Research & Evidence

SEL Research & Evidence

There is a vast body of research supporting the impact of social and emotional learning (SEL). Benefits include:

SEL research and evidence benefits

21st Century Skills

Students with foundational skills like self-regulation and empathy have tools that will serve them for life, including in their careers.

Adults with high EQ tend to be stronger performers with higher earning potential,³ as they are better able to connect with peers and customers/clients, to solve problems, and to think creatively. In fact, in recent surveys across industries, employers ranked social and emotional skills like teamwork and problem solving as even more of a priority than analytical or quantitative skills.4

Research shows that SEL can have an economic impact, as well. For every $1 invested in SEL, the average return to society is $11 due to the outcomes noted above.5

Citations:

1. Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1): 405–432.
2. Taylor, R., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156-1171.
3. Bradberry, T. & Lencioni, P. M. (2009). Emotional Intelligence 2.0. TalentSmart.
4. National Association of Colleges and Employers (2020). Job Outlook 2020.
5. Belfield, C., Bowden, B., Klapp, A., Levin, H., Shand, R., & Zander, S. (2015). The economic value of social and emotional learning. New York, NY: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.