with the exception of substance abuse, which showed a sleeper effect. Limitations of the analysis and moderators of the effectiveness of SEB programs in schools are discussed in the final section of the article.
... Results from meta-analyses indicate that universal SEL programmes contribute to the enhancement of pupils' SEL skills; the improvement of their academic performance and their attitudes towards self, others, and school; and the reduction of conduct problems and internalising difficulties (Durlak et al, 2011;2023;Sklad et al., 2012). However, research evidence regarding the effects of SEL programmes on children with disabilities is limited (Dix, 2011;Hassani & Schwab, 2021). ...
... A considerable number of SEL programmes are implemented by teachers (Daley & McCarthy, 2021;Payton et al. 2008;Sklad et al., 2012). Teachers can effectively carry out these programmes (Payton et al., 2008;Sklad et al., 2012). ...
... A considerable number of SEL programmes are implemented by teachers (Daley & McCarthy, 2021;Payton et al. 2008;Sklad et al., 2012). Teachers can effectively carry out these programmes (Payton et al., 2008;Sklad et al., 2012). Nevertheless, teachers' participation in the implementation of SEL programmes depends on their perceptions on SEL. ...
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk for emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Social and emotional learning (SEL) may be particularly beneficial to fostering these children’s resilience. Given the importance of teacher’s role in promoting SEL, the present study aimed to explore special teachers’ perceptions of SEL and the practices they use to enhance their pupils’ social and emotional skills. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with 15 Greek primary and secondary education special teachers and were analysed with the use of reflexive thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the special teachers considered the creation of a supportive school environment a key prerequisite to addressing the pupils’ with SEND needs. They perceived SEL as a process aiming to the development of social and emotional skills which contributes to pupils’ emotional development and social inclusion. Although they used a number of practices for this purpose, their efforts were often hindered by the lack of collaboration with general education teachers and their limited knowledge on SEL. The findings are discussed with respect to the need to enhance cooperation between the members of the school community and teachers’ training on SEL.
... Research has shown that when effectively implemented, evidence-based SEL programs lead to measurable and potentially long-lasting improvements in various domains of a child's life [27,28]. Comparing the findings of four large-scale meta-analyses of SEL programs [13,[29][30][31] containing outcome data from 356 research reports summarizing the shortand long-term effects of hundreds of thousands of universal school-based SEL programs ...
... Our results are in line with the findings reported in previous studies regarding the efficacy of the "Slowly but Steadily" program, showing the improvement of some social and emotional competencies and the reduction in externalizing problems, with small to moderate effect sizes [46,47]. Taken together, these findings are also consistent with studies from other countries, partially supporting the cross-cultural generalization of SEL programs' efficacy [13,[29][30][31]. ...
This study investigated whether a social–emotional learning program, implemented over a one-year period, could lead to gains in social–emotional competencies and to a reduction in internalizing and externalizing problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the program analyzed how students (boys vs. girls) with varying levels of social–emotional competencies and externalizing and internalizing problems, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds, were differently affected. The program was applied to 358 Portuguese third- and fourth-grade students (51.4% boys, Mage = 8.56; SD = 0.82). Self-report (students) and hetero-report (teachers) questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Linear mixed-effects models were computed to test intervention impacts. Significant intervention gains were noted in social–emotional learning competencies, namely emotional knowledge, social competence, peer relations, self-management, and academic behavior, and in externalizing (social problems) and internalizing (anxiety) problems. No effects were found in aggressiveness. Students with lower social–emotional competencies and higher externalizing and internalizing problems at baseline profited more from the program. Gender moderated both emotional knowledge and social problems, and socioeconomic status only moderated social problems. Findings highlight the effectiveness of this social–emotional learning program, especially for students facing initial challenges. Recommendations for future research, acknowledging limitations and strengths, are discussed.
... In addition to rigorous academic knowledge and skills, many schools are also placing a significant emphasis on students' SEL as there is extensive research indicating positive short-term and long-term outcomes when SEL programming is provided to students in K-12 settings (e.g., Durlak et al., 2011;Sklad et al., 2012;Taylor et al., 2017;Weare & Nind, 2011;Wigelsworth et al., 2016). SEL should not be viewed as a singular process but instead as the interplay of several processes that allow individuals to develop and maintain positive relationships with peers, engage in responsible decision-making, demonstrate genuine empathy for others, and display self-control (CASEL, 2023). ...
... There is now mounting evidence illustrating that universal SEL programs and targeted SEL interventions are likely to have the same impact for preschool-age children. However, it is unlikely that a uniform approach will result in improved SEL outcomes for all young children, particularly those from racially and ethnically minoritized backgrounds (Bernal et al., 1995;Griner & Smith, 2006;Smith et al., 2011). In the present synthesis, we sought to identify studies reporting the results of culturally adapted preschool SEL programs and targeted interventions. ...
... Thực tiễn những năm qua, khoa học và giáo dục đã chứng kiến sự bùng nổ mối quan tâm đến sự phát triển NL CXXH 23 . Đã có khá nhiều nghiên cứu đánh giá về tính hiệu quả của chương trình NL CXXH 5,24 . Trường học, gia đình và cộng đồng ngày càng nhận thấy tầm quan trọng của việc thúc đẩy năng lực cảm xúc -xã hội của thanh thiếu niên nhằm tạo điều kiện thuận lợi cho sự thành công trong học tập và cuộc sống 25,26 . ...
... Những người có năng lực cảm xúc xã hội mạnh mẽ thường có khả năng xây dựng và duy trì các mối quan hệ tích cực, đồng thời thành công hơn trong cuộc sống cá nhân và nghề nghiệp của họ. Kết quả nghiên cứu từ hàng trăm nghiên cứu khác nhau chỉ ra rằng việc áp dụng chương trình NL CXXH sẽ cải thiện thành tích học tập của học sinh và hành vi xã hội tích cực, và giảm thiểu các vấn đề về hành vi và đau khổ về cảm xúc5,24 Các nghiên cứu khác cũng chỉ ra rằng NL CXXH tăng lên có liên quan đến việc giảm thiểu nhiều hành vi tiêu cực bao gồm hung hăng, phạm pháp, sử dụng chất kích thích và bỏ học[33][34][35] . Tóm lại, NL CXXH rất quan trọng với sự phát triển về cảm xúc, xã hội, và học tập của học sinh, đặc biệt học sinh Trung học cơ sở. ...
Năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội là một trong những vấn đề trọng tâm của giáo dục hiện đại, có xu hướng sử dụng các chiến lược khác nhau để nâng cao giá trị hạnh phúc cá nhân – một trong những nền tảng quan trọng trong quá trình hình thành nhân cách và góp phần tạo nên thành công lâu dài của con người. Trong bối cảnh toàn cầu hoá và hội nhập quốc tế hiện nay, việc phát triển các kỹ năng cảm xúc – xã hội cho học sinh nổi lên như một khía cạnh quan trọng của giáo dục, đặc biệt với học sinh Trung học cơ sở – giai đoạn đang trải qua sự phát triển đáng kể về nhận thức, xã hội và cảm xúc. Nuôi dưỡng các năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội ở học sinh Trung học cơ sở không chỉ trang bị cho họ những kỹ năng trở thành những công dân toàn cầu, mà còn thúc đẩy môi trường học đường tích cực, góp phần giảm thiểu các trường hợp xung đột và các hành vi bắt nạt. Mặc dù
nghiên cứu về năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội không phải là xu hướng mới xuất hiện trong những năm gần đây, nhưng việc áp dụng, phát triển mô hình năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội vẫn còn khá hạn chế ở Việt Nam. Trong phạm vi bài viết, tác giả cung cấp tổng quan về khái niệm, một số nghiên cứu
về năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội của học sinh Trung học cơ sở, cũng như các mô hình giáo dục năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội hiện nay. Từ đó cho thấy tầm quan trọng của việc nâng cao năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội, hướng tới mục tiêu tạo dựng thành công và hạnh phúc cho học sinh.
Từ khoá: năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội, học tập năng lực cảm xúc – xã hội, Social-Emotional
Competence, SEC, trung học cơ sở
... A promoção e prevenção devem ser ações permanentes na esfera da saúde psíquica e, quando promovidas pelos atores sociais universitários, são estratégias de vivenciaram as teorias psicológicas relacionadas ao ensino e pesquisa articulando um saber em rede, atuante e democrático, para dar amparo à Educação Socioemocional no âmbito do ensino fundamental e médio (MEC/2017). Além disso, é fundamental que atividades de extensão permitam a expansão de horizontes extramuros universitários, promovendo uma conexão com outros saberes (SKLAD et al, 2013). ...
O presente artigo visa apresentar um Projeto de Extensão Universitária vinculado ao Laboratório de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação em Saúde (LATICS) da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG) do Centro de Formação de Professores (CFP), Cajazeiras (PB). O LATICS promove atividades de pesquisa e extensão em saúde desde 2014 (PROBEX/UFCG –CNPq) e conta com diversas linhas de pesquisa. Neste caso, trata-se da linha pesquisa Saúde na Infância e Adolescência. Promoção e prevenção em saúde devem ser ações permanentes. Articular um saber em rede, atuante e democrático, é o que se demanda no contexto educacional. Deste modo, objetivou-se, através deste projeto, trabalhar com ações extencionistas em uma escola pública na cidade de Cajazeiras (PB), buscando ampliar habilidades socioemocionais com adolescentes por meio de atividades lúdicas, bem como identificar dificuldades socioemocionais e apresentar formas de lidar com elas. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório e metodologia da pesquisa-ação. A aprendizagem socioemocional foi favorecida por meio de jogos cuidativo-educacionais, desenvolvidos pelos membros da linha de pesquisa mencionada anteriormente, além de produzir materiais audiovisuais e textos com conteúdos relacionados à saúde dos adolescentes nas redes sociais e no BLOG do LATICS (http://laticsufcg.blogspot.com/). As intervenções extensionistas abordaram cuidados corporais, relacionamentos abusivos, bullying, violências, autoimagem e autoestima, inteligência emocional, estratégias de enfrentamento de problemas, depressão, problemas sociais. As ações articulando ensino, pesquisa e extensão permitiram aos extencionistas conhecer, formar vínculo e intervir nas necessidades reais que se apresentavam durante o projeto.
