The Impact of Social and Emotional Learning Programs on the Emotional Competence and Academic Achievement of Children in Greek Primary School

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence, academic achievement and school climate among primary school students. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of social and emotional learning programs on the emotional intelligence and the academic achievement of 143 students in the 5th and 6th grade of primary school, who attended relevant programs compared with the corresponding number of students (163) in the same grades, who did not attend such educational programs. Students completed the TEIQue-CSF and a questionnaire with demographic data; in addition, the scores they received in the last quarter (April-June) of the academic year 2011-2012 were taken into account. Combined with the above, a questionnaire was constructed based on the "Checklist for the assessment of the quality of classroom and school climate", in order to investigate the views of the respective teachers on the impact of school climate on the emotional competence of students. The comparative results of the present study showed that there is a positive relationship among the variances. The findings must be taken into account from the Ministry of Education in Greece when designing the curricula in order to create caring, responsible, emotionally and psychosocially balanced students.