Social and emotional learning is not ‘fluff’; It is an important goal in education
of India national education policy (2020) mentions social and emotional learning (SEL) as an important aspect of education. SEL is the process of learning to recognize and manage emotions and navigate social situations effectively. While the policy notes numeracy and literacy as its central objective, SEL should be an equally important goal as it supports skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.
What is SEL?
SEL is fundamental to human development, building healthy relationships, having self and social awareness, problem solving, responsible decision making, and academic learning. Key elements of SEL include the cultivation of empathy and theory of mind. ‘Empathy’ is the ability to understand another person’s feelings and to be aware of why they are feeling those feelings from their point of view. ‘Theory of Mind’ is the ability to understand the intentions, knowledge, and beliefs of others and to recognize that they may be different from your own. Research has found that students with greater social skills and emotional regulation are more likely to be successful.
While some may refer to the discussions around SEL as “fluff,” it is, in fact, rooted in physiology. Neurobiologically, various brain regions such as the prefrontal and frontal cortices, the amygdala, and the superior temporal sulcus are involved in the cognitive mechanisms of SEL. Interestingly, scientists have proposed that the physiological and psychological factors of SEL are inherently linked. Brain systems that are responsible for basic human behavior, such as feeling hungry, can be reused for the complex mechanisms involved in SEL. This may explain why the way we feel physically directly affects our socio-emotional assessment of the world. Despite its importance to life, SEL is often combined as a chapter in a larger curriculum rather than integrated into it. To overcome this challenge, it is important to consider that the learning process is a social and emotional experience.
The pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to SEL as school closures have reduced opportunities for students to deepen social relationships and learn collaboratively in shared physical spaces. In contrast, distance learning “gives parents the opportunity to discover the social and emotional lives of their children,” says Jim Eigen, head of Synapse Schools in California, where SEL is a key strategic pillar of the school. Despite parental involvement, the challenge of an inadequate support system for SEL remains. So, how do we proceed?
road ahead
Perhaps we can contextually adapt best practices from existing models. Synapse School seamlessly incorporates SEL into the curriculum through self-science classes, and places SEL at the heart of the school culture. May Duong, director of SEL at Synapse, believes that SEL plays a vital role in creating the change makers of the future because “an authentic sense of belonging creates the context for learning.”
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How can we sustainably involve SEL in education across communities, cultures and societal levels? In fact, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds have suffered massive learning losses in the last one and a half years. A starting point would be to consider the insights from the Indian SEL framework: a, the application of SEL practices should be based on the socioeconomic background of the students; Two, the SEL strategies of caretakers and teachers must align with each other; Three, long-term success requires SEL to be based on scientific evidence.
While policies provide guidelines, a major challenge in moving forward is letting go of old habits. The lockdown provided an unexpected reset that provided an opportunity for positive change. As outlined in a Sustainable Development Goal, policymakers must now ensure that future changes “prioritize inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Importantly, we all have a responsibility to make individual contributions that will drive systemic change.
Radhika Gosavi, PhD, is an educational neuroscientist, assistant director of the Brainwave Learning Center at the Synapse School, a researcher in educational neuroscience at Stanford University and a visiting assistant professor in the edtech department at IIT Bombay.
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