Helping young people to make responsible decisions: the role of social and emotional learning

1. Helping young people to make responsible decisions: the role of social and emotional learning Dr. Neil Humphrey (Senior Lecturer, School of Education, University of Manchester)

2. Overview • What is social and emotional learning? • Helping young people to make responsible decisions • Example and evidence

3. What is social and emotional learning? • “[SEL is] the capacity to recognize and manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and establish positive relationships with others” (Zins and Elias, 2006, p.1) • Some key competencies: • Self-awareness • Self-regulation • Empathy • Social skills • Responsible decision making

4. Key SEL competencies

5. The SEL logic model

6. Helping young people to make responsible decisions • What kinds of decisions? • Healthy life choices • Avoiding social problems • Substance abuse • Violence • Academic failure

7. Helping young people to make responsible decisions • How? • Intra-personal competencies (e.g. self-awareness, self-regulation) help young people to understand and their feelings and behaviour • Interpersonal competencies (e.g. empathy, social skills) enable them to navigate the social world more effectively • The combination of these makes them better placed to make decisions that are more likely to lead to positive outcomes as their emotions can be used to facilitate (rather than impede) the process

8. Example of a school-based approach • Social decision making/problem solving program • Developed by Elias and colleagues in New Jersey, USA • Universal approach (e.g. for everyone, not targeted at children ‘at risk’) • Curriculum-based instruction • Suitable for K-8 (e.g. age 5-14)

9. Example of a school-based approach • Lessons on • Self-control and social awareness • Provides foundation – primary focus with younger children • Social decision making • Applications to academics and ‘real life problems • Transfer emphasized throughout, but particularly with older students

10. Evidence • One of several studies that have evaluated the SDM/PS programme • Elias et al (1991), American Journal of Orthopsychiatry • Abstract: Students who participated in a 2-yr social decision-making and problem-solving program in elementary school showed higher levels of positive prosocial behaviorand lower levels of antisocial, self-destructive, and socially disordered behavior when followed up in high school 4–6 yrs later, compared with controls. Boys who did not receive training were characterized by higher levels of self-destructive/identity and alcohol-related problems, while girls were involved most prominently in tobacco use. Involvement in the program seemed to strengthen competencies in social behavior and work performance that might offset such problems

11. Some useful links • In the UK (SEAL) • http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/87009 • In the US (Various) • CASEL • www.casel.org