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In a webinar at the beginning of the year, the importance of SEL for career and lifelong success was emphasized, calling for deep integration with academics and future-oriented skills.

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Students face high mental health pressures, and issues of educational inequality and psychological stress are particularly significant. In many U.S. states, SEL programs have been formally integrated into curricula, emphasizing the development of emotional regulation and social skills. Research by Durlak et al. (2011) shows that students who participate in SEL programs demonstrate significant improvements in academic achievement, behavior, and emotional management.

Reference:
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.

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Posamentier, J., Seibel, K., & DyTang, N. (2022). Preventing Youth Suicide: A Review of School-Based Practices and How Social–Emotional Learning Fits Into Comprehensive Efforts. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(2), 746-759. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380211039475 (Original work published 2023)

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Starting School: What is ‘Social and Emotional Readiness’?

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During the first five years of life, children develop many motor, communication and language, cognitive, and social and emotional skills.

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SEL Issue:

Multicultural integration and social adaptation: Students in Xinjiang come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Some students experience difficulties in social-emotional learning, such as understanding and respecting cultural differences, building friendships across groups, and managing conflicts.

Evidence:

Research indicates that cultural and language differences can lead to social isolation, misunderstandings, and lower peer collaboration among students in multi-ethnic schools in Xinjiang (Xinjiang Education Research Journal, 2021).

Teachers may lack specific training to address SEL in multicultural classrooms.

Citation:

Xinjiang Education Research Journal (2021), Xinjiang Education Research Institute.

Suggested Strategies:

1. Implement SEL programs that promote cultural awareness, empathy, and inclusive communication.

2. Train teachers to support students in navigating multicultural social interactions.

3. Organize group activities and peer mentoring to foster cross-cultural friendships.

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Issue: Lack of systematic social–emotional learning (SEL) integration in Iranian primary education.

Evidence: A study in Urmia, Iran, found that a 12-session SEL program significantly improved primary students’ social development compared to a control group (t = 9.10, p ≤ 0.0001), yet such programs are not part of the standard curriculum (Sadri Damirchi, 2013).

Reference:
Sadri Damirchi, E. (2013). The impact of social-emotional learning skills programs on social development among primary school students. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(16), 202–204.

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This heatmap will help the group identify where on a global level certain SEL issues are found as well as where possible certain strategies for addressing certain issues are suggested. 

We are using an evidence-based approach for issue identification. You can do this by placing a pin where you have found an issue. With the pin you can also attach the evidence found,

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Shanxi, China

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1. Academic Pressure and Self-Management

Xi’an, as a highly competitive provincial capital, places considerable emphasis on high-stakes examinations such as the senior high school and college entrance exams. Many students attend extensive after-school tutoring, but often lack effective emotional regulation, time management, and stress management strategies. This can lead to anxiety, sleep deprivation, and academic burnout.

2. Urban–Rural and Inter-School Disparities in Social Awareness

There is a notable gap in teaching resources and staff quality between urban schools in Xi’an and those in surrounding rural areas, as well as between key schools and ordinary schools within the city. Students may have limited understanding and respect for peers from different backgrounds, which can reinforce stereotypes and create social divisions.

3. Insufficient Teacher SEL Competencies and Professional Development

Teacher training in Xi’an tends to focus on subject-based instruction, with limited systematic preparation for SEL. As a result, many teachers have difficulty identifying students’ emotional states, managing classroom emotional climates, and creating inclusive learning environments.

4. Parenting Approaches and Self-Awareness

Many parents prioritise academic achievement over their children’s emotional development, interests, and social skills. This can lead to students having a weak understanding of their own strengths, values, and emotions, making them more vulnerable to low self-esteem and uncertainty about their self-identity.

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SEL Issue in China: Left-Behind Children & Emotional Well-Being

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SEL Issue in China: Left-Behind Children & Emotional Well-Being

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China has an estimated 69 million "left‑behind children"—kids who remain in rural areas while one or both parents work in cities. These children often face significant social and emotional learning (SEL) challenges, including:

Higher rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and lower life satisfaction, compared to their peers with parents at home

Developmental struggles with social relationships, including increased introversion and vulnerability to bullying

Reduced educational engagement, lower school attendance, and weaker student‑teacher connections

Yu, K., Jiang, Z., Frydenberg, E., Martin, A. J., & Collie, R. J. (2017). Social and Emotional Learning in China: Theory, Research, and Practice. In Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific (pp. 205–217). Springer Singapore Pte. Limited. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3394-0_11

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Suzhou’s vocational education system faces significant challenges in the area of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), which negatively impact students’ social and emotional development. First, the tracking mechanism after junior high school places about 40% of students into vocational schools, a process that is closely linked to family background and regional resources rather than personal interest or potential. Due to the long-standing societal bias of “valuing academics over skills,” vocational education is often regarded as a “second-tier option,” leaving students feeling marginalized in their identity and damaging their self-esteem and self-confidence. Second, such social labeling weakens students’ sense of emotional security, limiting their positive interactions with peers, family, and society. Third, while vocational education focuses heavily on technical training, it generally lacks the cultivation of soft skills such as cross-cultural communication, teamwork, and emotional regulation, making it harder for students to adapt and thrive in diverse environments. In addition, uneven urban-rural and regional resource distribution means that many students in underdeveloped areas lack access to systematic SEL curricula and qualified teachers. Under the pressure of further education and employment, they are more likely to experience anxiety and helplessness. Overall, current reforms focus largely on curriculum structure, skill standards, and school–enterprise cooperation, while neglecting the systematic cultivation of students’ psychological development and social-emotional competencies, making it difficult to achieve the goal of promoting holistic development.

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La, T. T., Dinh, H. T., Phan, M. T., Do, L. T., Nguyen, P. T., & Nguyen, Q. N. (2020). Mental health among Vietnamese urban late adolescents: The association of parenting styles. Health psychology open, 7(2), 2055102920948738. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102920948738

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Mental health among Vietnamese urban late adolescents: The association of parenting styles

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The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between parental styles and mental problems among Vietnamese high school students. In total, 16.4 percent of 757 eligible participants reported mental difficulties. Findings showed that being…

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Social anxiety is defined as being worried, uncomfortable, or even fearful, of embarrassment in social situations (Wu et al., 2025). Adolescents have a strong desire to interact with their peers, but they are afraid of social situations and shy about expressing themselves. Wu et al. (2025) found that social anxiety can have a slight but not significant effect on their participation in physical education. Wu et al. (2025) found that a greater physical level is associated with lower social anxiety, which is due to the fact that participation in physical education can provide adolescents with more social opportunities, which can help adolescents to integrate into the group and build confidence to express their emotions.

Wu, J., Shao, Y., Zang, W., & Hu, J. (2025). Is physical exercise associated with reduced adolescent social anxiety mediated by psychological resilience? Evidence from a longitudinal multi-wave study in China. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 19(1), 17.

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Rural location, limited services

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Students are ashamed of stress

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Student stress and social skills deficits

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Student stress and social skills deficits

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Evidence：According to Chen and Li (2023), SEL programs have significantly enhanced students' emotional management and social skills while reducing their stress levels. The study notes, “After the implementation of SEL programs, students showed significant improvements in emotional management and social skills, and academic performance also improved” (Chen & Li, 2023).

Chen, H., & Li, Y. (2023). Social-emotional learning programs and their impact on primary school students in China. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020123

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The journal article "Investigations of Cyber Bullying and Traditional Bullying in Adolescents on the Roles of Cognitive Empathy, Affective Empathy, and Age" provides an in-depth analysis of the prevalence and impacts of both cyberbullying and traditional bullying among students. Key findings indicate that while traditional bullying is more common, cyberbullying is increasing and often co-occurs with traditional bullying, leading to significant emotional distress.

The study emphasises the need for integrated prevention strategies that address both types of bullying to create a safer school environment.

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Investigations of Cyber Bullying and Traditional Bullying in Adolescents

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An exploration of SEL in culturally responsive, strengths-based ways with children experiencing poverty.

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Indian school students are the weakest in relationship-building skills and lag in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) which affects their ability to identify, label, and articulate their feelings.

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‘Most students suffer from low emotional quotient’ | undefined News - Times of India

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Salma Prabhu, director, Academy of Counselling, conducted a four-phase survey in some city schoo

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Fu, L., Zhang, Z., Yang, Y., & Curtis McMillen, J. (2024). Acceptability and preliminary impact of a school-based SEL program for rural children in China: A quasi-experimental study. Children and Youth Services Review, 160, 107579-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107579

Based on the article, the main issues in rural Chongqing, China include high rates of mental health disorders among children, particularly those with work-away parents, and gender disparities in emotional and behavioral problems. Limited access to mental health services and traditional teaching methods that don't address social-emotional needs are also concerns.

To address these issues, potential strategies include:

1. Implementing culturally-tailored, school-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs in rural elementary schools.

2. Focusing on improving self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills, which showed significant improvements in the study.

