The core components of evidence-based social emotional learning programs
Open accessAbstract
Implementing social emotional learning (SEL) programs in school settings is a promising approach to promote critical social and emotional competencies for all students. However, there are several challenges to implementing manualized SEL programs in schools, including program cost, competing demands, and content that is predetermined and cannot be tailored to individual classroom needs. Identifying core components of evidence-based SEL programs may make it possible to develop more feasible approaches to implementing SEL in schools. The purpose of this study was to systematically identify the core components in evidence-based elementary school SEL programs, using the five interrelated sets of competencies identified by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as an organizing framework. We present the components that were identified, and the rates at which each component was included in the sample of evidence-based SEL programs. The core components that occurred most frequently across programs were Social Skills (100% of programs), Identifying Others' Feelings (100% of programs), Identifying One's Own Feelings (92.3% of programs), and Behavioral Coping Skills/Relaxation (91.7% of programs). These findings illustrate the feasibility of systematically identifying core components from evidence-based SEL programs and suggest potential utility of developing and evaluating modularized SEL programs.
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References 41 · Cited by 200
Research works printed but not linked: 4
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- Authors
- Lawson, G. M., McKenzie, M. E., Becker, K. D., Selby, L., & Hoover, S. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital (US)
- University of South Carolina (US)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lawson, Gwendolyn M.
- Venue
- Prevention Science
- Published
- 2018-11-16
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 457-467
- ISSN
- 1389-4986 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-6695
- PMC
- PMC6544145
- OpenAlex
- W2901024527
- Cited by
- 200
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 37 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 21.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Prevention Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Baltimore County Public Schools (Contract Agreement # JNI-748-16-02)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Early Childhood Education and Development
- Social Sciences › Education › Social Skills and Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- social-emotional learning, evidence-based programs, elementary school, CASEL competencies, social skills, emotion recognition, coping strategies, relaxation
- MeSH terms
- Social Learning, Adaptation, Psychological, Curriculum, Humans, Social Behavior, Students, Program Development
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