SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Various scientific researches undoubtedly confirm the importance of children's social and emotional competencies in their achievement and the overall life satisfaction. Therefore, the conclusion that logically follows is the premise that children who have developed these competencies tend to be more caring, happy, responsible, with an overall better psycho-physical health and success in life in general. This research aimed to examine social and emotional competencies in elementary school children by using the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale – 2nd edition (Epstein, 2004), and to examine their connection to academic achievement. Participants were sixth-grade students from three elementary schools in Split and one elementary school in Šestanovac (N=115). The results pointed out to the average and above-average social and emotional strengths of the majority of participants, while there was no significant correlation found between the overall social and emotional competencies (Strength Index) and the school achievement. There was no positive correlation between the development of social and emotional competencies and the academic achievement, in a way that children with more developed competencies had better success in school. A significant positive correlation was found only with School Functioning subscale and the fifth and sixth-grade school achievement.