3. Developing more engaging activities for areas like emotional regulation and decision-making.

4. Paying special attention to vulnerable groups like children of work-away parents and boys.

5. Considering longer-term SEL interventions to increase impact.

6. Incorporating more interactive teaching methods in rural schools.

7. Conducting further research using randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies.

8. Involving multiple stakeholders in assessing SEL program effects.

9. Developing comprehensive implementation fidelity measures.

These strategies aim to improve rural children's social-emotional competencies and overall well-being, potentially serving as a model for other rural areas in China.

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This article examines how Chinese early childhood teachers’ self-perceptions of their pedagogical content knowl- edge, beliefs, and attitudes towards Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) differ based on their backgrounds. They also explored the understanding of their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL. The autors conducted a research that included 167 early childhood teachers. They figured out that "while teachers demonstrated a positive atti- tude towards SEL and recognized its significance in promoting children’s overall development, they exhibited lower peda- gogical content knowledge scores" (Zhong et al., 2024, p. 1).

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Exploring social‑emotional learning in China- a mixed‑methods study with Chinese early childhood teachers

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SEL deficiency among left-behind children in Guizhou, China

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Research on the Relationships between Psychological Problems and School Bullying and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Rural Primary and Middle School Students in Developing Areas of China

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On 19 April, the Ministry of Education-United Nations Children's Fund Social Emotional Learning and School Management Improvement Project 2024 Work Promotion Meeting and Capacity Building Workshop was held in Nanjing.

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this study investigates how different educators' backgrounds including gender, age and length of experience, respond to work flexibility arrangements that cause mental exhaustion.

Flexible work arrangements are an issue following COVID-19 several years ago and are still widely applied to today's employment.

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There is a significant gap in teachers' detailed knowledge and comprehensive understanding of SEL. While the awareness of SEL has increased, comprehensive training and support systems are still needed to help teachers effectively implement SEL practices​

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Exploring social-emotional learning in China: a mixed-methods study with Chinese early childhood teachers

Abstract

The present study explored how Chinese early childhood teachers' self-perceptions of their pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) differ based on their backgrounds. Additionally, this research explored teachers' understanding of their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL. The study involved surveying 167 early childhood teachers using the Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale and the SEL Beliefs and Attitudes Scales, as well as conducting semi-structured interviews with 10 early childhood teachers. The study found that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and beliefs towards SEL may differ based on their teaching age and educational background. Nevertheless, there is more complexity to these variations than initially assumed, and comprehending this complexity can provide valuable insights into the teachers' current situation. While teachers demonstrated a positive attitude towards SEL and recognized its significance in promoting children's overall development, they exhibited lower pedagogical content knowledge scores. This deficit was attributed to a lack of well-structured and high-quality professional learning opportunities. In conclusion, this study aimed to reveal the current state of social-emotional learning among Chinese early childhood teachers, thus addressing a perceived deficiency in the existing Chinese empirical literature.

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During the last few decades, there has been a growing emphasis on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, which contribute to academic achievement, employment success, and life satisfaction [ 1]. SEL is especially crucial for newcomer and refugee students because it assists them in navigating migration challenges, familial disruptions, and discrimination, paving the way for their mental health, academic achievement, and social inclusion through specific educational interventions [ 2, 3, 4]. Research indicates that appropriately implemented evidence-based SEL programs have a substantial positive effect on the development of children [ 5]. Teachers play an important role in the implementation of SEL curriculum [ 6, 7, 8]. The research seeks to investigate early childhood teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to provide insights into the current state of social-emotional learning among early childhood teachers in the Chinese context.

1 Social-emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood education

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), according to Osher et al. [ 9], encompasses the processes of recognizing and managing emotions, setting and achieving positive goals, understanding the viewpoints of others, establishing and maintaining supportive relationships, making informed decisions, and constructively addressing personal and interpersonal situations. SEL encompasses five core elements: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making [ 9]. Early support for SEL in children has both short-term and long-term positive outcomes, including improved academic performance, mental health, reduced criminal activity and substance use, and enhanced well-being indicators, according to research studies [ 3, 10, 11, 12]. Students who participated in SEL interventions performed significantly better than those who did not participate in SEL interventions, regardless of race, or socio-economic background [ 12, 13, 14]. Acknowledging the universal applicability of SEL, it is crucial to adapt its principles and skills to different cultural contexts for them to be truly effective. While SEL principles and skills are universally relevant, they must be adapted to fit the cultural contexts to be effective. Recent research supports culturally relevant SEL that respects and integrates students' sociocultural values and practices, in Japan and Africa, SEL approaches and outcome goals are contextualized in these regions' sociocultural values and practices [ 15].

2 Social-emotional learning (SEL) in China

As early as 2002, Chinese scholars recognized the benefits of SEL and proactively imported international SEL programs to China such as Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies, Second Step, and Strong Kids within the Chinese context [ 16]. In 2011, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF initiated a pilot SEL program across five western provinces, and had grown to cover 11 provinces across China in 2016, benefiting more than 200,000 students [ 17]. The majority of domestic research primarily centers on enhancing the social and emotional abilities of teachers and students, while there is comparatively less emphasis on improving the teaching strategies of early childhood teachers in SEL. According to the literature reviewed, research and pilot programs on SEL in China have been carried out in several cities such as Shanghai, characterized as fragmented and implemented in isolation. Scholars are currently in the process of establishing a more structured research framework. Most of the SEL research has primarily focused on primary and secondary schools, with limited attention given to kindergartens, resulting in insufficient research. Therefore, our study focused on teachers' self-perceptions of their pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL, and how these perceptions might vary across different backgrounds. Consequently, this study serves as a preliminary investigation aimed at comprehending early childhood teachers' understanding towards SEL in China to pave the way for future training initiatives targeting early childhood teachers in SEL.

3 Teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about SEL

Teachers play an essential role in the implementation of SEL programs. Teachers, as disseminators of knowledge, observers, and facilitators in the classroom, may shape the learning environment by providing differentiated SEL opportunities for children, thereby improving children's social and emotional competence and influencing the implementation of SEL programs [ 18, 19, 20]. Therefore, SEL training for educators is necessary as it plays an instrumental role in strengthening teachers' capability to implement SEL practices, which in turn impacts children's development [ 21, 22, 23].

Shulman [ 24] defined Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) as the teacher's understanding of how to represent specific subject matter topics in a way that aligns with the diverse capabilities and interests of learners. The components of PCK include subject matter understanding, teaching techniques and knowledge of students' development [ 25]. Through the implementation of these PCK components, early childhood teachers can effectively instruct young children and foster their learning and development. Therefore, teachers should develop their PCK on SEL and enhance their teaching abilities to effectively integrate SEL into their curriculum.

Teachers' beliefs towards SEL are likely to affect the implementation, assessment, and outcomes [ 18]. According to Kagan [ 26], teacher belief refers to implicit assumptions that pre-service or in-service teachers hold about students, learning, classrooms, and the subject matter they are responsible for teaching. Brackett et al. [ 18] proposed an investigation to develop and validate a measure of teachers' beliefs about SEL, which pertains to teachers' comfort with teaching SEL, commitment to learning about SEL, and perceptions about whether their school culture supports SEL. As defined by Utami and Palacios [ 27], teachers' attitude pertains to how they perceive and think, which may lead to the action they will take related to their teaching practices in the class.

Teachers' attitudes are a fundamental aspect of their personalities and can have a substantial impact on their interactions with students and parents, as well as on students' educational aspirations and academic achievement [ 28]. Teachers' attitudes can play a crucial role in the successful implementation of social and emotional programs in schools or centers [ 29]. Teachers who have positive attitudes towards SEL are more likely to implement teaching activities effectively and enthusiastically. Conversely, teachers who hold a negative attitude towards SEL may decrease the likelihood of successful implementation.

While teachers generally acknowledge the significance of SEL and are inclined to integrate activities that develop social and emotional skills in students, there exists a notable discrepancy in their detailed knowledge and comprehensive understanding of SEL [ 18, 30, 31]. Previous research indicates that teachers, although willing to integrate SEL into their pedagogical practices, frequently encounter obstacles such as limited time, insufficient training, and a lack of resources, leading to a demand for structured support and enhanced professional development in SEL [ 32]. These obstacles highlight the necessity for structured support and enhanced professional development in SEL, pointing towards a demand for comprehensive teacher training and support systems [ 31, 33].

The majority of the previous studies that have been conducted on early childhood teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes have concentrated attention on areas such as computational thinking [ 34], mathematics teaching [ 35], and science education [ 36]. In comparison to other areas, there is limited research emphasizing the effects of the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes of early childhood teachers toward SEL, despite the heightened awareness of SEL in recent years.

Previous studies on teachers' understanding of SEL have primarily focused on various aspects such as knowledge of different components of SEL, teachers' perceptions on SEL programs, and their infusion of SEL into the classroom [ 19, 37, 38]. However, it is essential to note that these studies are primarily conducted in a western context. As relatively few published studies have analyzed the current situation and demands for the professional development of Chinese kindergarten teachers in SEL, this study aims to obtain a clearer comprehension of Chinese early childhood teachers' understanding on SEL, which can support the implementation of SEL.

