(Special Issue) The Impact of Social and Emotional Learning Interventions on Learning Motivation, Academic Achievement, Anxiety, Misbehavior, and Well-being
Author: Hsiu-Ling Lin (Science Education Center, National Taiwan Normal University), Hsueh-Chih Chen (Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University), Meng-Hua Tsai (Center for Teaching and Learning Resources, Chang Gung University)
Vol.&No.：Vol. 70, No. 3
Date：September 2025
Pages：167-214
DOI：https://doi.org/10.6209/JORIES.202509_70(3).0006
Abstract：
Introduction
Contemporary society, marked by rapid changes and events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, presents significant emotional challenges to the younger generation. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is proposed as a systematic educational approach designed to cultivate essential skills, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. While SEL programs have been widely implemented, a notable gap exists in the understanding of their indirect effects, specifically concerning how these programs influence psychological well-being and academic achievement through the development of core competencies.
This paper underscores the urgency of promoting SEL in Taiwan, citing statistics that reveal substantial mental health challenges among students, encompassing issues like cyberbullying, depression, and suicidal ideation. Although certain local initiatives have been introduced, a more rigorous evaluation of SEL program effectiveness is needed, particularly regarding the indirect effects. Consequently, this study aims to address this gap by examining both the direct and indirect impacts of a systematic SEL program.
Literature Review
The literature review establishes SEL as a critical educational paradigm that extends beyond traditional academic instruction, emphasizing students’ emotional and social development. It highlights research demonstrating SEL’s positive effects on various student outcomes, including academic achievement, social skills, psychological well-being, and a reduction in anxiety, behavioral problems, and bullying. Furthermore, the review acknowledges the global recognition of SEL, evidenced by its integration into the educational frameworks of organizations like UNESCO and countries such as the UK and Singapore.
The paper details the fundamental principles that guide effective SEL program design, encapsulated by the SAFE acronym: Sequenced, Active, Focused, and Explicit. It also presents a model for SEL implementation within school settings, emphasizing the complex interplay of factors like teacher competence, school environment, and community context. Additionally, it discusses the increasing recognition of the importance of incorporating mindfulness practices, repeated practice, and experiential learning into SEL programs.
The review further examines the relationship between SEL and key educational outcomes:
‧ Social and Emotional Learning and Learning Motivation: The paper discusses how SEL aligns with motivational theories, including attribution theory, expectancy-value theory, and self-determination theory. It explains how SEL can cultivate a growth mindset, enhance self-regulation, and promote intrinsic motivation.
‧ Social and Emotional Learning and Well-being: The paper connects SEL to theories of well-being, such as need satisfaction theory, trait theory, and the PERMA model. It posits that SEL develops skills that contribute to positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment, thereby enhancing students’ overall well-being.
‧ Social and Emotional Learning and Socioemotional Problem Behavior: The review explores how SEL can mitigate both internalizing problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalizing problems (e.g., aggression, rule-breaking behavior). It emphasizes the role of SEL in fostering emotional regulation, self-control, and positive social interactions.
In summary, the literature review establishes SEL as an essential intervention for promoting students’ holistic development across academic, emotional, social, and behavioral dimensions.
Research Methods
This study employed a quasi-experimental design, utilizing pre- and post-tests, to evaluate the effectiveness of a systematic SEL program implemented with elementary school students. The participants comprised 220 fifth and sixth-grade students from an elementary school located in Northern Taiwan. These students were divided into an experimental group, which received the SEL intervention, and a control group, which continued with their standard curriculum. The SEL program was conducted over a period of ten weeks and focused on the development of five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
To ensure greater comparability between the experimental and control groups, the study controlled for the variables of grade level and gender. A range of standardized scales was employed to measure key constructs, including social-emotional learning, learning motivation, anxiety levels, behavioral issues, and subjective well-being. Academic achievement was evaluated using standardized scores obtained from tests in language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.
Data analysis involved the use of Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to compare the post-intervention outcomes of the experimental and control groups, with pre-test scores being used as covariates in these analyses. Furthermore, parallel mediation path analysis was conducted to investigate the indirect effects of SEL on the outcome variables. The study also incorporated qualitative data, gathered through teacher interviews and classroom observations, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the SEL program’s impact.
Results and Discussion
The quantitative results of the study revealed several significant findings:
‧ Enhanced Social-Emotional Learning: The SEL program led to significant improvements in students’ overall social-emotional competence, particularly in the areas of self-awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
‧ Improved Learning Motivation and Academic Achievement: SEL instruction was found to have a positive influence on students’ learning motivation and academic performance.
‧ Reduced Anxiety and Misbehavior: The implementation of the SEL program was effective in reducing students’ anxiety levels and the occurrence of misbehavior.
‧ Increased Subjective Well-being: Students in the experimental group reported higher levels of subjective well-being following their participation in the SEL intervention.
The mediation analysis further demonstrated that self-awareness and social skills played a crucial role in mediating the effects of the SEL program on students’ academic achievement, learning motivation, and overall well-being.
Qualitative data, derived from teacher observations and interviews, provided support for these quantitative findings. Teachers reported observing positive changes in students’ emotional regulation abilities, conflict resolution skills, and general classroom behavior.
Conclusions and Recommendations
This study concludes that SEL programs can be effective tools for promoting students’ positive development across a range of important domains. The findings underscore the significance of self-awareness and social skills as key mechanisms through which SEL influences students’ learning motivation, academic achievement, and subjective well-being.
Based on the study’s results, the authors offer the following recommendations:
‧ Strengthening Self-Management and Social Awareness Instruction: It is recommended that future SEL programs include more explicit and intensive training focused on the development of self-management and social awareness skills.
‧ Increasing Practice Opportunities and Support: The authors emphasize the importance of providing students with ample opportunities to practice SEL skills in diverse contexts, coupled with the creation of a supportive learning environment, to facilitate the internalization of these skills.
‧ Integrating Local Values and Cultural Context: The study suggests that incorporating local cultural values and contexts into SEL curricula can enhance their relevance and effectiveness for students.
The authors also acknowledge certain limitations of the study, such as its relatively short-term duration and limited sample size. They propose directions for future research, including the use of longitudinal study designs and investigations with larger and more diverse samples.
Keywords：well-being, socioemotional problem behavior, social and emotional learning, SEL programs, learning motivation