Celene Domitrovich

Introduction In recent decades, there has been a growing consensus about the contributions that high quality social and emotional learning (SEL) can make to young people’s positive life outcomes (Durlak et al., 2011; Jones and Kahn, 2017). While SEL programming likely supports both children and adolescents, most of the research on effective SEL interventions is based on work done in early childhood and elementary settings (Domitrovich et al., 2017; Yeager, 2017).

1. Introduction 1.1. School-based social and emotional learning interventions and child development School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) interventions encompass a series of intentional program efforts designed to promote children’s learning and application of social, emotional and character skills required to succeed in school, workplace settings, relationships, and citizenship (Jones et al., 2019; Weissberg, 2019).

Introduction As key stakeholders in the education process, teachers and school leaders have a great influence on the adoption, sustainability, and development of school-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. SEL is defined as “the process through which individuals learn and apply a set of social, emotional, behavioral, and character skills required to succeed in schooling, the workplace, relationships, and citizenship” (Jones et al., 2019, p. 19).