Previous studies on teacher professional development have utilized mixed research methods for validation and triangulation [ 19, 37, 39]. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods can work together to cross-verify and corroborate the research findings. Focus group discussions in this study allows for the collection of detailed insights, which would not be attainable from the survey alone.

4 The present study

This study aimed to explore the early childhood teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs and attitudes toward SEL. To address the knowledge gaps, the following three research questions guided this study:

1-How do the Chinese early childhood teachers evaluate their own pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about SEL?

2-How do teachers' self-reported pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about SEL differ across different backgrounds, such as teaching age and educational background?

3-How do early childhood teachers in China describe and reflect upon their pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL, and what are their expectations for professional support to enhance their SEL teaching competencies?

5 Methods

This research combined qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a more in-depth interpretation of the research questions and to validate the findings through the triangulation of data. We obtained human ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at the researchers' affiliated institution.

We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, which is based on pragmatism as a theoretical assumption and is an efficient and popular approach to mixing methods research [ 40]. This methods combines qualitative and quantitative methods to obtain the triangulated results in this design [ 41]. We first gathered quantitative data through a survey to examine Chinese early childhood teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL. Subsequently, we conducted qualitative interviews to explore and explain the results obtained from the quantitative analysis.

The survey study includes three scales for assessing early childhood teachers' understanding on social-emotional learning. One of the scales employed is the Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale, derived from the Chinese translation of the Assessment of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Preschool Teachers [ 42, 43]. This scale consists of three dimensions, each containing three sub-questions, totaling nine questions to evaluate teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Adapted from Brackett et al. [ 18], the Beliefs Scale measures teachers' comfort with teaching SEL, commitment to learning about SEL, and perceptions about whether their school culture supports SEL. The scale includes 12 items that are rated on a five-point Likert scale. The SEL Attitudes Scale, adapted by Dolzhenko [ 44] from Buchanan [ 32], assesses teachers' attitudes towards SEL through questions on a five-point Likert scale. These scales effectively captures the teachers' understanding on the implementation, providing insight into their commitment and perceived value of SEL practices. The validity and reliability of these questionnaires have been previously verified in past research [ 18, 32, 43, 44].

We asked five early childhood specialists to evaluate and select SEL teaching videos at the beginning of the study. We then administered a questionnaire survey to 167 early childhood teachers, and interviewed ten early childhood teachers to explore the current level of SEL among them. In this study, researchers collected qualitative data by recruiting early childhood teachers from kindergartens in Fujian Province, China. We invited participants to join the study, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality of their responses. The qualitative data collected in this study comprised open-ended questions and semi-structured interviews to explore the teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL in early childhood education. We also collected quantitative data by recruiting early childhood teachers and inviting them to participate in the study via WeChat advertisements and posters. The quantitative data collected in this study included closed-ended questions and Likert scales to assess the effectiveness of SEL in early childhood education.

5.1 Quantitative data collection and analysis

One hundred sixty-seven early childhood teachers were surveyed using questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of the following information: (1) Personal characteristics, including gender, educational attainment, kindergarten categories, teaching experience, professional title and other personal information of early childhood teachers; (2) Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale, including Content Knowledge, Knowledge of Children, Knowledge of Instructional Methods; (3) SEL Beliefs and Attitudes Scales. All scales measured by Likert scale with 5-point or 7-point. The entire study took approximately 30 min to complete. This duration included 15 min dedicated to watching videos and another 15 min for completing the survey questionnaire. This division of time was designed to ensure participants had a comprehensive understanding of the context by the time they finished the survey, thereby improving the precision of their answers.

In the preparatory phase of the research, the required sample size was determined through calculations using G*Power analysis [ 45]. This research primarily aims to investigate the variances in teachers' SEL Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes across diverse backgrounds, including variations in teaching experience and educational levels. Consequently, the approach employed was the independent samples t-tests, specifically focusing on the difference between two independent means across two groups. The parameters were set with an effect size f = 0.5, alpha α = 0.05, and power = 0.8, leading to a calculated total sample size of 128.

In terms of data analysis applicable to this study, under the parameters of a significance level α = 0.05 and a moderate effect size f = 0.5, it is anticipated that a minimum total sample size of 128 participants is required to achieve a desirable statistical power of 80%. To enhance the study's statistical significance, the study recruited 180 participants. Following the completion of the questionnaire collection and the exclusion of invalid questionnaires, the actual number of valid responses obtained was 167.

Researchers sent out one hundred eighty questionnaires by Sojump, a popular online survey and data collection platform in China. After removing participants who completed the survey in an unrealistically short or long time, there were one hundred sixty-seven valid responses. We conducted statistical analyses using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 20.0). Table 1 provides a detailed documentation of the participants' demographic characteristics in the current study.

Across the entire sample, 98.20% of participants were female. A total of 61.68% of participants reported that their highest level of education was graduating with a bachelor's degree or above; 60.48% had 1-5 years of teaching experience. 49.70% of them had kindergarten secondary-level kindergarten professional titles, and 81.44% of them were from public kindergarten.

5.2 Qualitative data collection and analysis

Twenty teachers were recruited to participate in the interview by WeChat ads and posters. Ten interviewees were selected based on the diversity of teaching experience, qualifications, and educational attainment and the availability of a fixed time slot for the interview. The interviews were semi-structured and conducted with ten early childhood teachers through online focus group interviews using the DingTalk app, which includes a variety of tools for collaboration and facilitates effective communication between individuals. Using the DingTalk app, teachers can utilize online platforms for conferences and assignment completion. The interview lasted approximately one and a half hours. The qualitative interview was recorded. To facilitate qualitative thematic analysis [ 46], we transcribed the interviews. Analyses were carried out using NVvivo20.0. Codes were used for the participants, using 'city/township (A / B) -number (T1-T10) -initials' to protect teachers' privacy. Ten teachers' interview recordings were transcribed into documents, with a total of 13,000 words. The interview texts were named and imported into NVvivo20.0 in Word format. All recordings and transcripts were placed on a secure USB, and passwords were set for access only by researchers.

6 Results

6.1 Reliability and validity analysis of scales

The researchers used Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient to examine the internal consistency and thus assess the reliability of the scales for Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Beliefs, and Attitudes regarding Social-Emotional Learning. The reliability analysis for each dimension of the PCK, Beliefs, and Attitudes scales showed that the alpha coefficients for all scale dimensions exceeded 0.8, indicating good reliability. The Cronbach's alpha values indicate that the scales have good reliability in measuring the respective constructs.

Regarding the Corrected Item-Total Correlation (CITC) values, all the items displayed values exceeding 0.4, suggesting solid internal consistency and inter-item correlation, further supporting the scales' reliability. These findings confirm that the research data is highly reliable and suitable for further analysis. Therefore, the reliability analysis in this study, using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and corrected item-total scale correlations, demonstrates that the scales have good internal consistency and inter-item correlation, indicating their reliability.

The validity analysis of scales for PCK, Beliefs, and Attitudes regarding SEL involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using AMOS 24.0 and exploratory factor analysis. The analysis verified the hypothesized multi-dimensional structures of each scale, demonstrating good discriminant and convergent validity. Specifically, all Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio (HTMT) values were below 0.85, and all Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values exceeded 0.5, indicating strong discriminant validity among the factors of each scale and good convergent validity of the data. Additionally, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test results confirmed the suitability of data for factor analysis with a KMO value of 0.877. Overall, the scales exhibited reliable statistical validity, indicating their appropriateness for further analysis in exploring social-emotional learning among early childhood teachers.

6.2 RQ1: descriptive analyses of teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about SEL

Teachers' PCK average score was 2.76 for content knowledge (SD = 0.84), 3.40 for knowledge of children (SD = 0.94), and 3.52 for knowledge of instructional methods (SD = 1.02), which shows that early childhood teachers are relatively proficient in knowledge of children and knowledge of instructional methods, but relatively weak in content knowledge of SEL, and it needs to be improved. The average score of Comfort (comfort with teaching SEL), Commitment (desire to develop SEL skills), and Culture (school support for SEL instruction) respectively were 3.71, 4.11, and 3.20. It indicates that early childhood teachers remain confident in their ability to provide children with SEL and teaching abilities. The data shows that teachers are willing to improve their ability to instruct children in SEL. The average score of SEL Attitude (M = 3.33) suggested that early childhood teachers possess a more neutral attitude towards SEL because most teachers lack an understanding of SEL.

