Page 179 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 179
aware of. Anxiety is the most common psychological disorder in the period 179
of schooling (i.e. the period of childhood and adolescence) (Costello, Mustillo,
Erkanli, Keeler and Angold, 2003). In this period constant anxiety affects an in-
dividual emotionally, is harmful to his/her physical health, impacts his/her de-
velopment, learning and the development of interpersonal relationships (Co-
plan, Findlay and Schneider, 2010; Lowe and Raad, 2008; Stallard, 2009). Since
high levels of anxiety cause a major disruption to students’ functioning (e.g.
impairment of their social skills, their relationships with peers and their entire
social adjustment) (Last, Hansen and Franco, 1997), research in the approach-
es to reducing anxiety is necessary both within school and more widely. Anxi-
ety is a stable trait, which means when present during one’s childhood and – if
not reduced by means of appropriate programmes and measures – accompa-
nies an individual into adulthood (Kim-Cohen, Caspi, Moffit, Harrington, Milne
and Poulton, 2003). In addition to its negative impacts on individuals, anxiety
is also disruptive to processes within the school. The school variables associ-
ated with high anxiety are: a negative school climate (Kos, 1990; Wienke-Totu-
ra, Mackinnon-Lewis, Gesten, Gadd, Divine, Dunham and Kamboukos, 2009),
negative attitudes to school (Kos, 1990), more frequent aggressive behaviour
in school (Boxer, Edwards-Leeper, Goldstein, Musher-Eizenman and Dubow,
2003), low achievement in school (Normandeau and Guay, 1998), both in clinical
and non-clinical samples and in different age groups, i.e. in pupils and students
(Mazzone, Ducci, Scoto, Passaniti, D’Arrigo and Vitiello, 2007) and also when cog-
nitive abilities are controlled (Gaudry and Spielberger, 1971; Popp, 2003).
Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
Emotions are a response to important life events and are as such part of every-
day school life. They organise behaviour (they significantly influence motiva-
tion), perception, cognition and personal development. In the school environ-
ment, learning achievement is, in particular, related to a number of emotions,
such as enjoyment of learning, hope, anger, anxiety, boredom. Pekrun (2009)
describes functions of so-called academic emotions, i.e. emotions related
to the school environment. These emotions may be positive activating (joy,
pride), positive deactivating (relief ), negative activating (anger, anxiety) and
negative deactivating (boredom, hopelessness). Positive emotions (for in-
stance enjoyment of learning, openness to creative problem-solving) are an
aid in setting learning objectives and a basis for mechanisms of self-regulation
that lead to higher academic achievement (Ashby, Isen and Turken, 1999). On
the other hand, negative emotions, such as anxiety, hopelessness and bore-
dom, decrease achievement in school and may lead to students dropping out
of school and other psychological and health issues (Zeidner, 1998).
fostering social and emotional learning as means of achieving better-quality knowledge
of schooling (i.e. the period of childhood and adolescence) (Costello, Mustillo,
Erkanli, Keeler and Angold, 2003). In this period constant anxiety affects an in-
dividual emotionally, is harmful to his/her physical health, impacts his/her de-
velopment, learning and the development of interpersonal relationships (Co-
plan, Findlay and Schneider, 2010; Lowe and Raad, 2008; Stallard, 2009). Since
high levels of anxiety cause a major disruption to students’ functioning (e.g.
impairment of their social skills, their relationships with peers and their entire
social adjustment) (Last, Hansen and Franco, 1997), research in the approach-
es to reducing anxiety is necessary both within school and more widely. Anxi-
ety is a stable trait, which means when present during one’s childhood and – if
not reduced by means of appropriate programmes and measures – accompa-
nies an individual into adulthood (Kim-Cohen, Caspi, Moffit, Harrington, Milne
and Poulton, 2003). In addition to its negative impacts on individuals, anxiety
is also disruptive to processes within the school. The school variables associ-
ated with high anxiety are: a negative school climate (Kos, 1990; Wienke-Totu-
ra, Mackinnon-Lewis, Gesten, Gadd, Divine, Dunham and Kamboukos, 2009),
negative attitudes to school (Kos, 1990), more frequent aggressive behaviour
in school (Boxer, Edwards-Leeper, Goldstein, Musher-Eizenman and Dubow,
2003), low achievement in school (Normandeau and Guay, 1998), both in clinical
and non-clinical samples and in different age groups, i.e. in pupils and students
(Mazzone, Ducci, Scoto, Passaniti, D’Arrigo and Vitiello, 2007) and also when cog-
nitive abilities are controlled (Gaudry and Spielberger, 1971; Popp, 2003).
Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
Emotions are a response to important life events and are as such part of every-
day school life. They organise behaviour (they significantly influence motiva-
tion), perception, cognition and personal development. In the school environ-
ment, learning achievement is, in particular, related to a number of emotions,
such as enjoyment of learning, hope, anger, anxiety, boredom. Pekrun (2009)
describes functions of so-called academic emotions, i.e. emotions related
to the school environment. These emotions may be positive activating (joy,
pride), positive deactivating (relief ), negative activating (anger, anxiety) and
negative deactivating (boredom, hopelessness). Positive emotions (for in-
stance enjoyment of learning, openness to creative problem-solving) are an
aid in setting learning objectives and a basis for mechanisms of self-regulation
that lead to higher academic achievement (Ashby, Isen and Turken, 1999). On
the other hand, negative emotions, such as anxiety, hopelessness and bore-
dom, decrease achievement in school and may lead to students dropping out
of school and other psychological and health issues (Zeidner, 1998).
fostering social and emotional learning as means of achieving better-quality knowledge
