Embedding Socio-Emotional Learning in Public Schools: Evidence from Project Sampoorna in Jharkhand, India

• In Event: Curriculum for Equity and Inclusion: Integrating Socio-Emotional, Digital, and Social Perspectives in Public Education

Proposal

India’s 250+ million adolescents hold the power to shape the future of this country. Adolescents who experience adversities are at a higher exposure of vulnerability which can affect their ability to grow and thrive as healthy adults, amplifying their need for social emotional learning support. To address this gap, Project Sampoorna was launched in 2020 as a collaboration between a consortium of NGOs and the Government of Jharkhand, India.

The program sought to embed a “Whole Child Development” lens in the public education system, with a specific focus on strengthening nine socio-emotional learning (SEL) skills among students in grades 6–12. These skills are: (1) critical thinking, (2) taking initiative, (3) self-awareness, (4) responsible (competent) decision-making, (5) emotional resilience, (6) establishing and maintaining positive relationships, (7) empathy towards others, (8) self-respect, (9) growth mindset. In addition to improving SEL skills in students, the program also aimed at improving SEL-enabling attitudes and practices among teachers, headmasters/headmistresses and government officials.

Between 2022 and 2024, Sampoorna was implemented in two phases - first in the 41 girls residential schools under the School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP), followed by a rollout in 80 government-run Schools of Excellence, reaching all 24 districts of the state by 2022. The program aimed to integrate SEL in schools through multiple, reinforcing channels: introducing a structured SEL curriculum for students; training and coaching teachers and headmasters/headmistresses to integrate SEL into classroom practice and school vision; revitalizing student parliaments and peer activities to promote an inclusive school climate; engaging parents through community platforms; and working with government officials to embed SEL priorities into state education systems.

IDinsight conducted a mixed-methods evaluation to assess Sampoorna’s effectiveness and causal contribution to outcomes for students and teachers. In the absence of a counterfactual for the programme, the evaluation design combined a descriptive analysis of changes in key outcomes with a process tracing approach; this allowed us to examine how program components influenced observed changes, while ruling out alternative explanations of observed changes in outcomes. Data sources included large-scale student and teacher surveys over 35 Schools of Excellence spread across 19 districts in Jharkhand, classroom observations in a smaller sample of schools, and interviews with school leaders and government officials. We conducted repeated cross-sectional surveys with students of Grades 8-12. The baseline was conducted in August 2022 and the endline was conducted in February 2025 to observe changes in 9 socio-emotional learning skills using valid and reliable SEL measurement tools. We used a cluster random sampling approach with schools as the clusters and selected ~10-12 students per grade for grade-wise state level representativeness. We also surveyed 6 teachers per school to measure change in their attitudes on SEL and behaviour towards students. The total sample sizes across the 35 schools were ~1,900 students and ~200 teachers, ~40 classroom observations, 12 school leader interviews and 14 government officials’ interviews.

Findings indicate promising improvements in both student and teacher outcomes. Students exposed to Sampoorna in grades 8 and 9, demonstrated measurable gains in growth mindset, self-awareness, taking initiative, responsible decision making, and critical thinking. Teachers reported greater confidence in facilitating the SEL curriculum and integrating SEL into academic lessons. There were observed shifts in classroom practices, where teachers demonstrated increased use of group activities, positive reinforcement and polite language. However, there’s still progress to be made in students’ experience of teacher support. Fewer students reported being praised for effort when giving a wrong answer in class compared to 2 years ago, and more students reported being made fun of for answering a question incorrectly.

Using a process tracing approach, we assessed two potential pathways through which Sampoorna may have contributed to changes in student SEL outcomes: (1) implementation of the Sampoorna curriculum, and (2) teacher behaviour. We found consistent evidence that the Sampoorna curriculum was the primary driver of improvements in SEL skills. Similarly, we assessed two potential pathways through which Sampoorna may have contributed to changes in nodal teachers’ attitude towards SEL and behaviour towards students: (1) Teacher training in HJ curriculum and practices, and (2) Teacher in-school capacity building and motivation. The evidence confirmed that both the pathways combined were the primary drivers of improvements in teacher attitudes.

Three key lessons emerge. First, SEL interventions can influence student and teacher outcomes when they are embedded in daily classroom practice as well as in the broader school climate. However, creating observable shifts in teachers’ behaviors toward students in settings where deeply hierarchical structures and sociocultural biases are the norm will require sustained efforts over a longer period. Second, sustaining SEL at scale requires state-level institutionalisation. Lasting change depends on embedding SEL priorities into teacher performance frameworks, supportive supervision tools, and administrative data systems. Third, SEL programmes will always need to navigate competing priorities of multiple stakeholders in resource-constrained settings. Programme design and scale-up strategies must account for this tension, especially in higher grades where academic focus takes precedence.

Overall, Sampoorna demonstrates that SEL can be effectively integrated into government schools at scale, with early evidence of positive impact on both students and teachers. The evaluation illustrates the value of within-case evaluation methods like process tracing in unpacking how complex, multi-actor programs achieve results. These findings have broader relevance for education systems globally that are seeking to promote whole child development in ways that are both impactful and scalable.

Authors

• Shreya More, IDinsight

• Neha Raykar, IDinsight

• Dimple Kukreja