... Teaching social and emotional skills at school is as fundamental as the development of academic cognitive skills [24]. Consequently, educational institutions should contribute to personal and social training of students. ...
Emotional competencies are a set of strategies to identify, comprehend, express and regulate emotions. They are particularly relevant in the educational context. In spite of their important, low emotional competencies have been reported in secondary students. This scoping review aims to synthesize the impact of emotional education programs on secondary students. The PRISMA Scoping method was used by using the Web Of Science, Scopus and Scielo databases. 23 studies were identified, out of which five articles were selected as they met the determined inclusion criteria. The main findings reveal significant improvement of emotional and social skills following school interventions. Specifically, progress was observed in areas such as emotional awareness, emotional regulation, interpersonal skills and emotional knowledge. The results highlight the efficacy of social-emotional learning programs in fostering social-emotional skills and psychosocial health of secondary education students. However, limitations, such as heterogeneity, were identified in the study of such research in Ibero-American countries.
... Professionals providing support services, including mental health providers, are presently underutilized. Most still adhere to the custom of offering supplemental services that are incidental to the regular operations of the school [34]. The existing system only offers resources and the essential attention to families and students after an issue has gotten out of hand or control [35]. ...
School violence remains a serious issue around the globe with implications on the physical and mental development of students. In response to this pressing issues, schools have recognised the importance of utiliizingadequate mental health support systems to preventschool violence. This paperfocuses on the role of mental health support systems in preventing and endingschool violence. The study highlights the various causes of school violence, relationshipbetween mental health and school violence, overview of mental health support system and the role of mental health support system in preventingschool violence. Comprehensive mental healthprogramming in schoolsmayfind the childrenwho are at risk and offer interventions on time. This paperemphasizesthatincorporatingeducation on mental healthinto the curriculum, training staff to identify possible mental health issues, and access to counselling are of great importance. Whilethere are varioussuccesseswith the usage of this support system in schools, a number of challenges have been encounteredsuch as resourceconstraints, lack of qualified staff amongotherfactors. Therefore, thereisneed to ensure effective collaboration with key stakeholders, parents, professionals and teachers to ensure effective usage of mental support system in schools.
... Okul sağlığının olumlu psikososyal etkisi ruh sağlığının iyileştirilmesidir 4 . Okul temelli müdahaleler öğrencilerin vücut kitle indeksi, beslenme okuryazarlığı, sosyal ve duygusal beceri, öz imaj, fiziksel aktivite, akademik başarı, meyve ve sebze tüketimi üzerinde olumlu katkı sağlamakta; obezite, diş çürükleri, sigara kullanımı, zorbalığa maruziyet ve ruhsal sorunlar gibi olumsuz durumları önlemektedir [5][6][7][8] . ...
Bu araştırmada Türkiye’de okul sağlığına yönelik akademik çalışmaların kapsamlı ve bütünsel bakış açısıyla ortaya koyulması amaçlanmış; ulaşılan sonuçların yurt dışı okul sağlığı politikaları, Dünya Sağlık Örgütü Okul Sağlığı Hizmetleri Kılavuzu, Birleşmiş Milletler Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Hedefleri, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti 12. Kalkınma Planı ve literatürdeki bulgular doğrultusunda değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Bu amaca yönelik olarak içerik analizi yönteminin betimsel içerik analizi yaklaşımıyla herhangi bir tarih aralığı belirtmeden 01.01.2024 tarihine kadar
Yükseköğretim Kurulu ulusal tez merkezi veri tabanındaki lisansüstü tezler ile Dergipark veri tabanındaki dergilerde yayımlanan Türkiye adresli yayınlar “okul sağlığı” anahtar sözcükleriyle taranmış, araştırma kapsamına dahil edilen 240
çalışma araştırma yılı, türü, yöntemi, çalışma grubu ve konusuna göre incelenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, Türkiye’de okul sağlığına yönelik araştırmaların en fazla 2017-2022 yıllarında yapıldığına ve 2023 yılında sadece 7 çalışma gerçekleştirildiğine ulaşılmıştır. Okul sağlığı araştırmalarının en fazla yüksek lisans tezi olarak yayımlandığı, lisansüstü tezlerin ise büyük çoğunluğunun sağlık bilimleri enstitüsünde gerçekleştirildiği saptanmıştır. Türkiye’de okul sağlığına yönelik bilimsel araştırmalar en çok nicel yöntemle gerçekleştirilmiş ve araştırmaların çalışma grubu en fazla ortaokul ve lise öğrencilerinden oluşmuştur. Araştırma konuları birinci aşamada alt temalara göre, ikinci aşamada genel temalara göre sunulmuştur. İncelenen okul sağlığına yönelik araştırmalarda en fazla çalışılan konular arasında eğitim programı geliştirme, beslenme, obezite, hemşirelik bulunmaktadır. Okul sağlığı araştırmalarında az sayıda çalışılan konular arasında diyabet, sağlık okuryazarlığı, bulaşıcı hastalık, cinsel sağlık, ağız diş sağlığı, ihmal, istismar, sürdürülebilir sağlık,
kas iskelet sistemi, uyku, mülteci öğrenciler, şiddet, ilk yardım, afet, akran zorbalığı, ekran bağımlılığı, temizlik, antidepresan, kalp sağlığı, cilt kanseri gibi önemli konular yer almaktadır.
... Cela peut être comparé à l'apprentissage scolaire (Zins et Elias, 2007, p. 234). D'autre part, plusieurs étude antérieurs (Durlak et al., 2011 ;Sklad et al., 2012;Durlak et al., 2015) ont montré que l'emploi d'apprentissage socio-émotionnel à l'école permet de renforcer l'adaptation scolaire et sociale. Cela aide ainsi à réduire la détresse émotionnelle et les niveaux de troubles des conduites. ...
... Social and emotional competencies have a crucial role in promoting positive college environments and decreasing behavioral issues (Greenberg et al., 2003;Sklad et al., 2012). This issue is particularly severe in Saudi Arabia, where challenges related to student involvement and discipline remain. ...
This study examines the relationship between social and emotional abilities and standardized test results among elementary school students in Saudi Arabia. The data was collected using a purposive sampling strategy, with the Social and Emotional Learning Assessment Scale (SELAS) used to assess skills and actual educational material utilized to provide standardized test results. Data analysis involves the utilization of descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, regression assessment, ANCOVA, and subgroup analyses. The results indicate a robust and positive correlation between social and emotional abilities and standardized test scores. The regression evaluation demonstrates the ability of these skills to accurately predict academic achievement. The ANCOVA method finds socio-economic variables as the primary moderators. The evident existence of disparities, principally influenced by gender and grade level, highlights the necessity for interventions that are specifically tailored to address these variances. Proposed approaches include integrating comprehensive social and emotional learning activities into educational curricula, implementing targeted interventions to address socio-economic disparities, and implementing strategies customized to individual genders. Maintaining continuous surveillance and assessment is crucial for fostering a comprehensive academic environment.
... Reviews (e.g., Durlak et al., 2011;Sklad et al., 2012;Weissberg et al., 2015) indicate that SEL interventions enhance self-confidence, self-esteem, attitudes toward school, pro-social behaviors, and academic performance through minimizing behavioral troubles and emotional distress. In summary, SEL is integral to developing essential life skills that contribute to personal and collective well-being, educational success, and social equity. ...
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is widely recognized for fostering students' social and emotional skills essential for academic and personal growth, yet culturally validated SEL assessment tools are scarce, especially in Ethiopia. The study aimed to establish a psychometrically sound measurement scale to assess SEL and competence in secondary school students in eastern Ethiopia. Utilizing a correlational research design, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed to develop a suitable SEL measurement model. The sample comprised 406 participants, including 294 teachers and 112 students. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for SEL subscales ranged from .81 to .85, indicating reliable internal consistency. Construct reliability and validity were confirmed through composite reliability, maximal reliability, and discriminant and convergent validity checks. The refined four-factor model revealed the interrelatedness and significance of SEL components, with social awareness emerging as the most significant indicator. The study underscores the importance of context in shaping SEL constructs and highlights the need for educational strategies that consider cultural and contextual factors. The findings enhance the understanding of SEL in eastern Ethiopia and advocate for empirically-driven approaches to construct validation, emphasizing the interconnected nature of SEL domains in educational interventions.
... However, research has not yet been conducted to discover if social relationships help improve academic success by developing social-emotional skills, or if better social-emotional skills lead to stronger social relationships, which then increases academic success. It is also important to note that social-emotional skills may correlate to self-esteem, which impacts academic achievement by regulating the students' self-perception of their academic abilities (Sklad et al., 2012). For now, schools and teachers should seek ways to allow students to bond with each other and their teachers. ...
Adolescence is a time of heightened susceptibility to social influence; teens look to important social figures to help guide their decision-making. Thus, their social relationships hold power in shaping how adolescents regard their education. Three main factors that impact a student’s academic performance are social relationships with parents, teachers, and peers. These relationships vary in how they influence academic achievement: for parent-child relationships, the parent’s involvement with the child’s education affects academic performance, for peer-to-peer relationships, social norms regarding education is the key source of influence, and for teacherstudent relationships, the teachers’ perception and expectations of their students has the greatest impact on students’ academic performance. This paper discusses current research on the effects of social relationships (i.e., parent-child, peer-to-peer, and teacher-student) on adolescent academic success and offers explanations as to why these social relationships have such a significant impact on academic success.
