Option #1

Comment: How do social and emotional conditions affect learning? (This, of course, is just as much the case for higher education, workplace learning, or informal learning in communities and personal life.)

There is no doubt that social emotional learning teaches character. Many years ago the question of how does social and emotional development affect learning was investigated. In 1995, New York Times science reporter Daniel Goleman published the book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, which launched the social emotional movement.

Character improves academic, social, and professional achievement

Since then, all subsequent research shows that social emotional learning does, in fact, enhance children’s academic success while preventing problems such as mental health disorders and violence. Social-emotional competencies empower kids to grow self-aware and confident, to manage difficult emotions and impulses, and to embody empathy, which translates to not only improved behavior but also test scores.

Daniel Goleman’s 5 Social Emotional Learning Skills

Danial Goleman describes 5 social emotional learning (SEL) skills:

1. Emotional self-awareness — knowing what one is feeling at any given time and understanding the impact those moods have on others
2. Self-regulation — controlling or redirecting one’s emotions; anticipating consequences before acting on impulse
3. Motivation — utilizing emotional factors to achieve goals, enjoy the learning process and persevere in the face of obstacles
4. Empathy — sensing the emotions of others
5. Social skills — managing relationships, inspiring others and inducing desired responses from them

To understand how these 5 components of social-emotional intelligence (aka: EQ), affect learning, we must also look at brain-based research.

The social emotional learning of children is all about developing neutral awareness and thoughtful choices (aka: mindfulness). To be able to respond rather than react, children need to cultivate the executive functions of their neocortex (frontal lobe of the brain) as well as the heart-centered intelligence of their mid-brain limbic system, which houses meaning making and memories.

Social emotional learning helps children move out of their lower, automatic “reptilian brain” thinking and into higher, rational thinking and regulation, by establishing rules and activities that promote safety – physical, emotional and social – and teach respectful, kind and compassionate ways to think and behave.

SEL Shapes the Brain

Classrooms that include SEL are organized around the principles of respect, kindness, and empathy. SEL teachers and lessons engage students in learning and practicing how to embody those qualities.

How does social and emotional development affect learning? By providing a kind environment, it helps to encourage optimal brain development as well as social connection and collaboration. In other words, SEL affects learning by shaping children’s developing neural circuitry, particularly the executive functions.

As children feel safe and learn how to inhibit disruptive emotional impulses, they exhibit greater self-confidence, better behavior and enhanced memory. They enjoy the learning process and thus, readily engage and fully immerse themselves in gaining new information and skills. Link - https://gdc.unicef.org/resource/how-does-social-and-emotional-development-affect-learning#:~:text=In%20other%20words%2C%20SEL%20affects,better%20behavior%20and%20enhanced%20memory.

What they say is right – “If the mind is calm it is conducive to learning”. So when students or learners or employees are in the right frame of mind, the absorption of knowledge happens faster and is more substantial and result oriented. If a child is given a safe environment, he/she thrives. Hence, classrooms that include SEL are organized around the principles of respect, kindness, and empathy.

In the case of workplace learning, the learning can happen in a positive manner if the employees feel that the reigns of control of their own learning is in their own hands. The moment it feels like an obligation, their interest will definetely fade away. Also, their state of mind, their perception towards the organisation etc. also places a vital role. If the employees were taught how to manage their emotions in the right manner early on, their responses towards learning will be more positive than negative.

Make an Update: Dorothy Espelage has taken just one area – bullying at school – where she has used the methods of educational psychology to explore the social-emotional conditions of learning. Take an area of socio-behavioral learning interest or concern to you. What does the evidence tell? What are the main concepts we need to interpret the evidence?

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. – The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Link - https://apertureed.com/focus-areas/what-is-sel/

SEL (Social-emotional learning) can be divided into 3 main concepts – Self regulation, Perspective taking & Emotion management. They focus on principles of kindness, respect and empathy. One of the area that interests me is “How to manage emotions?”. Evidence shows that children who undergo SEL are less disruptive in behaviours and have high test scores, which is just fascinating.

So the whole foundation of any behaviour is helping people manage their emotions so that their reactions to certain tough situations can be in a right manner. True mindfulness is achieved with the same. Evidence clearly shows the same. When leaders/employees are in the current mindfulness state they are more aware of the effect their current emotional state has on their actions or words. And this is a technique which has to be taught to people, preferably from a very early stage. The earlier the better. Because once we get more aware of the state of mind we are in, we tend to tone down the way we would otherwise react. A skill that most people who practise mindfulness is – controlling their reactions to others actions or words. So if the learning happens when in school, the example given of bullying can be avoided and children will learn to respect other children and will learn to self-regulate themselves. They will eventually turn out to be great human beings and that’s what