6.3 RQ2: differences in teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about SEL across varying backgrounds

We used independent samples t tests to examine the mean differences among pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes regarding demographic factors. The findings showed significant differences between teaching experiences and educational attainment for SEL pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. Table 2 revealed significant differences in SEL PCK, beliefs, and attitudes among teachers with varying teaching experience. Teachers with 1-5 years of teaching experience ( n = 101) demonstrated higher mean scores in SEL PCK ( M = 3.41, SD = 0.80), SEL beliefs ( M = 3.80, SD = 0.53), and SEL attitudes ( M = 3.56, SD = 0.88) compared to teachers with more than 6 years of teaching experience ( n = 66), who reported lower mean scores in SEL PCK ( M = 2.94, SD = 0.78), SEL beliefs ( M = 3.48, SD = 0.57), and SEL attitudes ( M = 2.97, SD = 0.79). The differences in SEL PCK, beliefs, and attitudes were statistically significant at the 0.01 level ( p  < 0.01) with t-values of 3.801, 3.702, and 4.381, respectively.

According to Table 3, teachers with an associate degree or below ( n = 64) showed lower mean scores in SEL PCK ( M = 3.04, SD = 0.74), beliefs ( M = 3.57, SD = 0.44), and attitudes ( M = 3.11, SD = 0.81). In contrast, teachers with higher education levels ( n = 103) had significantly higher scores in SEL PCK ( M = 3.33, SD = 0.85), SEL beliefs ( M = 3.73, SD = 0.63), and SEL attitudes ( M = 3.46, SD = 0.92) than those with lower education levels, indicating that education level positively impacted teachers' SEL knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. The independent samples t-test results revealed statistically significant differences between teachers with different education levels at the 0.05 level ( p < 0.05) for SEL PCK ( t = -2.240, p = 0.026), beliefs ( t = -1.994, p = 0.048), and attitudes ( t = -2.460, p  = 0.015).

6.4 RQ3: In-depth analyses of teachers' attitudes towards SEL

The Theory of Planned Behavior [ 47] provides a useful framework for this study. This theory suggests that an individual's intentions to engage in a specific behavior are influenced by their attitudes towards the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. This framework facilitates a detailed analysis of how early childhood teachers' intentions to integrate SEL into their teaching practices are influenced by their attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about SEL. The qualitative interview questions are structured around four themes: Teachers' Attitudes towards SEL, Teachers' Knowledge towards SEL, Teachers' Beliefs towards SEL and Teachers' Expected Professional Support. This approach aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various factors that impact early childhood teachers' implementation of SEL, as guided by the principles of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

6.4.1 Teachers' attitudes towards SEL

The majority of teachers indicated at the beginning of the interviews that they were unfamiliar with SEL. Nevertheless, they responded based on their own expertise and teaching experience. Early childhood teachers recognize the significance and necessity of SEL in children's development. Based on the results, three key themes were identified that teachers assess the importance of SEL: a) interpersonal skills, b) emotional management, and c) support for children with special needs. Although the significance of SEL is widely accepted, teachers' comprehensive understanding of SEL needs to be revised and more cohesive. For example, a participant stated that:

"I have noticed that SEL has five key competencies, which seems to be a new categorization proposed internationally. These aspects were actually covered in our previous curriculum, just not categorized in this way. We need a better understanding of these key competencies." (B-T8-LQ).

This result aligns with the research of Ferreira et al. [ 48], which found that while teachers generally hold positive views of SEL, their practical application of SEL strategies is limited. This underscores the importance of incorporating SEL training into initial teacher education as well as providing continuous professional development opportunities.

6.4.2 Teachers' knowledge towards SEL

The interviews revealed varied levels of knowledge about SEL among teachers. Teachers in rural kindergartens demonstrated a basic understanding, while others in municipal kindergartens displayed more in-depth insights into SEL concepts and strategies. Teachers who had undergone training in this field had better proficiency in SEL than those without such experience. Municipal kindergarten teachers demonstrated a greater capacity to comprehend and implement the aspects of SEL in their teaching and learning and analyze them within the SEL framework compared to those in rural kindergartens. Analysis of interview texts revealed that while most teachers were initially unfamiliar with SEL, they were already implementing strategies that inadvertently improved children's social skills in kindergarten activities and curricula. At the beginning of the interview, most teachers indicated that they had never heard of SEL. However, following a brief introduction to its definition and framework, many teachers noted that it was similar to moral education. It suggested that participants' understanding of SEL was intuitively aligned with their professional knowledge and experiences, rather than a formal theoretical framework. Despite the lack of precision in their knowledge of SEL, they expressed a willingness to learn new instructional strategies to enhance their pedagogical content knowledge in SEL.

The analysis of Table 4 reveals that teachers possess a foundational understanding of SEL instructional strategies, which is primarily influenced by their professional knowledge and experiences. This aligns with the Theory of Planned Behavior [ 47], demonstrating that subjective norms and perceived behavioral control may influence their intentions to implement SEL in teaching. Despite this essential understanding, teachers have restricted comprehension concerning the details and practical implementation of SEL. This highlights the need for further professional development and theoretical guidance to enhance their knowledge and skills.

6.4.3 Teachers' beliefs towards SEL

Teachers' beliefs about SEL were generally positive, with many acknowledging its crucial role in early childhood development. However, there was a noticeable variation in beliefs about the feasibility and practicality of implementing SEL in classrooms. For example, a participant from a municipal kindergarten remarked:

"We have the necessary tools and support, allowing us to incorporate SEL into daily activities and curriculum. This not only enriches our teaching but also greatly benefits the children's social and emotional development. "(A-T2-HJM).

Conversely, a participant from a rural kindergarten shared:

" Our limited access to resources and training makes it challenging to implement SEL effectively. We often feel left behind compared to our urban counterparts. Rural kindergartens need more support and resources. " (B-T9-ZYP).

Teachers from municipal kindergartens expressed confidence in their ability to integrate SEL into their daily activities, while teachers in rural kindergartens felt they lacked the necessary resources and support. This variation in beliefs, which can be attributed to differing levels of perceived behavioral control and subjective norms in the Theory of Planned Behavior [ 47], highlights the need for a supportive environment in education. Creating a supportive context is crucial, as it would empower teachers from various educational settings to confidently incorporate SEL into their teaching practices. A supportive environment for SEL should do not only encourage positive beliefs towards SEL, but also guarantee the availability of necessary resources and training. Brackett et al. [ 18] emphasize the need for supportive environments and professional development, resonating with our findings about the disparity in resources and support between urban and rural teachers. This similarity in findings suggests a widespread need for enhanced SEL training and support in diverse educational settings.

6.4.4 Teachers' expected professional support

Teachers demonstrated their willingness to learn about SEL in the interviews, even though they had no prior knowledge of SEL. Despite the lack of professional assistance for early childhood educators, they highly regarded the significance of SEL, exhibited tremendous motivation, and were eager to receive guidance (Table 5). Typically, traditional teacher training does not provide enough opportunities for hands-on experience. Teachers voiced their wish for hands-on training, so they could put their newly acquired knowledge into practice. They demonstrated the necessity for case studies to comprehend the teaching process of SEL and to acquire the organizational skills to support children's engagement in social-emotional learning effectively. Furthermore, teachers expected to gain knowledgeable counsel and comprehensive theoretical guidance from authorities.

7 Discussion

This study aimed to investigate the attitudes, beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge of early childhood teachers on SEL and how they vary depending on teaching age and educational background. The study found that there was a variation in early childhood teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards SEL, depending on their teaching age and educational background. However, Chinese early childhood teachers had a positive attitude towards SEL and recognized its importance in aiding the development of children. Despite this, the study revealed that there was still a pressing need for well-structured and high-quality professional learning opportunities that can support early childhood teachers' professional learning in SEL.

We integrated quantitative data (survey with teachers) and qualitative data (interviews with teachers) to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of early childhood teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes. The quantitative research of the study analyzed the current situation and influencing factors of early childhood teachers' SEL. The direct effect of demographic factors such as teaching experiences and educational background on teachers' SEL pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes was significant. These findings are consistent with those of previous research indicating that teachers' beliefs and perceptions play a significant role in the context of professional development, and they are shaped by their own educational backgrounds and teaching experiences, as well as external peripheral factors [ 49, 50]. Teachers expand their knowledge through professional learning, revise their teaching attitudes and beliefs, and accordingly modify teachers' instructional practices, leading to children's better learning outcomes. These results support the findings of Guskey [ 51] and Desimone [ 52] that changes in student learning outcomes can be traced back to shifts in teachers' beliefs and attitudes resulting from teachers' participation in active learning activities.

The qualitative research of the study evaluated teachers' understanding and attitudes towards SEL and investigated what they need. The results of the investigation indicated that early childhood teachers attach great importance to SEL and show positive learning motivation. This study aligns with the findings of Zinsser et al. [ 8], in which teachers exhibiting both high and moderate levels of emotional support acknowledged the significance of SEL for the success of early childhood teachers in the future.

Despite the potential benefits of SEL, not all teachers in the qualitative study understood the significance of integrating SEL into their daily classroom activities. Some viewed SEL as merely traditional moral education, and believed that it could be integrated into the curriculum to subtly influence children's development. However, to fully capitalize on the advantages of SEL, teachers need to establish a clear and systematic understanding of SEL competencies and the feasibility of implementing SEL in the classroom. Comprehensive training is essential to provide teachers with a deeper understanding of SEL, equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed for successful implementation.

