Michael Wigelsworth

Measures of Social and Emotional Skills for Children and Young People A Systematic Review

This study presents the findings of a systematic review of measures of social and emotional skills for children and young people. The growing attention to this area in recent years has resulted in the development of a large number of measures to aid in the assessment of children and young people. These measures vary on a number of variables relating to implementation characteristics and psychometric properties. The methodology of the review followed the general principles of systematic reviewing, such as systematic search of databases, the adoption of predetermined set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a multistage filtering process. The review process resulted in the retention of 12 measures, which are presented and discussed in relation to key issues in this area, including difficulties with the underlying theory and frameworks for social and emotional skills, inconsistent terminology, the scope and distinctiveness of available measures, and more practical issues such as the type of respondent, location, and purpose of measurement.

A review of key issues in the measurement of children?s social and emotional skills

Recent policy developments (such as the Children’s Plan) and the introduction of a new national strategy (the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme) have re‐emphasised the importance of social and emotional skills in educational contexts. As such, educational psychologists are increasingly likely to be involved in the measurement of social and emotional skills, either as part of their case‐work or through research. They may also be asked to provide advice to schools looking to evaluate certain aspects of their practice in this area. The aim of this paper is to provide a discussion of key issues in the measurement of social and emotional skills in children and adolescents. These include: difficulties with the underlying theory and frameworks for social and emotional skills, inconsistent terminology, the scope and distinctiveness of available measures, psychometric properties, and more practical issues such as the type of respondent, location and purpose of measurement. The paper concludes with a call for more research and the further development of appropriate measures.

Implementing primary Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) small group interventions: recommendations for practitioners

This article presents an extended vignette describing a good practice model for implementing SEAL small group work at ‘Mellington Primary’, a fictional school. The vignette/model was developed from in-depth case studies at five primary schools in the north-west of England during a national evaluation of primary SEAL by the authors. The case studies comprised interviews and/or focus groups with pupils, staff and parents, observations of small group sessions and other settings, and document analysis. Key principles of effective small group work implementation presented in the model include allocation of sufficient time and space, a triangulated referral procedure for children, providing additional support outside of the intervention setting and making explicit links with whole-school SEAL work. Recommendations are made for the future development of SEAL small group work, including increasing the length and intensity of interventions and engaging in additional work with parents.

Achievement for all: improving psychosocial outcomes for students with special educational needs and disabilities

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at a greatly increased risk of experiencing poor psychosocial outcomes. Developing effective interventions that address the cause of these outcomes has therefore become a major policy priority in recent years. We report on a national evaluation of the Achievement for All (AfA) programme that was designed to improve outcomes for students with SEND through: (1) academic assessment, tracking and intervention, (2) structured conversations with parents, and (3) developing provision to improve wider outcomes (e.g. positive relationships). Using a quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test control group design, we assessed the impact of AfA on teacher ratings of the behaviour problems, positive relationships and bullying of students with SEND over an 18-month period. Participants were 4758 students with SEND drawn from 323 schools across England. Our main impact analysis demonstrated that AfA had a significant impact on all three response variables when compared to usual practice. Hierarchical linear modelling of data from the intervention group highlighted a range of school-level contextual factors and implementation activities and student-level individual differences that moderated the impact of AfA on our study outcomes. The implications of our findings are discussed, and study strengths and limitations are noted.

Going for Goals: An Evaluation of a Short, Social-Emotional Intervention for Primary School Children.

We report on an effectiveness trial of a short, social—emotional intervention called ‘Going for Goals’, developed as part of the primary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in England. Our aim was to investigate the impact of Going for Goals on childrens’ social and emotional skills, behaviour and emotional well-being. The sample comprised 182 children (aged 6—11) attending 22 primary schools across England. Data were collected using child self-report, and parent- and teacher-informant report questionnaires in a pre-test—post-test control group design at the beginning of the intervention, at the end of the intervention, and at eight-week follow-up. One hundred and two children took part in the intervention, and 80 acted as a comparison group. Those who took part in the intervention attended weekly 45 minute small group sessions for eight weeks. Child self-report and teacher informant report data indicated that the intervention had a positive impact on the social and emotional skills of children selected for extra support. Teacher informant report data also indicated that the intervention was successful in reducing the behavioural and emotional difficulties of these children. Analysis of follow-up data suggested that the positive impacts had been sustained following the end of the intervention. Parental informant report data yielded null results. Our findings suggest that Going for Goals is successful in promoting social and emotional skills and reducing behavioural and emotional difficulties of children in need of extra support. However, future iterations may need to consider activities beyond the school setting in order to produce changes that are salient to parents.

