Page 124 - Šolsko polje, XXXI, 2020, 3-4: Convention on the Rights of the Child: Educational Opportunities and Social Justice, eds. Zdenko Kodelja and Urška Štremfel
P. 124
šolsko polje, letnik xxxi, številka 3–4
and involve a critical dimension which will allow students to become
aware of the role culture plays when it comes to differences in power or so-
cial status, while bearing in mind the foundations of social and emotion-
al competencies required to interact with others.
Despite the theoretical diversity among existing programmes, there
seems to be a consensus on their aims – to foster children’s better under-
standing of themselves and others, and to support them in dealing with
challenges in their daily life related to their emotions and relationships.
Further, researchers have noted that learning and education take place in
the context of relationships and that similar risk factors are responsible for
various mental health and behaviour problems, such as substance abuse,
aggression and violence (Payton et al., 2000), which calls for the integra-
tion of different theories in order to achieve the aims of SEI learning. As
noted by Weissberg, Kumpfer and Seligman (2003), preventing problems
and promoting positive outcomes in the context of prevention requires
integrating theoretical frameworks and intervention strategies of preven-
tion science (Coie et al., 1993; Mrazek and Haggerty, 1994; Reiss and Price,
1996) with those of various fields like positive psychology (Seligman and
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), applied developmental science (Hetherington,
1998; Lerner, Fisher and Weinberg, 2000), competence enhancement
(Masten and Coatsworth, 1998; Weissberg and Greenberg, 1998), health
promotion (Marx and Wooley, 1998; Perry, 1999), positive youth develop-
ment (Catalano et al., 2002; Larson, 2000; Pittman et al, 2001), resilience
(Glantz and Johnson, 1999) and well-being (Cowen, 1983).
Aspiring to anchor their programmes in a comprehensive frame-
work, most developers of existing programmes cite the CASEL con-
ceptual framework, which targets a combination of behaviours, emo-
tions and cognitions, and posits that prevention can be achieved through
the enhancement of social and emotional competencies: self-awareness,
self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible de-
cision-making (Greenberg et al., 2003). This framework has become wide-
ly used in the last two decades, encompassing the relevant skills required
to successfully navigate through the social and emotional challenges of
contemporary life.
In addition, our review of existing evidence-based programmes and
interventions reveals that existing interventions vary greatly in terms
of their content and the activities used to achieve their aims. In this re-
spect, the programme content focused on social and emotional compe-
tencies includes topics as wide as the following: development of relation-
al competence, mental health promotion, social skills training, empathy
development, creating a safe school climate, bullying and substance use
122
and involve a critical dimension which will allow students to become
aware of the role culture plays when it comes to differences in power or so-
cial status, while bearing in mind the foundations of social and emotion-
al competencies required to interact with others.
Despite the theoretical diversity among existing programmes, there
seems to be a consensus on their aims – to foster children’s better under-
standing of themselves and others, and to support them in dealing with
challenges in their daily life related to their emotions and relationships.
Further, researchers have noted that learning and education take place in
the context of relationships and that similar risk factors are responsible for
various mental health and behaviour problems, such as substance abuse,
aggression and violence (Payton et al., 2000), which calls for the integra-
tion of different theories in order to achieve the aims of SEI learning. As
noted by Weissberg, Kumpfer and Seligman (2003), preventing problems
and promoting positive outcomes in the context of prevention requires
integrating theoretical frameworks and intervention strategies of preven-
tion science (Coie et al., 1993; Mrazek and Haggerty, 1994; Reiss and Price,
1996) with those of various fields like positive psychology (Seligman and
Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), applied developmental science (Hetherington,
1998; Lerner, Fisher and Weinberg, 2000), competence enhancement
(Masten and Coatsworth, 1998; Weissberg and Greenberg, 1998), health
promotion (Marx and Wooley, 1998; Perry, 1999), positive youth develop-
ment (Catalano et al., 2002; Larson, 2000; Pittman et al, 2001), resilience
(Glantz and Johnson, 1999) and well-being (Cowen, 1983).
Aspiring to anchor their programmes in a comprehensive frame-
work, most developers of existing programmes cite the CASEL con-
ceptual framework, which targets a combination of behaviours, emo-
tions and cognitions, and posits that prevention can be achieved through
the enhancement of social and emotional competencies: self-awareness,
self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible de-
cision-making (Greenberg et al., 2003). This framework has become wide-
ly used in the last two decades, encompassing the relevant skills required
to successfully navigate through the social and emotional challenges of
contemporary life.
In addition, our review of existing evidence-based programmes and
interventions reveals that existing interventions vary greatly in terms
of their content and the activities used to achieve their aims. In this re-
spect, the programme content focused on social and emotional compe-
tencies includes topics as wide as the following: development of relation-
al competence, mental health promotion, social skills training, empathy
development, creating a safe school climate, bullying and substance use
122