8 Implications for Research and Practice

The study's findings suggest that there is a need for high-quality professional development in SEL for early childhood teachers to improve themselves. This need cannot be met by short-term teacher training, which is insufficient to respond to the professional development needs of teachers. Instead, teachers require ongoing professional support to solve practical instructional problems. Based on these results, future studies should focus on exploring effective methods for early childhood teachers' professional learning in SEL. Researchers can also develop new SEL scales to measure the performance of both early childhood teachers and children.

To promote early childhood teachers' professional learning in SEL, educational policies should provide guidance. This guidance should focus on offering professional development platforms such as school-based coaching programs and professional learning communities. These professional development platforms will give early childhood teachers the opportunity to learn more about SEL and acquire effective teaching strategies for its implementation. Therefore, future research should focus on developing and implementing effective professional development strategies to support early childhood teachers in their SEL teaching practices.

9 Limitations and future directions

The study provided an in-depth exploration of SEL in Chinese educational context. By comparing the findings of study with international SEL research [ 37, 44, 48], it's evident that cultural factors significantly influence the perception of SEL across different settings. Historical and cultural factors in China have greatly influenced teachers' perceptions, with moral education deeply embedded in the curriculum for a long time. Therefore, when implementing and promoting SEL curriculum in China, it is essential to consider the collectivist culture. This study can offer insights into the further development of SEL programs and provide valuable information on their implementation and development in China.

The constraint of this research includes the limited geographic scope, which may limit the extent to which our results can be applied more broadly. The findings of this research are related to Chinese early childhood teachers, and therefore may not be applicable to educators in other countries or contexts. In addition, the study does not include observational evidence of teachers' classroom activities, which could provide a more comprehensive understanding of their implementation of social-emotional learning. Future research may examine the implications in various countries or cultural contexts to increase generalizability. Researchers can use observational assessments of teachers' classroom practices to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' perspectives and implementation experiences regarding social-emotional learning.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

Zhengxing Zong, Weipeng Yang & Yixun Li

Contributions

ZZ: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation, Writing-original draft, Writing-review and editing. WY: Writing-original draft, Writing-review and editing, Supervision. YL: Writing-review and editing, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Zhengxing Zong.

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Zong, Z., Yang, W. & Li, Y. Exploring social-emotional learning in China: a mixed-methods study with Chinese early childhood teachers. Discov Educ 3, 14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00098-7
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Keywords

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exploring social-emotional learning in China: a mixed-methods study with Chinese early childhood teachers - Discover Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The present study explored how Chinese early childhood teachers' self-perceptions of their pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) differ based on their backgrounds. Additionally, this research explored teachers' understanding of their knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes towards SEL.

# data[].attributes.body
In Qingdao, Shandong Province, students have a lot of pressure in their academic exams, because they face great pressure to go to school, they need to accept the pressure from their parents, they need to accept the pressure from the school, under the role of traditional culture, they pay more attention to their academic performance, which makes them anxious

# data[].attributes.body
SELJapan has recently been trying to integrate SEL into Japanese schools, homes and cram schools in order to foster a sense of social harmony amongst it's population. This aligns with the Japanese curriculums ideology of promoting social cohesion through learning, yet SELJapan hopes to promote a more well-rounded sense of SEC as opposed to the standardised metrics of social cohesion and humanitarianism that the Japanese curriculum assesses.

They hope to do such through the teaching and development of 32 key skills across 4 key metrics of SEL in schools across Japan, and stress that this proposed system of SEC-based teaching aligns with Japan's expected educational culture.

Currently, SELJapan's model has been implemented in a local sense as it is still being tried and tested to determine overall applicability and assessment potential.

# data[].attributes.body
Anxiety and Depression in Chinese Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to change of the whole environment, there was a high prevalence of anxiety in Chinese students and a high prevalence of depression among Chinese students in high-risk areas. Anxiety and depressive symptoms have been common mental health problems for populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students, as a vulnerable population, are relatively prone to anxiety and depression symptoms, and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to short- and long-term anxiety and depression among students. Therefore, comprehensive and targeted psychological interventions should be developed to address the mental health of students in different grades, especially in high-risk areas and during the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zhang, Y., Bao, X., Yan, J., Miao, H., & Guo, C. (2021). Anxiety and depression in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in public health, 9, 697642.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China

Department of Medcine, Yan'an University, Yan'an, China

Background: The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a global health threat.

Aims: This study assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored potential moderating factors.

Methods: We searched English and Chinese databases using pertinent keywords for articles published and unpublished, up until November 2020. The estimate of the overall prevalence of anxiety and depression was conducted through a random-effects model.

Results: A total of 31 cross-sectional studies were included. The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic was 24.0% (95% CI [20.0-29.0%]) and 22.0% (95% CI [18.0-27.0%]) respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that Chinese middle school students were at heightened risk of anxiety, while university students were at heightened risk of depression. Students who lived in higher-risk areas presented severe anxiety and depression, especially during the late period of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Conclusions: Overall, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high prevalence of anxiety in Chinese students and a high prevalence of depression among Chinese students in high-risk areas. Therefore, comprehensive and targeted psychological interventions should be developed to address the mental health of students in different grades, especially in high-risk areas and during the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction

Anxiety and depressive symptoms have been common mental health problems for populations during the COVID-19 pandemic ( 2, 7). Students, as a vulnerable population, are relatively prone to anxiety and depression symptoms ( 8), and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to short- and long-term anxiety and depression among students ( 9, 10). Prolonged anxiety and depression are associated with increased levels of negative mental health of students, resulting in symptoms such as fear, stress, insomnia ( 10, 11), and behaviors such as aggression, smartphone addiction, and suicide ( 12). However, the proportion of students who experienced anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 is unclear. China has experienced a relatively complete outbreak process because it took a series of measures to control the outbreak as early as possible. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the incidence of anxiety and depression symptoms of students in China during the COVID-19 to provide data that may help in controlling the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on risk theory and the spatial relationship of population outflow, two factors-pandemic risk areas and pandemic development progression-may be related to the prevalence of anxiety and depression ( 19, 20). Furthermore, the substantial levels of anxiety and depression caused by COVID-19 and their severity may also be associated with increased age ( 21, 22). These three potential factors (pandemic risk areas, pandemic period, and study grade) may have moderating effects on the prevalence of anxiety and depression of students ( 23).

This meta-analysis provides a timely assessment of the prevalence of anxiety and depression among students in China during the early period of the COVID-19 crisis. We further explored how different pandemic risk areas, pandemic development processes, and study grades affected students' anxiety and depression symptoms to inform recommendations for the prevention of, and interventions against, anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Search Strategy

This study was performed according to PRISMA. Two authors (the first and second author) independently searched the English databases Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar; and the Chinese databases Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Science and Technology Journal. Subsequently, we manually searched the references of selected studies, up to November 2020. A third person participated in the discussion if there were discrepancies. Appropriate keywords were used to search, including ( 2019-ncov OR coronavirus OR corona virus OR novel coronavirus pneumonia OR COVID-19), ( depression OR depressive OR Depression), ( anxiety OR mental health problem), ( children OR adolescents OR student OR youth), ( China OR Chinese).

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

Quality Evaluation

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was specifically designed to evaluate the quality of cross-sectional studies in systematic reviews ( 30). The AHRQ includes 11 items that are answered as "yes," "no," or "unclear." When the quality assessments of the two authors differed, the original articles were re-examined by a third person until a quality rating was agreed upon.

Data Extraction and Code

We developed a data extraction table. The extracted contents included the author(s), year, time point of the pandemic, pandemic area, measurement scale, the method of completing the scale, age of the participants, total sample size, number of persons with anxiety or depression, and the prevalence of anxiety and depression. In addition, two researchers independently extracted and coded the data. When there was a discrepancy, discussions were conducted with a third person to reach a final conclusion.

The pandemic area was divided into three levels of risk ( 31): (1) Wuhan and Hubei provinces were coded as higher-risk areas, (2) the cities around Hubei province but not Hubei (e.g., Chongqing, Henan) were coded as medium-risk areas, (3) large central cities with a large floating population (e.g., Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong) were coded as lower-risk areas, and (4) areas far away from high-risk areas of the pandemic and large central cities (e.g., the province of Xinjiang, Qinghai, Ningxia) were coded as low-risk areas.

The COVID-19 pandemic development in China was coded into four stages based on Baidu migration big data and geographic information technology ( 31): (1) occurrence and recessive spread (from December 2019), (2) rapid spread and outbreak (January 2020), (3) diffusion containment (February 2020), (4) and diffusion attenuation (after March 2020). The study participants were primary school students, middle school students, and university students.

Statistical Analyses

We used a random effects model implemented in R software (Version 3.5.1) ( 32) to combine the prevalence of anxiety and depression. The results were displayed using a forest plot. Moreover, we used a funnel plot and sensitivity tests to identify publication bias from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. When Egger's linear regression test was non-significant ( p > 0.05), publication bias was not considered a concern. Trim-and-fill was utilized to examine the publication bias when Egger's linear regression test was significant ( p < 0.05) ( 33).