New Beginnings: evaluation of a short social–emotional intervention for primary‐aged children

We report on an effectiveness trial of ‘New Beginnings’, a short social–emotional intervention for primary‐aged children. The sample comprised 253 children (aged 6–11) attending 37 primary schools across England. Data on social and emotional competence and mental health difficulties were collected using child self‐report, and parent‐ and teacher‐informant report questionnaires in a pre‐test–post‐test control group design. One hundred and fifty‐nine children took part in the intervention, and 94 children acted as a comparison group. Children in the intervention group attended weekly 45‐minute small group sessions for seven weeks. Child self‐report data indicated that the intervention was successful in promoting social and emotional competence, and that improvements were sustained at seven‐week follow‐up. However, this finding was not replicated in either the teacher or parental data. We conclude that future iterations of the intervention may need to be more intensive and lengthy in order to produce changes in behaviour that are salient to teachers and parents.

A national evaluation of the impact of the secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme

In recent years, the English education system has reflected a worldwide interest in social and emotional learning (SEL), as evidenced by the national launch of the secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in 2007. SEAL is a whole-school approach designed to positively influence a range of pupil outcomes, including increased social and emotional skills, better behaviour and reduced mental health difficulties. The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of SEAL on such outcomes. The study utilised a quantitative, quasi-experimental design with a sample of 22 schools (approximately 2360 pupils) implementing the SEAL programme, and 19 ‘matched comparison’ schools (approximately 1991 pupils), selected on the basis of similar school-level characteristics. A cohort of pupils in these schools completed annual self-rated assessments of their social and emotional skills (using the Emotional Literacy Assessment and Intervention instrument), mental health difficulties and pro-social behaviour (using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) over a two-year period. After controlling for a range of school- and pupil-level characteristics, analysis using multi-level modelling indicated marginal, non-significant effects of the SEAL programme on pupils’ social and emotional skills and mental health difficulties, and no significant effect on their pro-social behaviour. The study findings are discussed in relation to existing evidence about the effectiveness of the SEAL programme and the broader SEL evidence base.

Making the most out of school-based prevention: lessons from the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme

This paper considers the role played by universal, school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes in addressing the mental health needs of children and young people. Theory and research in the field are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in England, a flagship National Strategy under the New Labour government whose outcomes were mixed. We examine the findings of the various evaluations of SEAL and consider what learning can be taken forward to inform future attempts to prevent emotional and behavioural problems in school settings. Recommendations include proper trialling of SEL initiatives before they are brought to scale, the use of research to inform and improve programme design, the need to temper expectations, and the importance of educating implementers about the importance of implementation quality.

The impact of trial stage, developer involvement and international transferability on universal social and emotional learning programme outcomes: A meta-analysis.

Abstract This study expands upon the extant prior meta-analytic literature by exploring previously theorised reasons for the failure of school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes to produce expected results. Eighty-nine studies reporting the effects of school-based, universal SEL programmes were examined for differential effects on the basis of: (1) stage of evaluation (efficacy or effectiveness); (2) involvement from the programme developer in the evaluation (led, involved, independent); and (3) whether the programme was implemented in its country of origin (home or away). A range of outcomes were assessed including: social-emotional competence, attitudes towards self, pro-social behaviour, conduct problems, emotional distress, academic achievement and emotional competence. Differential gains across all three factors were shown, although not always in the direction hypothesised. The findings from the current study demonstrate a revised and more complex relationship between identified factors and dictate major new directions for the field.

The role of school and individual differences in the academic attainment of learners with special educational needs and disabilities: a multi-level analysis

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at a greatly increased risk of poor academic outcomes. Understanding the factors that influence their attainment is a crucial first step towards developing more effective provision. In the current study we present a multi-level, natural variation analysis which highlights important determinants at school and individual levels in two core academic subjects (English and Maths) using a nationally representative sample of over 15,000 students with SEND attending more than 400 schools across England. We found that at the school level, inclusivity, attainment, free school meal (FSM) eligibility, behaviour (in primary schools) and linguistic diversity (secondary schools), and at the student level, age, sex, FSM eligibility, SEND provision, SEND primary need, attendance, behaviour and positive relationships each contributed to the distribution of academic attainment. Implications of these findings are discussed and study limitations are noted.