QUEBEC, November 27, 2021 - When we refer to emotional intelligence, social-emotional competencies, social-emotional competencies, or others, what do we mean by this? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines these skills as "a set of abilities that enable people to behave in an adaptive and positive manner in order to respond effectively to the demands of everyday life. More specifically, we are thinking of the development of empathy, respect for others, the ability to ask for or offer help, the ability to regulate one's own emotions and to discern those of others in different situations.
Increasingly, education is concerned with this aspect of human development. It is a particularly large field of research that studies something infinitely complex: human emotions. Although we are now able to read emotions by measuring brain activity, there are no less than 27 emotional states in humans, each with subtle variations.
Appeared in the late 1990s, socioemotional learning (SEL, or SEL in English) immerses young people in an environment that promotes social interaction. Several methods can be implemented in this regard at school, such as role plays, artistic activities, sensory stimulation, etc. The use of digital tools also advantageously supports this learning.
As stated in the article "Plaidoyer pour une éducation basée sur l'intelligence émotionnelle" (Advocacy for an education based on emotional intelligence) by Christophe Haag, professor and researcher in social psychology at EM Lyon, from kindergarten to higher education, no less than 213 scientific studies involving 270,034 children have shown that following a program that focuses on the development of social and emotional skills means that young people "are able to regulate their emotions, to know how to wait their turn, to manage their anxiety and stress, and to resolve conflicts by negotiating more subtly and skilfully than those who have followed a standard school curriculum. In addition, they would be less prone to depression and less aggressive, commit fewer acts of delinquency, have more self-confidence, assert their leadership better, make responsible decisions more easily without fear of failure and develop a strong taste for social justice. They would also have better than average academic results... In short, the positive effects are there!
Good news: these skills can be acquired, taught and assessed. This is precisely what we explore in this thematic issue.
This number is available to subscribers and in sale sure https://ecolebranchee.com/boutique
As a reminder, as of Fall 2021, an English edition is also available, EngagED Learning magazine.
ABOUT THE BRANCHÉE SCHOOL
École branchée is a non-profit media organization whose mission is to accompany school stakeholders in the development of their professional expertise in the digital age in order to promote educational success. Since 1996, its main fields of action and information are focused on professional development and digital competence. Find out more.
Get our Info #DevProf and l'Hebdo so you don't miss anything new!