... ̶ .67). Durlak and colleagues (2022) also found varied, but consistently positive effects on students' SEL skills across nine different meta-analyses, which ranged in size from .15 (January et al., 2011) to .70 (Sklad et al., 2012). They also explored potential moderators of program effectiveness and observed that programs for younger students that are shorter (less than 1 year) and implemented with high fidelity produce the largest effects. ...
The dynamic and diverse nature of international schools poses some unique challenges and opportunities for implementing SEL programs. This study investigates the implementation of the SEL program Fly Five in international schools in Morocco. Specifically, we examine the program uptake, cost of implementation, and effect on relevant student-level outcomes during the first two years. Data collection occurred at three sites, with 42 teachers in grades K-8 and about 520 students participating. Multilevel analyses revealed improvements in students’ SEL competencies relative to the control group, which were driven by positive effects on relationship skills and social awareness. Interviews and classroom observations indicated that teacher buy-in and fidelity of implementation was high, especially in the elementary grades. The cost analysis highlighted heterogeneity in program implementation and explored how costs varied by treatment dosage. Our findings provide new insights into the implementation of SEL programs in international schools and other diverse school settings.
... Preschool education services provided with continuity and an understanding of children's developmental needs will contribute to the development of individuals who are lifelong learners and have high levels of well-being. Educational institutions providing preschool education services implement systematic, planned, and regular intervention practices aimed at developing the skills and behaviors children need while ensuring their learning (Camilli et al., 2010; National Association for the Education of Young Children & National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education, 2003;Sklad et al., 2012). In this context, teachers in schools lead the activities and practices specified in the education program to provide children with various skills and behaviors (Essa & Burnham, 2020;Gordon Biddle et al., 2014). ...
The preschool years, spanning from birth to age six, are crucial periods for acquiring social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. An effective way to address social-emotional learning deficits is to implement evidence-based intervention programs. The purpose of this article is to review specific evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention programs for preschool children, drawing from resources such as books, peer-reviewed journal articles, and conference proceedings. In this context, five social-emotional learning intervention programs, including First Step to Success, I Can Problem Solve, Incredible Years, PATHS, and Strong Start Pre-K, documented in the social-emotional learning literature, were reviewed. Each program was evaluated based on its target group, duration, focus, delivery method, and experimental effects. The reviews found that play-based activities, puppets and stories, role-playing, and family involvement were common components of these programs. The majority of programs focused on problem-solving skills, and all had positive effects on preschoolers’ social-emotional learning skills. Based on the reviews, it was underlined that social-emotional learning intervention programs are effective when their content, process, and delivery methods are developmentally appropriate for the target group. Accordingly, it was seen that the widespread implementation of evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention programs is essential to improve the basic social-emotional learning skills of preschool children and to address their potential deficits. Continuous evaluation and refinement of social-emotional learning intervention programs, guided by feedback from educators, parents, and researchers, was also highlighted as crucial to increase their impact. By prioritizing the implementation of evidence-based social-emotional learning intervention programs with appropriate components and delivery methods, the stakeholders of education can facilitate the holistic development of preschool children and lay a strong foundation for their future social-emotional well-being.
... With growing needs to cultivate young learners' 'non-academic skills', also termed as life skills, soft skills, non-cognitive skills, twenty-first century skills, or social and emotional learning skills, SEL programmes have been promoted and incorporated into the general education curriculum for young students in the USA, Australia, Britain and major countries in Europe, with evidence suggesting noticeable improvement in peer relationships, emotional well-being and academic achievements (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning CASEL, 2015;Dix et al., 2012;Rawdin, 2019;Sklad et al., 2012). ...
... establishing and maintaining healthy relationships), and responsible decision making [42]. Several meta-analyses and reviews from a number of countries have reported that SEL programmes are effective in improving social emotional skills, as well as reducing or preventing mental health problems [9,11,35]. However, these studies have taken place predominantly in Western countries, especially the US [11], Australia [2,3], and Europe [27,29]. ...
Background
Child and adolescent mental health is a major public health concern worldwide. The development of children’s social and emotional skills helps to improve mental health and wellbeing, and prevent anxiety and depression. The school-based social emotional learning (SEL) programmes have proved effective in a number of countries. But in Mainland China, there has been no empirical research of the effectiveness on children’s mental health. The study conducted a SEL programme in China during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to determine whether: (1) a SEL programme can reduce anxiety and depression, (2) the intervention effect is influenced by sociodemographic characteristics, (3) the programme effects change children’s emotion management and communication.
Methods
Participants were 230 children aged 8–12 years in the intervention school and 325 in the control school in two poor villages in central China. The study was a quasi-experimental trial, comprising 16 weekly 90-minute sessions. It used a mixed-methods design, with a quantitative survey administered at baseline, post-intervention, and 5-month follow-up, and qualitative interviews. Linear mixed effects regression modeling was used to analyse the intervention effectiveness, linear models were conducted to examine the moderation effect of sociodemographic variables, and the inductive thematic analysis approach was used for interview data.
Results
The intervention had no significant effect on anxiety or depression, except that intervention school children who lived with neither parent (left behind children) reported lower depression scores than control school at post-intervention and 5-month follow-up. Qualitative interviews showed after intervention children were more able to control tempers and better communicated their thoughts and feelings, improving their relationships with family and friends.
Conclusions
The programme was cheap, easy to implement, and warmly welcomed by children, schools and caregivers, suggesting it was feasible and potentially sustainable. More research is needed on the adaptation of the SEL programme in the Chinese context.
... Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) can be described as the process of developing the skills, abilities, and/or attitudes necessary to recognize and control emotions, develop caring and concern for others, form positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and deal with challenging situations (Greenberg et al., 2003;Payton et al., 2000). Several meta-analyses have demonstrated that SE skills bolster positive student development across various domains, such as mental well-being, active citizenship, achievement motivation and academic success (Corcoran et al., 2018;Durlak et al., 2011;Sklad et al., 2012;Taylor et al., 2017;Wigelsworth et al., 2016). As a consequence, there are now global efforts to deliver SEL in classrooms as well as mainstream it in education systems. ...
... The Caring School Community program seems to provide students with 'tools' to improve prosocial behavior, cooperation, their commitment to being fair, empathic, respectful, and responsible (Center for the Collaborative Classroom, 2016; Watson et al., 2019. The evaluative research also provides evidence about the causal relationship between the promotion of care-based skills and the decrease in problem behavior, such as violence, bullying, delinquency, and drug use, and reduced emotional problems, such as depression or stress disorders (Durlak, 2011;Sklad et al., 2012). The Social Skills Improvement System Classwide Intervention Program, offered by SSIS CoLab, focuses on some carebased skills (e.g., self-awareness, self-management, social awareness) from preschool to early adolescence and is applied in many schools in the US and demonstrates evidence of effectiveness in grades 1-2 in terms of internalizing behaviors and empathy (DiPerna et al., 2015(DiPerna et al., , 2018. ...
Objective: This intervention study seeks to assess the impact of a care competencies training program on students’ well-being. Method: This randomized controlled trial involved 191 Vietnamese adolescents (65.4% female, Mage = 16 years and 8 months) in a 7-week intervention study that used video vignettes to build their care competencies. Validated scales were used to determine their care competencies (Care Competencies Questionnaire for Adolescents) and well-being (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale) at three points in time: before, immediately after, and two months after the intervention. The full-information maximum likelihood approach was applied to latent growth curve modeling (LGM) in Mplus 8.5 to estimate the initial level (i.e., intercept) and the change (i.e., slope) in care competencies and well-being among adolescents over time. Factor scores of LGMs were saved for correlation and multiple linear regression analysis by using SPSS (version 26.0) to explore the relationships between the changes in care competencies/failures and the changes in well-being. Results: Results showed that, next to a significant increase in care competencies and a significant decrease in care failures, other well-being variables also significantly changed in the intervention group. In the intervention group, but not in the control group, changes in care competencies and failures consistently and significantly predicted changes in well-being. Conclusion: The results support the potential of the video vignette-based intervention to promote the development of adolescents’ care competencies.
... Although several frameworks have been built to guide research into the social and emotional aspects of learning, the field of EFL learning still requires a more comprehensive model so that these interdependent aspects can be approached interactively and holistically for a more comprehensive picture of students' learning (Hawkins, et al., 2004). Based on research findings (Durlak et al., 2011;Sklad et al., 2012;Weissberg et al., 2015), it is reasonable to believe that the Social-emotional learning framework developed by CASEL (2020) would play a significant role in English language learning outcomes. Findings from previous related studies (eg. ...
Social-emotional learning has become crucial in fostering well-rounded individuals who possess not only academic knowledge but also essential skills such as self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication. Through prioritizing the development of social and emotional competencies, we equip individuals with the tools to navigate complex social dynamics, build meaningful relationships, and contribute positively to both their personal and professional communities. This journal article aims to explore the critical yet often underinvestigated social and emotional aspects inherent in the teaching and learning of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Recognizing the multifaceted nature of language teaching and learning, this article aims to emphasize the importance of integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies into EFL pedagogy. The study conducted a comprehensive observation of Social-Emotional Learning practices which were used in a Grade 10 English classroom, utilizing the Social-Emotional Learning Classroom Observation Sheet adapted from the Rubric for 10 Teaching Practices that Support SEL, developed by Yoder and Gurke (2017). The observation spanned three weeks, covering eight periods of 45 minutes each, with a focus on ten common practices for promoting SEL. The findings reveal the teacher’s strengths in student-centered disciplines, teacher language, warmth and support, showcasing positive classroom environment. However, areas for improvement are identified, including inconsistent implementation of responsibility and choice, self-assessment and balanced instruction. Implications include the need for consistent positive practices, explicit SEL incorporation, and a balanced approach for a dynamic learning environment in EFL classrooms.
