Abstract:

A development of the socio-affective competencies is a primary goal in the primary education, because they are fundamental both to foster the development of positive relationships within the peer community, and to support the achievement of the outcomes envisaged by the educational and scholastic context (Denham, Bassett & Zinsser, 2012, Denham, 2006). In recent years, many scholars have started to pay attention to this topic and teachers have seen an increase in projects aimed at developing the socio-emotional skills of children (Ahn, 2005; Denham, Bassett & Zinsser, 2012; Pianta & Hamre, 2009; Denham et al, 2015).

In particular the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an approach that has become more and more popular according to which children develop knowledge and competencies necessary to be engaged in positive social interactions and to manage their emotion. These two elements are put in connection because, without a good emotional self-awareness, it is impossible to establish effective positive relationships and act responsible behavior, handling challenging circumstances (Liau et al, 2003; Perry, Lennie & Humphrey, 2008; Rivers et al., 2013; Schlund, 2019).

The relevance of this topic and the awareness of the increasingly pressing educational needs emerging from real contexts, have led to a multiplication of project concerning the development of the socio-affective competencies and particularly according to the SEL perspective, but, teachers are sometimes confused and it is not easy for them to understand which of the different programs are more effective or which are more suited to the needs of the specific context in which they operate.

The paper will present the results of a systematic review conducted according to the integrative review method, which investigates both the empirical and theoretical-descriptive literature, to put academic reflection at the service of teachers’ professional practices. The review question aim is to identify effective educational practices to promote social emotional learning (SEL) in the 6-10 age group, with particular reference to school contexts. We conducted the search of the records through disciplinary and generalist databases and with the use of digital libraries. The analysis of the material thus obtained made it possible to identify the best practices that can be put at the service of teachers for the construction of paths aimed at promoting socio-emotional skills. The paper will present the method of analysis carried out and the characteristics of the identified projects, of which the structural elements will be highlighted (educational objectives, implementation phases, materials, etc.) and if and how these programs have been investigated to verify its effectiveness.

Keywords:

Social emotional learning programs, primary school, integrative review.