Heterogeneity was assessed through I ² tests and p. I ² statistics assessed the magnitude of heterogeneity ( 34). We considered that there was no obvious heterogeneity if I ² < 50% and p > 0.1, while there was heterogeneity if I ² > 50% and p < 0.1. To consider potential moderating factors that may have affected heterogeneity, we conducted subgroup analyses of the pandemic development processes, pandemic area, study grades, and measurement evaluation tools.

Results

Selection of Studies

Initially, 4,396 studies were identified on this topic through nine electronic databases and eight studies through manual searches. Subsequently, we removed 1,545 duplicates and 2,821 studies that did not meet the inclusion criteria of this review. Finally, a total of 31 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The flow process is shown in Figure 1.

Study Characteristics

Study characteristics are displayed in Appendix A. Thirty-one cross-sectional studies were included: 30 studies of anxiety ( n = 203,678) and 28 of depression ( n = 78,330). The sample sizes ranged from 84 to 70,158 for anxiety and 84 to 17,420 for depression. Studies were conducted from January to March 2020. However, six studies of anxiety and eight studies of depression did not report measuring time. Regarding risk area, the number of studies that covered higher-risk, medium-risk, lower-risk, and low-risk areas were three, 10, seven, and 16, respectively. Moreover, 25 studies involved the pandemic period of occurrence and recessive spread, seven involved the pandemic period of rapid spread and outbreak, five involved the pandemic period of diffusion containment, and two involved the pandemic period of diffusion attenuation. All studies were conducted using online self-completed questionnaires. Most used reliable and valid assessment tools to measure anxiety and depression symptoms. The tools used to measure anxiety included the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item measure of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), a self-designed questionnaire, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). The tools used to measure depression included a self-designed questionnaire, the Self-report Inventory (SCL-90), the Psychological Questionnaires for Emergent Events of Public Health (PQEEPH), and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI); see Table 1.

Quality Assessment

The main features of the 31 articles are summarized in Appendix B. The AHRQ scores illustrated that most studies scored seven to nine and were considered high-quality. However, some studies did not explain missing data or clarify whether they conducted a follow-up.

Risk of Bias

The funnel plot was asymmetric in visualization, suggesting that publication bias may have been present, as shown in Appendix C. We used Egger's regression test, which demonstrated that the overall prevalence of anxiety ( t = 4.73, p > 0.05) had no publication bias. However, the overall prevalence of depression ( t = 2.70, p < 0.05) was considered to have publication bias. Therefore, the trim-and-fill approach was used to examine the bias of depression which added 12 studies, the overall proportion of studies that identified depression was robust ( p > 0.05; see Appendix D).

Overall Prevalence of Anxiety

The meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence of anxiety symptoms among Chinese students was 24.0% (95% CI [20.0-29.0%], I ² = 100%; Figure 2).

Overall Prevalence of Depression

The meta-analysis showed that the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese students was 22.0% (95% CI [18.0-27.0%], I ² = 100%; Figure 3). After 12 studies were added through the trim-and-fill approach, the overall prevalence was estimated to be 40.1% (95% CI [32.9, 49.1%], I ² = 99%). This result may imply that we underestimated the prevalence of depression in Chinese students.

Subgroup Analyses

Subgroup analyses illustrated that the prevalence of anxiety and depression was significantly moderated by pandemic area, development process, and study grade. The prevalence of anxiety (37.0%, 95% CI [34.0-41.0%]) and depression (28.0%, 95% CI [24.0-31.0%]) in the highest-risk areas of Wuhan and Hubei provinces was higher than that of other risk areas (e.g., Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanxi, Qinghai). With respect to grade, middle school students (28.0%, 95% CI [14.0-50.0%]) had a higher prevalence of anxiety than did university students (26.0%, 95% CI [19.0-34.0%]) and elementary school students (15.0%, 95% CI [6.0-33.0%]). However, the prevalence of depression in university students (27.0%, 95% CI [0.21-35.0%]) was significantly higher than that of middle (21.0%, 95% CI [10.0-39.0%]) and elementary (3.0%, 95% CI [2.0-5.0%]) school students. Additionally, the prevalence of anxiety decreased from 25.0 to 22.0% as the COVID-19 pandemic developed from rapid spread to the diffusion containment period. The prevalence of depression decreased from 25.0% in the rapid spread stage to 20.0% in the diffusion containment period. However, notably, the level of anxiety and depression increased to (42.0%, 95% CI [35.0-50.0%]) and (44.0%, 95% CI [43.0-45.0%]), respectively, in the period of diffusion attenuation. All detailed information is shown in Table 2.

Analysis of the extent to which the measurement tool moderated the prevalence of anxiety and depression of Chinese students revealed that GAD-7 and self-designed questionnaires were associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety compared to SCARED and SAS. Furthermore, SDS, PHQ-9, self-designed questionnaires, and SCL-90 indicated a higher prevalence of depression compared to PQEEPH and CDI. These results imply that the overall prevalence of anxiety and depression of Chinese students was likely overestimated ( Table 3).

Discussion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis to provide insights into the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed a high level of anxiety in Chinese students during (24.0%) vs. before (17.0%) ( 64) the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall level of depression among Chinese students (22.0%) was similar to that before the COVID-19 pandemic (22.2%) ( 65). Moreover, the factors of pandemic risk area, pandemic development process, and study grade moderated the prevalence of anxiety and depression.

Prevalence of Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown had an immediate negative impact on the mental health of people worldwide ( 10, 66). We found the total prevalence of anxiety symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic (24.0%) was higher than the estimated anxiety in primary school students before the pandemic (17.0%) ( 64). Ravens-Sieberer et al. ( 67) also showed that German children and adolescents experienced higher anxiety levels than before the COVID-19 pandemic (24.1 vs. 14.9%). COVID-19 was a risk factor for mental health problems in students ( 18). The unprecedented "home quarantine" lockdown measures likely caused students' anxiety to increase ( 68). One study revealed that the sudden pandemic caused 91% of students to worry about their future personal health and that of their loved ones ( 11), especially students who were isolated in high-risk areas. Saurabh and Ranjan ( 69) indicated that quarantined children and adolescents in India experienced more anxiety (61.98%) than did non-quarantined children. Moreover, students' anxiety symptoms could be related to parent-child conflicts, poor adaptation to the surrounding environment, and excessive academic pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic ( 70).

Prevalence of Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The prevalence of depression (22.0%) among Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic might be double that of the latest global prevalence of depression among adolescents (11.3%) ( 71). It is noteworthy that the prevalence of depression (22.0%) during COVID-19 was slightly lower than the prevalence (22.2%) among children and adolescents in China in the previous 30 years ( 65), and the 23.8% prevalence of depression among Chinese university students before COVID-19 ( 72). A possible explanation for the lower level of depression may be that the different measurement evaluation tools affected the results. We found the SDS, the PHQ-9, self-designed questionnaires, and the SCL-90 were associated with a higher prevalence of depression, while the PQEEPH and CDI suggested a lower prevalence. However, Bueno-Notivol et al. ( 23) suggested that the PHQ-9 was associated with a lower prevalence. Moreover, the online questionnaires during COVID-19 were associated with statistically higher scores than were offline instruments ( 73).

The reported prevalence of depression among Chinese students during the COVID-19 should be considered with caution. It is possible that the COVID-19 pandemic may be more related to anxiety than depression in students. Anxiety and depression are both emotional states associated with negative affect and have a set of common (non-specific) features. People with depression often experience considerable anxiety, but anxiety does not necessarily cause depression ( 74). Furthermore, anxiety is related to events that have not happened yet while depression is associated with a past events ( 75). Oosterhoff et al. ( 76) indicated that adolescents who preferred to stay at home during the pandemic reported fewer depressive symptoms. The psychological reactions caused by COVID-19 may be more future-oriented than past-oriented. Therefore, COVID-19 may be related to higher levels of anxiety in Chinese students.

Moderating Factors of Pandemic Risk Area, Development Process, and Study Grade

The results revealed that the levels of anxiety and depression symptoms were higher in high-risk areas (e.g., Wuhan and surrounding areas) than in other areas (medium and low-risk areas). One study indicated that children in high-risk areas were more prone to fear, anxiety, and depression ( 81). Further, Shi et al. ( 82) showed that the independent factor of living in Hubei province was associated with negative mental health outcomes. People in high-risk areas (vs. low) faced a greater risk of infection and isolation, which are established risk factors with psychological impact ( 83). The diagnosis and mortality rates for people in high-risk areas were very high, but the health care staff and resources to treat them were very limited. These students were likely worried about being infected by other people and how long the crisis would last ( 84). Furthermore, isolation and control in high-risk areas were stricter than in other areas, which may have resulted in longer periods of isolation experienced by the students ( 12). Under prolonged lockdown, students may have experienced increased social isolation that affected their mental health.