... As a socio-emotional teaching tool, these findings suggest that one-time emotional experiences are not likely to have a lasting effect at improving empathy for adolescents. The results support the idea that even well-implemented SEL programmes have the largest positive wellbeing effects immediately after the programme, and their effects fade later (Sklad et al., 2012). Further, SEL research in schools has suggested that without combining a range of socio-emotional competencies, there may be lack of long-term change (Durlak et al., 2011). ...
Empathy is a key contributor to moral, pro-social behaviour and an important element of socio-emotional learning (SEL). Schools deliver SEL programmes during adolescence to develop a range of skills including empathy. As education becomes increasingly digital, more research is needed to understand the role digital technologies may play in students’ empathy development. Virtual reality (VR) has been touted as a possible way to provide more realistic experiences to enhance empathy. To investigate this, an intervention of an empathy-provoking documentary ( Clouds over Sidra ) was shown to adolescents aged 13 to 15 years using either virtual reality ( n = 63) or 2D projection ( n = 53). Participants completed the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy (AMES survey) before (time 1), immediately (time 2) and two weeks (time 3) after viewing the documentary. There was no difference in empathy between the 2D and VR conditions. However, for both conditions, there was an increase in empathy immediately after viewing the documentary but not at the two week follow-up. The results suggest that while empathy could temporarily increase when one is exposed to a novel emotive experience, a one-time intervention does not appear to produce a lasting change. This is an important consideration for schools in considering virtual reality technology for use in SEL.
... With the publication of Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ by Daniel Goleman (1995) and Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators by Maurice Elias and colleagues (1997) 2 , SEL has emerged as a thematic and programmatic emphasis in American education in the past 20 years (Hoffman, 2009). A large proportion of evidence-based SEL research illustrates the positive effects of SEL programs on student behavior and academic performance (Durlak et al., 2011;Sklad et al., 2012;Farrington et al., 2012). Accordingly, interests in SEL from educators, schools, publishers, and policy-makers have rapidly grown across the United States as well as around the world (Humphrey, 2013;Durlak et al., 2015). ...
This qualitative study focuses on three female facilitators and their narratives of participating in a community-based social and emotional learning (SEL) study in China. A combination of communities of practice and critical feminist pedagogy is used as theoretical framework. Narrative inquiry is applied to portray and make sense of each facilitator’s transformative learning experience. The dialogical space that is created by the study allows them to bring in their personal experiences and assists them in critically examining voice and silence in the current trend of SEL in China. The narratives provide a critical lens to re-examine the localization of Eurocentric SEL frameworks in the Chinese context as well as empower individual educators to become agents of change for social transformation. This study suggests an alternative framework based on interpreting social and emotional meanings in the local context to offer insights and critiques to the SEL global movement.
This chapter presents the essential competencies of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) drawn from the widely adopted CASEL model. The chapter reviews the ways SEL contributes to learning achievement, emotional wellness, and 21 st Century skills for life and work. It discusses how instructional design offers intentionality and a systematic approach for embedding SEL in course design and delivery. Finally, the chapter addresses the intersection of instructional design and SEL in relation to the following design elements: 1.) Intentional SEL integration; 2.) Engaging and relevant instructional materials; 3.) Active learning and collaboration; 4.) Reflection and self-assessment; and 5.) Supportive learning environment. 2 Coined the "missing piece" in education, the concept of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was developed in 1997 by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning widely known as CASEL. As defined by the organization, SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. (Fundamentals of SEL, 2023, para. 1) Based on this premise, CASEL developed a framework that was intentionally designed to be flexible and adaptive to meet the needs and context of educational, community and professional settings. Presented as the CASEL Wheel, see figure 1, the framework comprises five core social emotional competencies that support learning and development growth. These five competencies are: Self Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Responsible Decision Making (Bridgeland, Bruce & Hariharan, 2013, p.4). To provide greater clarity in terms of the aim of competency, a brief definition of each is presented: 1. Self-Awareness: The ability to accurately recognize one's emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. This includes accurately assessing one's strengths and limitations, and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism 2. Self-Management: The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
People’s subjective beliefs about themselves affect what people think and, consequently, what they do. Positive self-beliefs are important for many life outcomes, from academic success to well-being, especially during K–12 education as a crucial developmental period. Many empirical studies and meta-analyses have examined correlates of self-beliefs. The present second-order meta-analytic review integrates this large and diverse body of research, addressing two research aims: First, we examined the comparative strength of different variables related to self-beliefs. Second, we provide a methodological review of meta-analyses in this area, thereby facilitating readers’ ability to assess the risk of bias when interpreting the results. We summarized 105 first-order meta-analyses published before July 2023 that investigated variables associated with self-beliefs during K–12 education, comprising 493 first-order effect sizes based on more than 8,500 primary studies and more than 16 million children and adolescents. We computed second-order standardized mean differences (SMD) using two-level meta-analyses with robust variance estimation. Personal characteristics (SMD = 0.50) showed stronger relations with self-beliefs than interventions (SMD = 0.27). Achievement (SMD = 0.66) and noncognitive variables (SMD = 0.67) were the personal characteristics most strongly related to self-beliefs compared to cognitive abilities (SMD = 0.30) and background variables (SMD = 0.21). Interventions targeting individual characteristics (SMD = 0.35) and especially self-beliefs (SMD = 0.52) showed larger effect sizes than interventions that focused on improving teaching and classroom structure (SMD = 0.20). Few meta-analyses investigated situational aspects, such as the geographical origin of the sample, in association with children’s and adolescents’ self-beliefs. Overall, this second-order meta-analytic review provides a comprehensive map of correlates of the self, highlighting pathways for future research.
This paper examined the effects of child development centers on the social-emotional development of preschoolers in Kenya, focusing on Deliverance Church Ngong and African Inland Church Ngong Centres Kajiado North Sub-County. The results emphasized the importance of child development centers' practices in promoting children's social-emotional development. Considering the study focused on children's social-emotional development, the findings will help program caregivers to their sensitive and available supportive role in establishing attachment and the following skill set. While there is evidence of the critical role of the Children Development Centre in a child's life, there is little scholarly work undertaken, and hence research gap which the present study seeks to fill. The study used a descriptive research design and a target population of 152 comprising center employees, parents, government officials, and child development experts. Both quantitative and qualitative were analyzed. The findings show that sports, arts, and dancing programs allow preschoolers to engage with others. According to the study findings, children need intellectual skills, motivational qualities, and socio-emotional skills to succeed in school. Another notable result shows that 39% (of whom) stated that there were unsafe areas within the community. 11% of the children feel part of the larger groups who do things together. However, some respondents report that many preschoolers are not socially or emotionally prepared for the challenges of the new environment. The study concludes that the inclusion of free play time at school can help children’s development. Offering time for free play means providing resources for children to test skills, exercise, expand their domains, and acquire different types of knowledge. The study concludes that preschoolers who receive a good night's sleep most of the time tend to use gentle hands and kind words and positively interact with peers most of the time. This study recommends that there is a need for parents, teachers, or caregivers to organize events that promote children’s social and emotional health.
Background
This study focuses on the potential of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve emotional and social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. ABA is a well-established therapeutic approach that uses behavior modification techniques to encourage positive behaviors and reduce challenging ones. Despite its widespread use, further research is needed to better understand its specific impact on emotional and social development in autistic children.
Objective
This research aims to investigate an effective method for improving and enhancing institutionalized children’s social, communicative, and daily life skills. The study also examines the impact of behavioral analysis on these children’s social and emotional skills.
Method
The research is categorized as applied in terms of objectives and quasi-experimental in data collection. It involves a control group, an experimental group, and a covariance analysis model. The research population consists of 100 volunteer boys aged 4 to 11 residing in institutional care in Wuhan during the year 2023. Among them, 60 individuals were selected and divided into control and experimental groups, each comprising 30 participants. Data for the study were collected using the kindergarten inventory of social/ emotional tendencies (KIST. The applied behavioral analysis program was implemented individually for the experimental group in eight one-hour sessions twice a week.
Findings
Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-24 software and a multivariate analysis of the covariance method. The results indicated that the behavioral analysis program significantly impacts institutionalized children’s social and communicative skills, improving their daily lives (p < .05).
Conclusion
The findings of this study demonstrate that the applied behavior analysis program significantly improves the social, communicative, and daily life skills of institutionalized children with autism spectrum disorder. ABA interventions, delivered through structured sessions, effectively enhance emotional and social development, confirming its value as a therapeutic approach in institutional care settings.
This chapter presents strategies that teachers can use for preventing and dealing with students' behavior problems in the school community. These strategies are based on behavioral, cognitive behavioral, ecosystemic, and humanistic approaches. The basic premise of this chapter is that the effectiveness of prevention and intervention is enhanced when strategies from all these approaches are used by educators. The basic principles of behavioral, cognitive behavioral, ecosystemic, and humanistic models are briefly presented based on which, management strategies are described that teachers can implement to prevent and deal with children's behaviour problems as well as to increase desirable behaviours. These prevention and intervention programs are delivered at the individual, classroom, whole school, and family levels. Specific examples are given for all these strategies. Finally, two case studies or scenarios are presented with the aim of illuminating the effective use of these strategies in real situations within the school community.
In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between school climate, adolescent-parent relationships and social and emotional learning with school engagement in adolescents. For this purpose, the hypothetical model created with school
climate, adolescent-parent relationships, social and emotional learning and school engagement was tested. Since the research aims to determine the existence of change between two or more variables, it is a correlational study for prediction. The study group
consisted of 663 high school students determined by random assignment method among the students studying in high schools in the center of Erzincan province in the 2022-2023 academic year. The data were obtained through Personal Information Form, Adolescent Parental Relationship Scale, School Climate Scale High School Form, Adolescent Social and Emotional Learning Scale, and School Engagement Scale, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. According to the results obtained from the study; social and emotional learning and school climate directly predict school engagement in high school students. Adolescent-parent relationships predict school engagement through social and emotional learning. School climate predicts school engagement through social and emotional learning. In addition, the model developed within the scope of the research explains approximately 69% of the total variance related to school engagement.
