Identifying, Measuring, and Developing Key Social and Emotional Skills in Schools in Latin America

• In Event: 15.054 - Current International Practices and Challenges on Socio-Emotional Learning

Abstract

It is now widely accepted that possessing a range of cognitive and technical skills is important for individuals to maximize their chances of success in many aspects of life. In recent years, a growing body of research highlights the effect that socio-emotional skills have on a variety of outcomes, from wages and academic performance to health. Social and emotional skills (SES) are basic human capabilities that allow individuals to: i) be aware of, control and accept their emotions; ii) interact and communicate effectively with others; iii) set their own goals and engage in the necessary tasks to achieve them. This framework, established by the Salzburg Global Seminar , is consistent with many other frameworks that characterize social and emotional skills like Big Five personality traits. For instance, the framework by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) includes self-management (managing emotions), relationship skills and social awareness (working with others), responsible decision-making and self-awareness (achieving goals) as core components.
The question is: can programs within the education system effectively develop social and emotional skills (SES)? If yes, what types of programs could work for Latin America and what are the challenges countries face in terms of measurement and teacher capacity? This presentation begins by describing the context of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) where youth faces enormous challenges in terms of high dropout, learning and unemployment, emphasizing the importance of developing SES in from the school system. Then, the presentation reviews the progress made in the region in introducing these skills in the education system though a survey in 8 LAC countries about how national curriculums introduce the development of these skills, how they measure them and how they build capacity in teachers to allow them to develop these skills in students. Finally, the presentation provides an overview of the evidence available about the effectiveness of programs that develop SES at secondary school and the key features of successful programs both outside and in the region that could help improve existing programs in the region.

Author

• Elena Arias Ortiz