The results showed that students' depression and anxiety symptoms gradually increased when the pandemic spread from the occurrence to the rapid spread period. This may be due to the students being overly worried about their own lives and health due to the increasing number of confirmed cases in the initial stages of the outbreak and the inadequate response from the government and hospitals ( 12). Subsequently, China managed to take many measures to control the outbreak ( 85). With the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese students exhibited a downward trend. This may be due to government support and restrictions-for instance, limiting public gatherings, lockdowns, and mask-wearing mandates-causing the spread of COVID-19 to ease as well as reducing the prevalence of anxiety and depression among students ( 86, 87). However, interestingly, we found that the level of anxiety and depression of students rebounded in the diffusion attenuation period, even exceeding the levels measured during the outbreak period of COVID-19. The rebound in the prevalence of anxiety and depression may be related to the delayed emergence and long-term persistence of psychological disorders caused by posttraumatic stress disorder ( 88). Like other traumatic experiences, COVID-19, as a new type of mass trauma, may have led to posttraumatic stress disorder ( 64). In addition, March is the normal time for Chinese students to start school. However, due to the epidemic situation, students were required to stay at home. This continuous closure and isolation may also lead to a decline in mental health ( 10).

Research Strengths and Applications

Existing studies of the impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of anxiety and depression have limitations, such as small sample sizes ( 6, 54, 60), use of different psychological measures ( 52, 53), and inclusion of a limited number of factors associated with COVID-19 ( 40, 89). Furthermore, previous single studies have disputed the prevalence of anxiety ( 42, 54) and depression ( 44, 60) among Chinese students during COVID-19. In this study, we synthesized the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese students during the epidemic to provide data support for understanding the mental health of students worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we explored the relationship between key factors associated with the spread of the epidemic and the prevalence of anxiety and depression. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a differential impact on anxiety and depression among Chinese students at different stages of study. Anxiety and depressive symptoms caused by sudden stress reactions in students due to the pandemic lasted for a long time and may have a delayed rebound. Notably, governmental and medical measures to control and support the outbreak may be important protective factors in reducing students' anxiety and depression. Therefore, during public health emergencies, government, schools, and medical departments should provide targeted psychological interventions for students in different stages, populations, and periods to promote their psychological health.

Limitations and Future Research Potential

This study had some limitations. First, the limited number of reviewed studies restricts the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, this study only investigated the prevalence of anxiety and depression among students in China. Therefore, implications concerning other cultures should be inferred with caution. Future research should focus on differences in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among persons of different cultural backgrounds. Second, it is difficult to assess the magnitude and direction of bias in the pooled prevalence estimate because the studies included in our meta-analysis had different definitions of anxiety and depression. Caution is needed when generalizing our findings. Third, although we assessed the possible source of heterogeneity through subgroup analyses, there was high heterogeneity of anxiety and depression in this study. This heterogeneity was probably caused by other factors associated with the risk of depressive symptoms that were not identified. Future studies should consider the impact of other factors on the prevalence of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fourth, some studies had a rated medium quality level. We recommend future studies should pay more attention to study quality, in particular, in the handling of missing data and reporting follow-up. Fifth, although we performed a moderation analysis of the pandemic period, participants were different among studies. In the future, longitudinal data are needed to examine the trajectory of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Chinese students in the pandemic era. Finally, the included studies provided little information on mental health services. Mental health services for students with anxiety and depression are very important for mental health planning and policymaking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should consider the development of mental health services for the students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Chinese students demonstrated a significant increase in anxiety levels as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed. Chinese middle school students were at a heightened risk of anxiety, while university students were at a heightened risk of depression during the pandemic, especially those in higher-risk areas. The government, health, and school systems should adopt a series of effective measures to alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms of students in high-risk areas. Furthermore, mental health interventions are in urgent demand for students, especially during the diffusion containment and diffusion attenuation periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/ Supplementary Materials.

Author Contributions

YZ and XB conceived and designed the study and wrote the paper. YZ, XB, and JY performed the statistical analysis. XB and JY conducted the format and tables. YZ, XB, and HM reviewed and edited the manuscript. Moreover, all authors have approved the final manuscript for submission.

Funding

This research received Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (SWU1909106) specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.697642/full#supplementary-material

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anxiety and Depression in Chinese Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Background: The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a global health threat.Aims: This study assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored potential moderating factors.Methods: We searched English and Chinese databases using pertinent keywords for articles published and unpublished, up until November 2020.

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Report on National Mental Health Development in China (2019-2020) published by the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyses the mental health status and trends of various populations in China from 2019 to 2020.

This report shows that the mental health index of adolescents aged 12-18 shows a decreasing trend with age, and the detection rate of depression among adolescents is 24.6%, with severe depression reaching 7.4% (Fu et al., 2021, as cited in Ma et al., 2022). Among them, nearly 40% of middle school students in Beijing reported severe academic stress and experienced emotional problems and social adjustment problems related to academic stress. In addition, it has been noted that some secondary school students in Beijing have difficulties in coping with stress, managing emotions, and dealing with social problems, which are at the core of SEL problems (Guo, 2022). These data suggest that mental health problems are more prevalent in youth in China and that attention needs to be paid to the prevention and intervention of youth mental health problems.

Reference

Fu, X., Zhang, K., Chen, X., & Chen, Z. (2021). Report on national mental health development in China (2019-2020). Social Sciences Academic Press: Beijing, China.

Guo, Z. (2022, December). Changes of Anxiety of Middle School Students in Beijing Under the Double Reduction Policy and Countermeasures. In 2022 6th International Seminar on In 2022 6th International Seminar on Education, Management and Social Sciences (ISEMSS 2022) (pp. 772-787). Atlantis Press.

Ma, J., Zhou, H., Li, X., Fu, Q., & Lu, G. (2022). Individual characteristics of adolescent psychiatric patients accessing psychotherapy in China. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 16943.

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Focus on student achievement rather than student growth. Lack of a good teacher-student relationship and a good classroom atmosphere, the teacher is the leader, and the students are only the recipients of knowledge. Teaching activities are often carried out in a depressing, dull and not very good environment. The school is eager to make students gain something through good social welfare programs, but it is often not satisfactory.Teachers and students do not have a good relationship

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Social and Emotional Learning
in Singapore’s Schools: Framework,
Practice, Research, and Future Directions.
Gregory Arief D. Liem, Bee Leng Chua, Yvonne B.G. Seng,
Khairyani Kamarolzaman and Elaine Yu Ling Cai.
MOE introduced SEL in 2005 to drive core moral values.
This is to prepare young Singaporeans for globalisation and other advancements.

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The Paradoxes of StudentWell-being in Singapore

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The Paradoxes of StudentWell-being in Singapore

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Abstract Purpose: Singapore’s education system is known for its robust curriculum and excellent results. It is also a system of keen competitiveness and high pressure. This article addresses how such an education system responds to the issue of student well-being. Design/Approach/Methods: This article analyses the recent initiatives and shift in education philosophy in Singapore’s education system, which have a bearing on the issue of student wellbeing. Findings: This article argues that while there are direct efforts to address student well-being, the direction Singapore is taking is to pursue a holistic education paradigm, in which education is engaging, joyful, meaningful, and values-based. This article also argues that such a paradigm goes beyond the current well-being agenda and is aligned with a view that education should be about wholeness and purpose. While there are challenges associated with these changes, the Singapore experience suggests that the more we focus on holistic education, rather than interpret student well-being narrowly, the more wellness the students may actually and eventually experience. Originality/Value: This article brings to readers learning points from Singapore regarding student well-being, as the country grapples with change to develop a generation of young people, whose beings are and will continue to be well.

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Youth Epidemiology and Resilience (YEAR) Study in Singapore

# data[].attributes.subject
Youth Epidemiology and Resilience (YEAR) Study in Singapore

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The most critical stage of development is childhood, as it shapes our mental resilience and determines how we deal with challenges later in life. The YEAR study is a national longitudinal study into the state of mental health of Singaporean adolescents aged 10-18 years.

It aims to:

Determine the prevalence rate of various mental health conditions among adolescents and;

Identify possible risks as well as protective factors associated with these disorders.

Mind Science Centre has completed data collection and is currently analysing the data. The manuscript is targeted for publication by the end of the year (2023).

More information on the YEAR study will be coming soon so refer back to this link to access the report.

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Population Health: Human Capital Optimisation | Mind Science Centre

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Youth and Emerging Adult Mental Wellness - Human Capital Optimisation The increasing interest in Ageing-in-place led to the start of a new research project on community-dwelling seniors. This Community Health [...]

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SINGAPORE YOUTH RESILIENCE SCALE (SYRESS) | Mind Science Centre

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SINGAPORE YOUTH RESILIENCE SCALE (SYRESS) | Mind Science Centre

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A Resilience Scale for the Singapore Youth

A resilient individual has the capacity to adapt to situations and cope with life challenges. In more defined terms, it is a set of personality traits or resource that allows an individual to navigate through stress, negativities and emerge with a stronger mind.