Self-determination theory posits that teachers who support students' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (i.e., need-supportive teaching) are better able to facilitate students' optimal academic outcomes. However, the association between need-supportive teaching and students' socio-emotional skills remains relatively underexplored. This study explored the association between need-supportive teaching and students' socio-emotional skills. Additionally, it examined whether such association is similar or different across cultures (i.e., Western Europe, East Central Europe, East Europe, Latin America, English-speaking, Confucian, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa and the Middle East). Data from 519,487 secondary school students were analyzed. Results indicated that need-supportive teaching was positively associated with students' socio-emotional skills across cultures. However, there were slight variations in the magnitude of the relationship, with the strongest association observed in Confucian cultures. These findings highlight the universal importance of need-supportive teaching in developing students' socio-emotional skills and also surface some cross-cultural variations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related school closures greatly interfered in students’ social, emotional, and academic development creating behavioral struggles after returning to school. This concurrent mixed-methods study examined teacher perceptions of student behavioral change and social–emotional learning (SEL) during the return to in-person schooling in fall 2021. Teachers (N = 120) from a Midwestern state completed online surveys consisting of both closed and open-ended questions about student’s social, emotional, and academic behavior. Teachers also responded to questions about SEL program implementation in their schools before and during the pandemic. Teachers overwhelmingly reported worsened student behavior since returning to school. Content analysis revealed academic motivation struggles were most often reported, followed by social and emotional struggles, respectively. Additionally, teachers from schools with SEL programs were significantly less likely to report academic motivation struggles. Findings suggest that SEL programs may help mitigate COVID-related academic motivation struggles. Possibilities for future research on student behavior and SEL as the pandemic recedes are discussed.
Background and Aims: Although the educational framework aims to develop employability skills, there is concern among establishments regarding educational policies and accredited bodies. However, it is not widely known that students in humanities and social sciences perceive general emotional intelligence skills. Part of the motivation to learn such skills stems from Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs and students' backgrounds. The development of these skills in higher education institutions often occurs through specific initiatives only, without a well-structured curriculum design framework. The conflict over the differences and interpretation of general skills across disciplines makes designing a framework more challenging. This study aims to 1) perform exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis of emotional intelligence skills for students in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) programs within the humanities and social sciences, and 2) To examine a structural equation of multiple causes and multiple indicator (SEM-MIMIC) model of emotional intelligence skills for students in WIL programs within the same fields using techniques that test the congruence between variables and confirm the relationship between individual variables and their respective components. Methodology: This cross-sectional research and stratified random sampling and online questionnaire were conducted among 780 third and fourth-year humanities and social sciences WIL program students from eight universities in Thailand. The online survey consisted mainly of items that asked students to rate their level of self-efficacy in 28 general emotional intelligence skills. Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses and SEM-MIMIC models were performed to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument to its evidence of reliability and validity. Results: Structural validity checks of the tool through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that humanities and social sciences students returning from WIL programs of more than 16 weeks or one academic semester of the workplace have components of emotional intelligence skills, namely 1) emotional awareness, 2) emotional management, and 3) effective relationship management. Analysis using the Structural Equation Multiple Cause and Multiple Indicator (SEM-MIMIC) model showed that demographic variables such as gender, year level, cumulative grade point average, and major affect the development of emotional intelligence skills in humanities and social sciences students. The model's consistency with empirical data is demonstrated by the following values: ( = 832.892, df = 353, p = 0.000, / df = 2.360, CFI = 0.945, TLI = 0.924, RMSEA = 0.058, SRMR = 0.040). Conclusion: The analysis by the SEM-MIMIC model allows researchers to precisely understand how demographic backgrounds can impact emotional intelligence skills and that the measurement of these skills in humanities and social sciences students who have completed more than 16 weeks or one academic semester of workplace experience is beneficial for promoting WIL programs in these faculties. These programs can foster engagement with establishments, and career development advisors, and assist students in developing emotional intelligence skills for future livelihood and career advancement.
This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence, work stress, and the quality of primary school teachers in Ayer Keroh, Melaka. A sample of 298 teachers participated in the study, completing a questionnaire that assessed emotional intelligence, work stress, and teacher quality. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 28.0, employing descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation.The findings revealed that the teachers in this study generally demonstrated high levels of emotional intelligence and quality, with moderate levels of work stress. A significant positive correlation was found between emotional intelligence and teacher quality (r = 0.231, p < 0.01), suggesting that teachers with higher emotional intelligence tend to exhibit higher quality teaching practices. Conversely, a significant negative correlation was observed between work stress and teacher quality (r = -0.187, p < 0.01), indicating that increased work stress may hinder teacher quality.These results underscore the importance of emotional intelligence in enhancing teacher quality, while highlighting the detrimental impact of high work stress. Therefore, it is imperative for schools and relevant stakeholders to prioritize interventions aimed at fostering emotional intelligence and mitigating work stress among teachers, ultimately contributing to the improvement of overall teaching quality.
Social and emotional competencies play a major role in promoting a climate of positive relationships, responsibility, and a sense of family security; supporting positive behavior; achieving academic growth; contributing to emotional self-regulation; reducing anxiety about social interaction in individuals; reducing psychological stress; promoting optimism; and supporting mental health in individuals; however, there is no consensus on the number of core competencies, and how to identify and activate them. This difference in approach challenges future research, as well as the scientific utility of creating an integrative taxonomy, and focused review evaluates different approaches to visualizing and assessing social and emotional competencies. Based on common concepts, the researchers seek to provide different classifications of social and emotional learning competencies, through which they identify the basic domains and manifestations of social and emotional competencies that link frameworks focused on social and emotional learning () and personality traits (ℎ ℎ). By presenting these different developments in the classifications of social and emotional learning competencies, the researcher sees better organizing many of the terms and definitions used and directing the perception and activation of social and emotional competencies and their various aspects.
Background
Stronger social and emotional well-being during primary school is positively associated with the health and educational outcomes of young people. However, there is little evidence on which programmes are the most effective for improving social and emotional well-being.
Objective
The objective was to rigorously evaluate the Social and Emotional Education and Development (SEED) intervention process for improving pupils’ social and emotional well-being.
Design
This was a stratified cluster randomised controlled trial with embedded process and economic evaluations. Thirty-eight primary schools were randomly assigned to the SEED intervention or to the control group. Hierarchical regression analysis allowing for clustering at school learning community level was conducted in R (statistical package).
Setting
The SEED intervention is a whole-school intervention; it involved all school staff and two cohorts of pupils, one starting at 4 or 5 years of age and the second starting at 8 or 9 years of age, across all 38 schools.
Participants
A total of 2639 pupils in Scotland.
Intervention
The SEED intervention used an iterative process that involved three components to facilitate selection and implementation of school-based actions: (1) questionnaire completion, (2) benchmarked feedback to all staff and (3) reflective discussions (all staff and an educational psychologist).
Main outcome measure
The primary outcome was pupils’ Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Total Difficulties Score when pupils were 4 years older than at baseline.
Results
The primary outcome, pupils’ Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Total Difficulties Score at follow-up 3, showed improvements for intervention arm pupils, compared with those in the control arm [relative risk −1.30 (95% confidence interval −1.87 to −0.73), standardised effect size −0.27 (95% confidence interval −0.39 to −0.15)]. There was no evidence of intervention effects according to deprivation: the results were significant for both affluent and deprived pupils. Subgroup analysis showed that all effect sizes were larger for the older cohort, particularly boys [relative risk −2.36 (95% confidence interval −3.62 to −1.11), standardised effect size −0.42 (95% confidence interval −0.64 to −0.20)]. Although there was no statistically significant difference in incremental cost and quality-adjusted life-years, the probability that the intervention is cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year was high, at 88%. Particularly valued mechanisms of the SEED intervention were its provision of time to reflect on and discuss social and emotional well-being and its contribution to a culture of evaluating practice.
Limitations
It was a challenge to retain schools over five waves of data collection.
Conclusions
This trial demonstrated that the SEED intervention is an acceptable, cost-effective way to modestly improve pupil well-being and improve school climate, particularly for older boys and those with greater levels of psychological difficulties. It was beneficial during the transition from primary to secondary school, but this diminished after 6 years. The SEED intervention can be implemented alongside existing systems for addressing pupil well-being and can be complementary to other interventions.
Future work
Assess whether or not the SEED intervention has a beneficial impact on academic attainment, is transferable to other countries and other organisational settings, would be strengthened by adding core training elements to the intervention process and is transferable to secondary schools. Understand the gender differences illustrated by the outcomes of this trial. Conduct further statistical research on how to handle missing data in longitudinal studies of complex social interventions.
Trial registration
This trial is registered as ISRCTN51707384.
Funding
This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (NIHR award ref: 10/3006/13) and is published in full in Public Health Research ; Vol. 12, No. 6. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.
Rural adolescents are at a greater risk for substance abuse and other mental health challenges. There is a need for enhanced evidence‐based prevention efforts. This case study evaluated both remote and in‐person instruction of Second Step® , a social‐emotional learning (SEL) curriculum aimed to improve school‐based prevention efforts. Second Step® was implemented in a rural Midwestern middle school from Fall 2020 to Spring 2022. Pre‐ and post‐surveys were given to 7th grade ( n = 233) and 8th grade ( n = 146) students. To evaluate program implementation, t ‐tests were conducted. Post‐survey scores were compared to evaluate remote versus in‐person learning. Seventh grade students showed significant improvement of self‐efficacy in overcoming obstacles, and this was expanded via in‐person instruction. Eighth grade students increased knowledge of identifying and disrupting bullying, and the goal‐setting unit showed more success taught via remote instruction. Second Step® shows promise in increasing self‐efficacy and knowledge of SEL topics. Exploratory results suggest both in‐person and remote implementation should be considered.
