The Effect of Social Emotional Learning on Elementary School Students' Social Skills: A Quantitative Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62945/ijesh.v3i2.866Keywords:
Social Emotional Learning, Social Skills, Elementary Education, Quasi-Experimental, Emotional IntelligenceAbstract
Developing robust social skills in early childhood is foundational to academic success and lifelong emotional well-being. Despite its importance, conventional elementary curricula predominantly focus on cognitive metrics, often leaving teachers unequipped to address rising behavioral challenges and social deficits in the modern classroom. This study aims to examine the effect of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) on the social skills of elementary school students. Employing a quantitative quasi-experimental framework, this study involved 67 fifth-grade students, assigned to an experimental class (n = 32, receiving SEL intervention) and a control class (n = 35, receiving conventional instruction). Data on students' social skills were systematically gathered using a validated questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive metrics alongside paired and independent sample t-tests. The empirical findings indicate that SEL implementation exerts a profoundly positive and statistically significant effect on students' social skills. The experimental group demonstrated an exponential increase in mean social skill scores, rising from a pre-treatment baseline of 65.07 (low category) to an impressive 94.28 (very high category) post-treatment. Conversely, the control group’s post-test mean stagnated at 63.19 (low category), establishing the definitive superiority of the SEL framework over traditional teaching methods (p < 0.05). Consequently, SEL serves as a potent and scalable pedagogical alternative to address contemporary deficits in elementary students' social skills. These results provide vital empirical backing for educational policymakers to systematically integrate emotional intelligence and social-framework modeling into primary school curricula.
Downloads
References
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology (6th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 793–828). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2024). What is social and emotional learning? Chicago, IL: CASEL. Retrieved from https://casel.org
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Denham, S. A. (2018). Keeping SEL developmental: The importance of developmental science in implementing social and emotional learning. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Domitrovich, C. E., Durlak, J. A., Staley, K. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Social-emotional competence: An essential factor for promoting positive adjustment and reducing risk in school children. Child Development, 88(2), 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12739
Durlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., & Boyle, A. E. (2022). What we know, and what we need to find out about universal, school-based social and emotional learning programs for children and adolescents: A review of meta-analyses and directions for future research. Psychological Bulletin, 148(11–12), 765–782. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000383
Elias, M. J., Leverett, L., Duffell, J. C., Humphrey, N., Stepney, C., Ferrito, J., & Rudo, E. (2021). Integrating social-emotional learning with related prevention and youth-development approaches. In J. A. Durlak et al. (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning (2nd ed., pp. 33–49). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Goleman, D. (2020). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ (25th anniversary ed.). New York, NY: Bantam Books.
Greenberg, M. T., Domitrovich, C. E., Weissberg, R. P., & Durlak, J. A. (2017). Social and emotional learning as a public health approach to education. The Future of Children, 27(1), 13–32. https://doi.org/10.1353/foc.2017.0001
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (2017). Social skills improvement system rating scales manual. Bloomington, MN: Pearson Assessments.
Humphrey, N. (2020). Social and emotional learning: A critical appraisal. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1283. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01283
Jones, D. E., Greenberg, M., & Crowley, M. (2019). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2283–2290. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302630
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2019). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Kemendikbudristek. (2022). Panduan implementasi profil pelajar Pancasila. Jakarta, Indonesia: Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi.
Mahoney, J. L., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2021). An update on social and emotional learning outcome research. Phi Delta Kappan, 102(4), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0031721721998148
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2021). The science of social and emotional development: Integrating research and practice. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25371
Oberle, E., Domitrovich, C. E., Meyers, D. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2016). Establishing systemic social and emotional learning approaches in schools: A framework for schoolwide implementation. Cambridge Journal of Education, 46(3), 277–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2015.1125450
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). OECD skills outlook 2023: Skills for a resilient green and digital transition. Paris, France: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/27452c34-en
Payton, J. W., Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2017). The positive impact of social and emotional learning for kindergarten to eighth-grade students. Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning Report. Chicago, IL: CASEL.
Schonert-Reichl, K. A. (2019). Advancements in the landscape of social and emotional learning and emerging topics on the horizon. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 222–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1633925
Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156–1171. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12864
Thapa, A., Cohen, J., Guffey, S., & Higgins-D'Alessandro, A. (2018). A review of school climate research. Review of Educational Research, 83(3), 357–385. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313483907
Twenge, J. M. (2023). Generations: The real differences between Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, boomers, and silents—and what they mean for America's future. New York, NY: Atria Books.
UNESCO. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. Paris, France: UNESCO Publishing.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Weissberg, R. P., Durlak, J. A., Domitrovich, C. E., & Gullotta, T. P. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of social and emotional learning: Research and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Zins, J. E., Bloodworth, M. R., Weissberg, R. P., & Walberg, H. J. (2017). The scientific base linking social and emotional learning to school success. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 17(2–3), 191–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474410701413145
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Ulfah, Supriadi, Andika Arisetyawan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
