Five Undeniable Benefits of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
Until fairly recently, academic and social-emotional development were considered separate in most institutional circles: schools are generally perceived to be responsible for the former, and parents and social services the latter. A significant amount of research has shown, however, that working through social-emotional issues within an academic framework produces distinctly positive outcomes for students. As a result, some schools have begun embracing a concept called Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in their classrooms. Examples of SEL integrated lessons—as well as testaments to their success—can be found in educational curriculum throughout the U.S., in academic journals like the American Journal of Psychiatry, and even in popular TED talks like this one by educator Olympia Della Flora.
So what is Social/Emotional Learning (SEL)?
SEL is an educational approach that weaves social-emotional wellness principles into standard academic programming so that students, while learning about math, English, science, the arts, and so on, also acquire the tools, knowledge, and skills to:
- Recognize, name, and positively navigate their emotions
- Set achievable goals
- Feel and show empathy toward others
- Establish and maintain positive relationships with peers, parents, teachers, and siblings
- Make responsible, forward-looking decisions
As a concept, you might liken SEL to team sports. We know that young people who participate in a program like intramural volleyball, for example, will learn the mechanics of the game—how to serve, set, and block, how to care for equipment, and protect themselves from injury. But we also know, and frequently discuss, how team sports help build less tangible but more universal skillsets like strategic planning, leadership, collaboration, patience, commitment, and how to win and lose with grace. Educational programming that emphasizes SEL works similarly. While students learn about the constitution, for example, they might also be asked to describe how they feel about what they are learning, giving them vital opportunities to practice interior inquiry, which will—after extended practice—make them better communicators, partners, employees and employers, citizens, and mental health champions.
Below we’ll look at five of the most profound benefits of SEL according to a wide body of research by various non-profit and educational institutions—
Greater Academic Success
According to CASEL, the non-profit Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, “hundreds of studies involving more than 1 million students worldwide across PreK-12 offer consistent evidence that SEL has a positive impact on students’ academic achievement.” This includes greater performance on standardized tests, as well as improved metrics in attendance, assignment completion, and grades. And it’s easy to imagine why—kids who are afforded the opportunity to safely discharge anxiety and frustration find it much easier to not only focus on their studies but to retain specific course content that they will be tested on later.
Closing Equity Gaps
SEL outcomes may seem quite straightforward or even intuitive, however, they actually need to be learned, which occurs through observation, instruction, and practice. Not everyone has the opportunity to learn such concepts at home. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, often including students of the global majority and those with learning disabilities, experience higher rates of stress and can have fewer adults in their lives equipped to teach them how to positively manage their emotions. Public schools have an unequivocal responsibility to help narrow these gaps as they are directly correlated to academic performance.
Fewer Emotional Outbursts
From the research we know that students engaged in SEL are less aggressive and disruptive in school, and for years to follow. When young people are given the training and opportunity to express themselves in a safe space and are able to discuss the impact of potential actions before they occur, they are less likely to resort to verbal or physical outbursts. Reflexively, other students will find it much easier to focus on their studies when they are less concerned about becoming victims of bullying or violence.
Improved Mental Health
Following the COVID-19 pandemic and rising rates of suicides among teens (it more than doubled for 13 & 14-year-olds between 2008 and 2018), thankfully much of the recent conversations about educational reform has centered on the need for more mental health awareness and resources in K-12 schools and classrooms. SEL students also have fewer occurrences of depression, anxiety, stress, and social withdrawal. Research suggests that SEL programs help advance executive cognitive function which improves students’ inhibitory control, planning, and ability to switch attention dynamically between tasks. Essentially, as students practice the new behaviors that they learn in SEL programs, they develop stronger self-regulation skills which results in greater confidence and optimism.
Balanced Budgets
For students, the benefits of SEL are clear. Perhaps less obviously (but unsurprisingly), there is tremendous financial benefit to the bottomline of the schools that embrace it. In fact, according to CASEL, “the benefits significantly outweigh the costs, estimating for every dollar invested in SEL there is an $11 return.” In short, more money invested in SEL can mean less spending on intervention services and behavioral correction, as well as significantly curbed losses in attendance and performance related funding.
As a leader in SEL and [Experiential Learning (a subset and cousin of SEL)] programming since the 1990s, Options For Youth is committed to the holistic development of every student, regardless of their socioeconomic background. For more information about how OFY helps the young people in your community, visit ofy.org.