Research on the effectiveness of school-based programs for preventing or reducing aggressive behavior was synthesized with a meta-analysis. Changes in aggressive behavior between pretest and posttest were analyzed for developmental patterns and characteristics associated with differential effects. Control groups showed little change in aggressive behavior, but there were significant reductions among intervention groups. Most studies were conducted on demonstration programs; the few studies of routine practice programs showed much smaller effects. Among demonstration programs, positive outcomes were associated with a variety of study, subject, and intervention characteristics. Most notably, higher risk youth showed greater reductions in aggressive behavior, poorly implemented programs produced smaller effects, and different types of programs were generally similar in their effectiveness, other things equal.
Conventional reviews of research on the efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatments often find considerable variation in outcome among studies and, as a consequence, fail to reach firm conclusions about the overall effectiveness of the interventions in question. In contrast meta-analytic reviews show a strong, dramatic pattern of positive overall effects that cannot readily be explained as artifacts of meta-analytic technique or generalized placebo effects. Moreover, the effects are not so small that they can be dismissed as lacking practical or clinical significance. Although meta-analysis has limitations, there are good reasons to believe that its results are more credible than those of conventional reviews and to conclude that well-developed psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment is generally efficacious.
PeaceBuilders is a universal, elementary-school-based violence prevention program that attempts to alter the climate of a school by teaching students and staff simple rules and activities aimed at improving child social competence and reducing aggressive behavior. Eight matched schools (N > 4,000 students in Grades K-5) were randomly assigned to either immediate postbaseline intervention (PBI) or to a delayed intervention 1 year later (PBD). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze results from assessments in the fall and spring of 2 consecutive school years. In Year 1, significant gains in teacher-rated social competence for students in Grades K-2, in child self-reported peace-building behavior in Grades K-5, and reductions in aggressive behavior in Grades 3-5 were found for PBI but not PBD schools.Differential effects in Year 1 were also observed for aggression and prosocial behavior. Most effects were maintained in Year 2 for PBI schools, including increases in child prosocial behavior in Grades K-2. Implications for early universal school-based prevention and challenges related to evaluating large-scale prevention trials are discussed.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Problem Solving For Life program as it universal approach to the prevention of adolescent depression. Short-term results indicated that participants with initially elevated depressions scores (high risk) who received the intervention showed a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms and increase in life problem-solving scores from pre- to postintervention compared with a high-risk control group. Low-risk participants who received the intervention reported a small but significant decrease in depression scores over the intervention period, whereas the low-risk controls reported an increase in depression scores. The low-risk group reported a significantly greater increase in problem-solving scores over the intervention period compared with low-risk controls. These results were not maintained, however, at 12-month follow-up.
Secondary students with or at risk for emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) can be characterized as having severe deficits in social competence. Moreover, as students transition into the secondary grades, social competence takes on increased complexity and importance. Social skills training (SST) represents a class of interventions routinely implemented with secondary-age students identified as EBD as a means of improving their social competence. What is unknown, however, is whether the evidence base supports the use of SST for this particular subset of students. The purpose of this research was to synthesize the meta-analytic literature evaluating the efficacy of SST for secondary students with EBD. Results from this analysis indicate that SST produces improvements in two thirds of secondary students with EBD, compared to only one third of controls. The results from this analysis are interpreted in light of opposing opinions regarding the efficacy of SST for secondary students with EBD.
Many programs designed for children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) include a social skill training component. Using quantitative methods of meta-analysis, the findings from 35 studies investigating the effects of social skill interventions for students with EBD were synthesized. The pooled mean effect size (ES) was 0.199, from which the average student with EBD would be expected to gain a modest eight percentile ranks on outcome measures after participating in a social skill training program. Studies were further grouped and analyzed according to different variables (e.g., similarities of the intervention, participants, and assessment procedures). Slightly greater ESs were found for interventions that focused on teaching and measuring specific social skills (e.g., cooperating, or social problem solving) compared to more global interventions. Several pertinent issues for reviewing the results of this research synthesis are addressed.
Traditional reviews and previous meta-analyses of self-concept interventions have underestimated effect sizes by using an implicitly unidimensional perspective that emphasizes global self-concept. In contrast, this research employed a synergistic blend of meta-analysis and multidimensional construct validation to evaluate the impact of self-concept interventions for children in 145 primary studies (200 interventions). Overall, interventions were significantly effective (d = .51, 460 effect sizes). However, in support of the multidimensional perspective, interventions targeting a specific self-concept domain and subsequently measuring that domain were much more effective (d = 1.16), suggesting sole reliance on global self-concept is inappropriate for evaluating interventions designed to enhance a specific component of self-concept. Other moderators (e.g., feedback, experimental design, target population groups) also influenced effect sizes in ways useful to the design of new interventions. Methodologically, this research also demonstrates the use of both fixed and random effects models and incorporation of multiple outcomes from the same study.
A pilot study evaluating the Second Step, Middle School/Junior High®program was conducted to determine its effect on students' attitudes regarding aggression and perceived difficulty of performing social skills. 714 6th- through 8th-grade students were surveyed before and after the program was implemented by teachers in intervention classrooms. Second Step students were taught curricular modules corresponding to their year in middle/junior high school. Program effects were tested using a repeated measures design. Relative to nonparticipants, Second Step students in their 2nd year of school decreased in their overall endorsement of aggression and perceived difficulty of performing social skills. Program effects were less consistent for those in their 1st year of middle/junior high school. It is concluded that additional research is needed to investigate program effects under varying conditions (e.g., lesson quality, pacing of lessons) and with long-term exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Compares traditional (literary) reviews of research in social psychology with a statistical approach. It is concluded on both abstract and practical grounds that adoption of the statistical approach would lead to theoretical progress for the research area covered. A meta-analysis "package" is described and then applied to the question of whether there are sex differences in degree of conformity. The meta-analysis is yoked to a literary analysis, and conclusions of differing direction and confidence appear. Problems in application are encountered, and appropriate courses of action are discussed. Finally, limitations on the power of the procedure are outlined. (69 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study examined the effects of teaching self-regulation strategies and social skills to 40 middle school students in a compulsory secondary education setting, who presented difficulties in self-reflection, self-inquiry, assertiveness, and empathy. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test measurements was employed. Intervention consisted of the performance of tasks, called ‘Portfolio’, related to the criteria skills during the school course. Significant differences between the experimental and the control groups were observed in the measurement of the criteria variables. Results are discussed in terms of the implications concerning how teachers can implement self-regulatory activities in their daily classroom practice to meet the educational needs of students with social problems.
The Child Development Project is a comprehensive school reform program that helps elementary schools to become caring communities of learners—environments characterized by supportive interpersonal relationships, shared goals, responsiveness to students'' developmental and sociocultural needs, and an emphasis on prosocial values of personal responsibility, concern for others, and fairness, as well as a commitment to learning. The program includes classroom, schoolwide, and family involvement activities that, working synergistically, are expected to foster students'' positive development and resilience to risk when confronted with stressful life events and circumstances. Following baseline assessments, the program was introduced in schools from six school districts across the U.S. over a period of three years. Similar schools in these same districts served as a comparison group. Evaluation findings indicated that when the program was implemented widely throughout a school, there were significant reductions in students'' use of drugs and involvement in other problem behaviors.
This paper reports findings from an evaluation of a school-based prevention program, called Making Choices, which was designed to decrease childhood aggression and peer rejection by teaching children social problem solving and relationship enhancement skills. Using a pre- to post-test control group design, 51 third graders received the intervention program and 50 received the no-intervention control condition. Controlling for pretest scores, children who received the Making Choices intervention had significantly higher scores on social contact, cognitive concentration, and displayed significantly lower overt aggression. Important moderation effects surfaced, indicating that the intervention differentially benefitted high-risk children.
This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students. Compared to controls, SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement. School teaching staff successfully conducted SEL programs. The use of 4 recommended practices for developing skills and the presence of implementation problems moderated program outcomes. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence regarding the positive impact of SEL programs. Policy makers, educators, and the public can contribute to healthy development of children by supporting the incorporation of evidence-based SEL programming into standard educational practice.
Depression is a serious mental health problem, affecting more young people than ever before. This research reports on the short-term effectiveness of an Optimism and Lifeskills Program for preventing depression in preadolescents. A randomised, controlled trial was conducted with students about to make their transition to high school, in a private girls school. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess the program's effect on depressive and lonely symptoms, attributional style and self-worth, in a sample of 47 grade 7 girls at posttest and 6-month follow-up. Results showed fewer depressive symptoms and more positive self-worth in the intervention group compared to the control group at 6-month follow-up. This research indicates that depression prevention programs can be effective in the short-term and can provide valuable skills to young people making their transition to high school. Implementation issues and suggestions for further research on primary prevention for mental health in schools are discussed.
Conventional reviews of research on the efficacy of psychological, educational, and behavioral treatments often find considerable variation in outcome among studies and, as a consequence, fail to reach firm conclusions about the overall effectiveness of the interventions in question. In contrast meta-analytic reviews show a strong, dramatic pattern of positive overall effects that cannot readily be explained as artifacts of meta-analytic technique or generalized placebo effects. Moreover, the effects are not so small that they can be dismissed as lacking practical or clinical significance. Although meta-analysis has limitations, there are good reasons to believe that its results are more credible than those of conventional reviews and to conclude that well-developed psychological, educational, and behavioral treatment is generally efficacious.
