Twenty-sixth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF, 2005) in India, recognises that emotions, values and attitudes are critical aspects of the learning process. It states “Development of life skills such as critical thinking skills, interpersonal communication skills, negotiation/refusal skills, decision making/problem solving skills and coping and self management skills, are …very critical for dealing with the demands and challenges of everyday life.” However no guidelines are provided on how to nurture these skills in an age appropriate manner amongst children who represent 39% of India’s total population! (Census of India 2010-11). In 2012, The Teacher Foundation embarked on a first-of-its-kind nation-wide exploratory research to examine the perspectives of teachers and students on social and emotional learning. Data was gathered in 10 different languages, from 15 locations - urban and rural. The respondents included 850 teachers and 3300 students from state-run and private schools. The data analysis reveals the neglect of and need for key SEL competencies amongst school-going children in India. The findings have subsequently led to the development of the Indian Social and Emotional Learning Framework (ISELF) for ages 6–18 years that can be used as an age-banded tool to nurture SEL Competencies. ISELF has been conceived as a practical framework that can be utilised by schools & teachers to build social-emotional competencies in their students. The ISELF is currently being pilot-tested in a range of Indian schools to assess its effectiveness. This paper will share the key findings from the research and provide an overview of the ISELF post-pilot.