This component has been investigated in greater studies targeted at the adults with validated scales readily available to assess this subjective construct in a quantitative manner. However, as adolescence is a period of rapid development, the unique set of mental and environmental factors sets a different stage, where the existing scales may not be suitable for unravelling insights into the youth resilience. Beyond that, to better capture resilience in the particular culture, the unique contextual and cultural aspects must be incorporated into the measurement scale.

As such, Singapore Youth Resilience Scale (SYRESS) was developed to examine the resilience profiles of youths in Singapore. By identifying the underpinnings of resilience and considering the cultural context of local youths, the scale is a more robust tool for us to gain insights into the areas the youths can build on to achieve a resilient mind.

In another words, we empower the parents or the youths themselves to take active steps in developing positive coping strategies that will accompany the youths through life.

The Science of it

SYRESS is a comprehensive measure of resilience in adolescents, which reflects the multi-faceted components of resilience. It encompassed all the underlying mechanisms separately measured by other regular scale, while keeping it concise and easy to administer it.

The content of the scale was first derived from an exhaustive review of literature including various related resilience scales. A focus group comprising of researchers, child psychologists, pediatric psychiatrist and content experts from both local and international, were gathered to review the content of the established scales and identify what were the key question items to be included in the new scale. The derived scale items reflect the global underpinnings of resilience with cultural relevance to Singapore.

After a series of evaluations and expert panel reviews, the initial 166 items were gradually narrowed and culminated in the final prototype scale of 84 items. These items were then categorized into 10 defined domains.

Following which, SYRESS was validated on a group of secondary school students in Singapore aged 12 to 16 years old in 2011. The validation showed that SYRESS demonstrated sound psychometric properties, with good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

For the detailed process involved in the development, validation and reliability testing of the SYRESS scale, please view HERE.

The 10 Domains of Resilience

1. Emotional Regulation

2. Personal Control

3. Personal Confidence/ Responsibility

4. Flexibility

5.Perseverance

6.Optimisim / Positive Self-image

7.Positive Coping

8.Humor / Positive Thinking

9.Relationships / Social Support

10.Spiritually / Faith

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SINGAPORE YOUTH RESILIENCE SCALE (SYRESS) | Mind Science Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SYRESS is a comprehensive measure of resilience in adolescents, which reflects the multi-faceted components of resilience. It encompassed all the underlying mechanisms separately measured by other regular scale, while keeping it concise and easy to administer it.

# data[].attributes.body
This country policy profile on education in Australia is part of the Education Policy Outlook series. Building on the first policy profile for Australia (2013), it offers a concise analysis of where the education system stands today and how this compares to other systems. The profile analyses the evolution of ongoing and emerging related policy efforts in Australia, including education responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also offers relevant international policy examples that may serve as possible inspiration as policy makers work to address Australia's key challenges and priorities. The report brings together over a decade's worth of policy analysis by the Education Policy Outlook, as well as recent OECD data, relevant thematic and country-specific work, and other international and national evidence. It also benefits from the Education Policy Outlook's ongoing comparative analysis of resilience and responsiveness in education policy.

More

Published on April 10, 2023

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This country policy profile on education in Australia is part of the Education Policy Outlook series. Building on the first policy profile for Australia (2013), it offers a concise analysis of where the education system stands today and how this compares to other systems. The profile analyses the evolution of ongoing and emerging related policy efforts in Australia, including education responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also offers relevant international policy examples that may serve as possible inspiration as policy makers work to address Australia's key challenges and priorities. The report brings together over a decade's worth of policy analysis by the Education Policy Outlook, as well as recent OECD data, relevant thematic and country-specific work, and other international and national evidence. It also benefits from the Education Policy Outlook's ongoing comparative analysis of resilience and responsiveness in education policy.

In series:OECD Education Policy Perspectives view more titles

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Education policy outlook in Australia | en | OECD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This country policy profile on education in Australia is part of the Education Policy Outlook series. Building on the first policy profile for Australia (2013), it offers a concise analysis of where the education system stands today and how this...

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Few SEL-related publications coming out of Portugal have been detected. While the promotion of SECs within the Portugese education system has made some advances, barriers to progress include teacher resistance to innovative practices, lack of shared knowledge and success experiences across schools (ie. knowledge should not be hidden behind school walls, p.10), as well as a lack of embracing change and improvement within general school culture.

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doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01913.

Affiliations

¹ Research Center in Education and Psychology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

² Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

³ Department of Pedagogy and Education, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

Free PMC article

Free PMC article

doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01913.

Affiliations

¹ Research Center in Education and Psychology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

² Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

³ Department of Pedagogy and Education, School of Social Sciences, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.

Abstract

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is an educational movement that is gaining ground throughout the world. We can define SEL as the capacity to recognize and manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and establish positive relationships with others. Research has demonstrated the significant role of SEL in promoting healthy student development and academic achievement. Extensive research confirms that SEL competencies: can be taught, that they promote positive development and reduce problem behaviors, and that they improve students' academic achievement and citizenship. At the international level, several rigorous studies have identified programs and practices that promote SEL. In Portugal, however, no review has yet been published regarding the implementation of SEL programs. Such a study would elucidate the current panorama of SEL programs in Portugal. This study aims to identify research on SEL programs implemented in Portuguese schools and the relationship of those programs with academic achievement. To this end, we have consulted the following databases: Scientific Repository of Open Access of Portugal (RCAAP), Online Knowledge Library (b-on), and Web of Science (WoS). The criteria were: (a) all time frames; (b) publications in either Portuguese or English; (c) programs that developed socio-emotional competencies in Portuguese schools; (d) academic levels including elementary, middle, and high school and (e) students of regular education. Few publications on SEL programs implemented in Portugal were found, although the recent decade has witnessed an upsurge of interest in the topic, principally that arising from academic research.

Keywords: Portuguese schools; SEL programs; academic achievement; bibliometric study.

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national center for biotechnology information

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Social and Emotional Learning and Academic Achievement in Portuguese Schools: A Bibliometric Study - PubMed

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Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is an educational movement that is gaining ground throughout the world. We can define SEL as the capacity to recognize and manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and establish positive relationships with others. Research has demonstrated the significant role ...

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A total of 645 college students from three universities in Jinan, Shandong Province, were surveyed by questionnaire. The survey found that 25.7 percent of college students had anxiety symptoms, 22.2 percent had depression symptoms, and 18.3 percent had anxiety and depression symptoms. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and comorbidity of anxiety and depression in only children were higher than those in non-only children. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in college students is high. We should pay more attention to the mental health of college students, especially the only child of college students (Cheng et al., 2020)

Cheng, S., Jia, C., & Wang, Y. (2020). Only children were associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114035

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The implememtation of the SEAL program turned out to be nothing new since teachers lacked "will and skill" and it ended up not significantly impacting students emotional skills, general health or behavior generally. (p.67)

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(World Youth Report, 2020)

In finding Ways for Young People to Address their feelings of anxiety about the future, this world youth report suggests engaging youth in social entrepreneurship.

Youth social entrepreneurship can be an avenue for young people to act on their concerns for society and their desire for a meaningful present and future. Many young people are apprehensive about their futures and the future of the world. They realize that they will outlast the adults currently in positions of power yet be forced to deal with the consequences of their decisions. This shared concern often brings young people together to initiate change themselves. Because they understand the need to take the long view on issues such as the global climate crisis, many young social entrepreneurs place a high priority on environmental sustainability (p.68)

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The Global Youth Wellbeing Index Survey Report 2017

China: Chinese youth who were surveyed by IYF perceive their overall wellbeing somewhat differently than the quantitative data suggest. In health, China ranks 4th, but 62 percent of youth surveyed feel that their lives are too stressful. Among the BRICS countries, China’s youth surveyed feel the greatest levels of stress (p.95).

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The 2017 Youth Wellbeing Index provides country-by-country analysis in terms of overall youth wellbeing and offers a review of global performance in seven domains. Based on these findings, each domain includes a call to action. To learn more, download the complete 2017 Global Youth Wellbeing Index.

Download the Full Data
Download Full Report

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The 2017 Youth Wellbeing Index provides country-by-country analysis in terms of overall youth wellbeing and offers a review of global performance in seven domains. Based on these findings, each domain includes a call to action. To learn more, download the complete 2017 Global Youth Wellbeing Index.

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Results From India’s 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

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It appears that most Indian children do not achieve recommended levels of PA and spend most of their day in sedentary pursuits. Although there is indication of some state-level and private organizational efforts to promote PA, there is a clear lack of evidence demonstrating implementation of government strategies to drive child and youth-focused active living policies and programs. Moreover, nationally representative evidence is needed to grade all the relevant report card indicators. India’s 2016 Report Card ultimately highlights the need for more active living research to inform strategies and investments that will facilitate PA in children and youth (S181).

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In teenage girls, bullying is one of the strongest factors associated with their psychological health across adolescence but we also observe that a range of factors, including their friendships and sleep, are important (p.57).

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SOURCES OF SIGNIFICANT STRESS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (p.31)