Evaluated whether a universal school-based program, designed to prevent depression in adolescents, could be effectively implemented within the constraints of the school environment. Participants were 260 Year 9 secondary school students. Students completed measures of depressive symptoms and hopelessness and were then assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (a) Resourceful Adolescent Program-Adolescents (RAP-A), an 11-session school-based resilience building program, as part of the school curriculum; (b) Resourceful Adolescent Program-Family (RAP-F), the same program as in RAP-A, but in which each student's parents were also invited to participate in a 3-session parent program; and (c) Adolescent Watch, a comparison group in which adolescents simply completed the measures. The program was implemented with a high recruitment (88%), low attrition rate (5.8%), and satisfactory adherence to program protocol. Adolescents in either of the RAP programs reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptomatology and hopelessness at post-intervention and 10-month follow-up, compared with those in the comparison group. Adolescents also reported high satisfaction with the program. The study provides evidence for the efficacy of a school-based universal program designed to prevent depression in adolescence.
This paper reports on the effectiveness of an integrated comprehensive school model for character development, problem behavior prevention, and academic achievement enhancement. The Positive Action program consists of a school curriculum, together with schoolwide climate, family, and community components. As evaluated here, the yearly K-6 curriculum consists of over 140 fifteen-to-twenty-minute lessons per year delivered in school classrooms on an almost daily basis. The program is based on theories of self-concept, learning, behavior, and school ecology. We use a matched control design and school-level achievement and disciplinary data to evaluate program effects on student performance and behavior in two separate school districts. The program improved achievement by 16% in one district and 52% in another, and reduced disciplinary referrals by 78% in one district and 85% in the other. We discuss implications of these replicated findings for the prevention of substance abuse and violence, the improvement of school performance, and the reform of American schools.
Calculations of the power of statistical tests are important in planning research studies (including meta-analyses) and in interpreting situations in which a result has not proven to be statistically significant. The authors describe procedures to compute statistical power of fixed- and random-effects tests of the mean effect size, tests for heterogeneity (or variation) of effect size parameters across studies, and tests for contrasts among effect sizes of different studies. Examples are given using 2 published meta-analyses. The examples illustrate that statistical power is not always high in meta-analysis.
Research on the effectiveness of school-based programs for preventing or reducing aggressive behavior was synthesized with a meta-analysis. Changes in aggressive behavior between pretest and posttest were analyzed for developmental patterns and characteristics associated with differential effects. Control groups showed little change in aggressive behavior, but there were significant reductions among intervention groups. Most studies were conducted on demonstration programs; the few studies of routine practice programs showed much smaller effects. Among demonstration programs, positive outcomes were associated with a variety of study, subject, and intervention characteristics. Most notably, higher risk youth showed greater reductions in aggressive behavior, poorly implemented programs produced smaller effects, and different types of programs were generally similar in their effectiveness, other things equal.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Problem Solving For Life program as a universal approach to the prevention of adolescent depression. Short-term results indicated that participants with initially elevated depressions scores (high risk) who received the intervention showed a significantly greater decrease in depressive symptoms and increase in life problem-solving scores from pre- to postintervention compared with a high-risk control group. Low-risk participants who received the intervention reported a small but significant decrease in depression scores over the intervention period, whereas the low-risk controls reported an increase in depression scores. The low-risk group reported a significantly greater increase in problem-solving scores over the intervention period compared with low-risk controls. These results were not maintained, however, at 12-month follow-up.
PeaceBuilders is a universal, elementary-school-based violence prevention program that attempts to alter the climate of a school by teaching students and staff simple rules and activities aimed at improving child social competence and reducing aggressive behavior. Eight matched schools (N > 4,000 students in Grades K-5) were randomly assigned to either immediate postbaseline intervention (PBI) or to a delayed intervention 1 year later (PBD). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze results from assessments in the fall and spring of 2 consecutive school years. In Year 1, significant gains in teacher-rated social competence for students in Grades K-2, in childself-reported peace-building behavior in Grades K-5, and reductions in aggressive behavior in Grades 3-5 were found for PBI but not PBD schools. Differential effects in Year 1 were also observed for aggression and prosocial behavior. Most effects were maintained in Year 2 for PBI schools, including increases in child prosocial behavior in Grades K-2. Implications for early universal school-based prevention and challenges related toevaluating large-scale prevention trials are discussed.
Objective.
—To determine if a commonly used violence prevention curriculum, Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum, leads to a reduction in aggressive behavior and an increase in prosocial behavior among elementary school students.Design.
—Randomized controlled trial.Setting.
—Urban and suburban elementary schools in the state of Washington.Participants.
—Six matched pairs of schools with 790 second-grade and third-grade students. The students were 53% male and 79% white.Intervention.
—The curriculum uses 30 specific lessons to teach social skills related to anger management, impulse control, and empathy.Main Outcome Measures.
—Aggressive and prosocial behavior changes were measured 2 weeks and 6 months after participation in the curriculum by parent and teacher reports (Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form, the School Social Behavior Scale, and the Parent-Child Rating Scale) and by observation of a random subsample of 588 students in the classroom and playground/ cafeteria settings.Results.
—After adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, race, academic performance, household size, and class size, change scores did not differ significantly between the intervention and control schools for any of the parent-reported or teacher-reported behavior scales. However, the behavior observations did reveal an overall decrease 2 weeks after the curriculum in physical aggression (P=.03) and an increase in neutral/prosocial behavior (P=.04) in the intervention group compared with the control group. Most effects persisted 6 months later.Conclusions.
—The Second Step violence prevention curriculum appears to lead to a moderate observed decrease in physically aggressive behavior and an increase in neutral and prosocial behavior in school.
In recent years, innovative schools have developed courses in what has been termed emotional literacy, emotional intelligence, or emotional competence. This volume evaluates these developments scientifically, pairing the perspectives of psychologists with those of educators who offer valuable commentary on the latest research. It is an authoritative study that describes the scientific basis for our knowledge about emotion as it relates specifically to children, the classroom environment, and emotional literacy. Key topics include: historical perspectives on emotional intelligence neurological bases for emotional development the development of social skills and childhood socialization of emotion. Experts in psychology and education have long viewed thinking and feeling as polar opposites reason on the one hand, and passion on the other. And emotion, often labeled as chaotic, haphazard, and immature, has not traditionally been seen as assisting reason. All that changed in 1990, when Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer coined the term emotional intelligence as a challenge to the belief that intelligence is not based on processing emotion-laden information. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence as the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use motivated scientists, educators, parents, and many others to consider the ways in which emotions themselves comprise an intelligent system. With this groundbreaking volume, invited contributors present cutting-edge research on emotions and emotional development in a manner useful to educators, psychologists, and anyone interested in the unfolding of emotions during childhood. In recent years, innovative schools have developed courses in “emotional literacy” that making; these classes teach children how to understand and manage their feelings and how to get along with one another. Many such programs have achieved national prominence, and preliminary scientific evaluations have shown promising results. Until recently, however, there has been little contact between educators developing these types of programs and psychologists studying the neurological underpinnings and development of human emotions. This unique book links theory and practice by juxtaposing scientific explanations of emotion with short commentaries from educators who elaborate on how these advances can be put to use in the classroom. Accessible and enlightening, Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence provides ample evidence about emotional intelligence as well as sound information on the potential efficacy of educational programs based on this idea.
This paper reports on a meta-analysis of 207 universal school-based drug prevention programs that compared the self-reported drug use of treatment to control or comparison youth. Programs are classified into Interactive and Non-Interactive groups based on a combination of content and delivery method. Weighted categorical and weighted regression methods have been used to determine the attributes that most effectively reduce, delay, or prevent drug use, including program size, type of control group and leader, attrition, target drug, intensity, grade, special population and level of drug use. Program type and size are found to be significant predictors of effectiveness. Non-interactive lecture-oriented prevention programs that stress drug knowledge or affective development show small effects. Interactive programs that foster development of interpersonal skills show significantly greater effects that decrease with large-scale implementations.
In this article, we examine the impact of two universal, first-grade preventive interventions on the prevalence of conduct problems and disorder and mental health service need and use in early adolescence. The classroom-centered (CC) intervention was designed to reduce the risk for later conduct problems and disorder by enhancing teachers' behavior management in first grade, whereas the Family-School Partnership (FSP) intervention targeted improvement in parent-teacher communication and parents' child behavior management strategies. At Grade 6, or age 12, CC and FSP intervention children received significantly lower ratings from their teachers for conduct problems than control children. CC and FSP children were also significantly less likely than control children to meet diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder and to have been suspended from school in the last year. In addition, the CC intervention was associated with significantly lower rates of child mental health service need and utilization. Overall, the CC intervention appeared to be the more effective of the two in reducing the prevalence of conduct problems and disorder at age 12 and in reducing mental health service need and utilization. Nevertheless, future studies may show that the combination of CC and FSP interventions produces additive or even synergistic effects.
The effectiveness of a conflict-resolution program in a suburban secondary school in Canada was examined. Participants were 40 ninth-grade English students heterogeneous in academic ability. Students randomly assigned to the experimental condition received 9.5 hr of conflict-resolution training integrated into the study of literature. Those randomly assigned to the control condition studied the identical literature for 9.5 hr without conflict-resolution training. Significant differences between treatment groups were found in academic achievement, knowledge of and willingness to use the conflict-resolution procedure, and application of the procedure in conflicts.
The primary purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of a program designed to improve adolescents' relationships with at least one teacher in an urban high school. All participating students were nominated by teachers as having significant emotional and behavioral problems and approximately half of these youth were randomly assigned to an intervention that included increased positive involvement between each student and one teacher within the school. Teacher ratings of students' social, behavioral, emotional, and academic adjustment at pre- and post-intervention indicated that students in the intervention group had higher grade point averages than did students in the control group following the 5-month intervention but no differences were observed on other variables. Challenges associated with conducting school-based, relationship-focused interventions in high-poverty urban environments and several lessons that were learned in the process of initiating this project are discussed.
