Current Issues and Future Directions in School-Based Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis

Recent large-scale studies in the US have produced results suggesting that school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions may impact positively on a range of outcomes, including social and emotional skills, mental health difficulties, school attitudes and academic performance. However, many interventions fail to achieve the same impressive results when implemented and evaluated on a smaller-scale.  Reasons for this are not fully understood, but research has indicated several possible explanations relating to implementation failure, including: 

-       Differences between efficacy and effectiveness trials

-       The level of involvement of programme developers in evaluations

-       Issues around cultural transferability

Despite key literature highlighting the importance of these factors no study has yet systematically explored their impact.

In this paper we report on a current meta-analysis and systematic review that seeks to update other major works in this area (approximately 50 eligible studies have been published since the census date (December 2007) of the most recent analysis (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, Schellinger, 2010)) and also to be the first of its kind to specifically address the possible impact of the three issues above.

The study adopts the Cochrane protocols for systematic reviews in searching, coding and analysing data to ensure an unbiased, representative and high quality process.  The study reports on findings from approximately 180 studies, sourced through database and journal searches and through contact with relevant academics in the field.

Meta-analyses will be presented, including:

i)                 Mean intervention effects of SEL programmes

ii)                Exploratory subgroup analyses examining outcome by differences between efficacy and effectiveness trials, the level of involvement of programme developers in evaluations (developer led, developed involved, independent) and cultural transferability (‘homegrown’ or transported program).

It is intended that the study will have utility at both practical and academic levels:

-        Practical application: the review and analysis will support policy makers, funders and schools to make informed decisions about the adoption of SEL programmes

-        Contribution to knowledge: an updated, comprehensive review and meta-analysis of the field, and a major advance in knowledge and understanding through the clarification of 3 key issues that have crucial implications for the current status of SEL as a dominant orthodoxy in education