Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. B., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: a meta-analysis of school-based interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to study many different SEL programs to better understand whether the programs are successful and in what ways they benefit students. Because this study is a meta-analysis of SEL programs delivered in many different contexts, the findings are potentially more valuable and reliable than those from a single program or example. The researchers found that compared to controls, participants in SEL interventions demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement.
Significant quote: “Unfortunately, many students lack social-emotional competencies and become less connected to school as they progress from elementary to middle to high school, and this lack of connection negatively affects their academic performance, behaviour, and health.”