The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (the Handbook) has undergone a substantial update, and Version 5 of the Handbook is now available online at www.cochrane-handbook.org and in RevMan 5. In addition, for the first time, the Handbook will soon be available as a printed volume, published by Wiley-Blackwell. We are anticipating release of this at the Colloquium in Freiburg. Version 5 of the Handbook describes the new methods available in RevMan 5, as well as containing extensive guidance on all aspects of Cochrane review methodology. It has a new structure, with 22 chapters divided into three parts. Part 1, relevant to all reviews, introduces Cochrane reviews, covering their planning and preparation, and their maintenance and updating, and ends with a guide to the contents of a Cochrane protocol and review. Part 2, relevant to all reviews, provides general methodological guidance on preparing reviews, covering question development, eligibility criteria, searching, collecting data, within-study bias (including completion of the Risk of Bias table), analysing data, reporting bias, presenting and interpreting results (including Summary of Findings tables). Part 3 addresses special topics that will be relevant to some, but not all, reviews, including particular considerations in addressing adverse effects, meta-analysis with non-standard study designs and using individual participant data. This part has new chapters on incorporating economic evaluations, non-randomized studies, qualitative research, patient-reported outcomes in reviews, prospective meta-analysis, reviews in health promotion and public health, and the new review type of overviews of reviews.
The studies that we located gave us a basically positive picture of instructional technology. Results of most studies of student achievement and student ratings came out in favor of the classes taught with instructional technology. Negative results were the exception rather than the rule, and in the cases where results were negative, effects were usually quite small. The overall results suggest that experimentation with instructional technology is worthwhile. Instructional technology is more likely to help than harm learners. Our meta-analysis also suggested that not all technologies are equal in their effects on college students. So far, college teachers have been most successful with alternative teaching systems that do not require complex hardware. Keller's PSI seems to have been effective because of its emphasis on frequent evaluation of student performance, immediate feedback to students on their performance, and the requirement that students re-do their work until evaluation shows that they have reached a high standard. Our analyses showed that the findings for PSI could not be generalized to non-college populations. College students and other learners have their own needs and interests; what works well for college students may not fit other learners at all. In addition, the analyses showed that findings may also differ over time. Programmed instruction, the earliest of the technologies that we discussed, has improved its record of effectiveness steadily over the years. My guess is that in the 1980's we will see increasingly effective applications of high technology in college teaching. In the 1980's I expect college teachers to be less dazzled by hardware and to use technology more to achieve the aims of good instruction.
This study evaluated the violence prevention effects of The Peacemakers Program, a school-based intervention for students in grades four through eight. The program includes a primary prevention component delivered by teachers and a remedial component implemented by school psychologists and counselors with referred students. The teacher-delivered component consists of a psychoeducational curriculum and procedures for infusing program content into the school environment. The study included almost 2,000 students in an urban public school system, with pre- and post-program assessment and comparison to a control group. There were significant, positive program effects on six of the seven variables assessed, including knowledge of psychosocial skills, self-reported aggression, and teacher-reported aggression, with a 41% decrease in aggression-related disciplinary incidents and a 67% reduction in suspensions for violent behavior. On some outcome variables, intervention effects were stronger for boys than girls and for middle school compared to upper elementary school students. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This study examines the features of effective school-based prevention of crime, substance use, dropout/nonattendance, and other conduct problems. It summarizes, using meta-analytic techniques, results from 165 studies of school-based prevention activities that ranged from individual counseling or behavior modification programs through efforts to change the way schools are managed. The results highlight several inadequacies in the existing research for guiding policy and practice, the most notable of which is that many popular school-based prevention approaches have not been well studied to date. The study shows, however, that school-based prevention practices appear to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug use, dropout and nonattendance, and other conduct problems. The size of the average effect for each of the four outcomes was small and there was considerable heterogeneity across studies in the magnitude of effects, even within program type after adjusting for measured method and population differences. Non-cognitive-behavioral counseling, social work, and other therapeutic interventions show consistently negative effects, whereas self-control or social competency promotion instruction that makes use of cognitive-behavioral and behavioral instructional methods show consistently positive effects. Also effective are noninstructional cognitive-behavioral and behavioral methods programs. Environmentally focused interventions appear to be particularly effective for reducing delinquency and drug use.
This study examined the occurrence of problem situations in the peer and school domains and their relation to adjustment among urban adolescents. Students from three urban middle schools (N = 176) serving a predominantly African American population rated 61 problem situations identified in a previous qualitative study and completed measures of adjustment. Ratings of frequency and difficulty confirmed the relevance of these situations for this population. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested that covariation in the frequency and difficulty of problem situations could be represented by separate factors representing peer situations involving friends, other peer situations, and school situations. The number of different problem situations experienced was significantly correlated with physical and relational aggression, delinquency, depression, anxiety, and self-worth. Several of these relations were strongest for peer situations that did not involve friends. There were few gender differences in the strength of these relations.
This study examined results of a comprehensive, multifaceted longitudinal school-based prevention program called Raising Healthy Children (RHC). RHC focuses on enhancing protective factors with the goal of promoting positive youth development, reducing identified risk factors, and preventing adolescent problem behaviors. Participants included 938 elementary students from first or second grade who were enrolled in 10 area schools in the Pacific Northwest and randomly divided into two groups, those receiving RHC and peer controls. Analyses were conducted 18 months after implementation and focused on academic and behavioral improvements within the school environment. Results using hierarchical linear modeling showed that RHC students, compared to their peers who did not receive the intervention, had significantly higher teacher-reported academic performance (t ratio=2.27, p<.001) and a stronger commitment to school (t ratio=2.16, p<.03). Similarly, teachers reported that RHC students showed a significant decrease in antisocial behaviors (t ratio=−2.43, p<.02) and increased social competency (t ratio=2.96, p<.01) compared to control peers. Regression results from parent-reported outcomes also showed that RHC students had higher academic performance, β=.082, t=2.72, p<.01 and a stronger commitment to school, β=.080, t=2.45, p<.02. Results from this study and their implications for early and long-term prevention are discussed.
This study presents one-year follow-up data from an evaluation study testing the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral substance abuse prevention approach which emphasizes the teaching of social resistance skills within the larger context of an intervention designed to enhance general social and personal competence. The follow-up study involved 998 eighth graders from 10 suburban New York junior high schools. Two schools were assigned to each of the following conditions (a) peer-led intervention, (b) peer-led intervention with booster sessions, (c) teacher-led intervention, (d) teacher-led intervention with booster sessions, and (e) control. The original intervention was implemented in the seventh grade; the booster intervention was implemented during the eighth grade. Results indicate that this type of prevention strategy, when implemented by peer leaders in the seventh grade and when additional booster sessions are provided during the eighth grade, can reduce tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. Similar effects are evident for females when the prevention program is implemented with fidelity by classroom teachers. Moreover, the prevention program is also capable of producing a significant impact on several hypothesized mediating variables.
To determine if a commonly used violence prevention curriculum, Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum, leads to a reduction in aggressive behavior and an increase in prosocial behavior among elementary school students.
Randomized controlled trial.
Urban and suburban elementary schools in the state of Washington.
Six matched pairs of schools with 790 second-grade and third-grade students. The students were 53% male and 79% white.
The curriculum uses 30 specific lessons to teach social skills related to anger management, impulse control, and empathy.
Aggressive and prosocial behavior changes were measured 2 weeks and 6 months after participation in the curriculum by parent and teacher reports (Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form, the School Social Behavior Scale, and the Parent-Child Rating Scale) and by observation of a random subsample of 588 students in the classroom and playground/cafeteria settings.
After adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, race, academic performance, household size, and class size, change scores did not differ significantly between the intervention and control schools for any of the parent-reported or teacher-reported behavior scales. However, the behavior observations did reveal an overall decrease 2 weeks after the curriculum in physical aggression (P=.03) and an increase in neutral/prosocial behavior (P=.04) in the intervention group compared with the control group. Most effects persisted 6 months later.
The Second Step violence prevention curriculum appears to lead to a moderate observed decrease in physically aggressive behavior and an increase in neutral and prosocial behavior in school.
The impact of a manual-based antiviolence program on the learning climate in an elementary school over 4 years was compared with the outcome in a control school.
The two schools were matched for demographic characteristics. The intervention in the experimental school was based on zero tolerance for bullying; the control school received only regular psychiatric consultation. Disciplinary and academic achievement data were collected in both schools.
The experimental school showed significant reductions in discipline referrals and increases in scores on standardized academic achievement measures.
A low-cost antiviolence intervention that does not focus on individual pathology or interfere with the educational process may improve the learning environment in elementary schools.
To examine the effects of the 'Healthy School and Drugs' project, a Dutch school-based drug prevention project that was developed in the late 1980s and disseminated during the 1990s. This programme is currently being used by 64-73% of Dutch secondary schools and it is estimated that at least 350000 high school students receive this intervention each year.
A quasi-experimental study in which students of nine experimental (N = 1156) schools were compared with students of three control schools (N = 774). The groups were compared before the intervention, 1 year later, 2 years later and 3 years later.
Self-report measures of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use, attitudes towards substance use, knowledge about substances and self-efficacy.
Some effects on the use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis were found. Two years after the intervention, significant effects could still be shown on alcohol use. Effects of the intervention were also found on knowledge, but there was no clear evidence for any effects on attitude towards substance use and on self-efficacy.
This study shows the Healthy School and Drugs project as implemented in Holland may have some effect on drug use in the children exposed to it.
Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use are important problems that typically begin during adolescence. Fortunately, substantial progress has been made in developing effective drug abuse prevention programs for youth over the past two decades. Prevention approaches that focus on the risk and protective factors associated with drug use initiation and those that teach skills related to social resistance are most effective. The Life Skills Training (LST) program is an effective primary prevention program for adolescent drug abuse that focuses on these factors as well as enhancing social and personal competence skills. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of the LST program, along with a description of the program's components, materials, and methods. Findings from over two decades of evaluation research are reviewed and demonstrate that the LST approach consistently produces positive behavioral effects on alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. The role of competence enhancement-based primary prevention programs in preventing other negative behaviors during adolescence is discussed.
