Taking this into account, a Brazilian study evaluated the impacts of applying quick and accessible socio-emotional learning strategies, the SEL Kernels, on children in the state of Rio de Janeiro during a school year.and was carried out by the D'Or Institute for Research and Education , in collaboration with researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, National School of Public Health , and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro .
education the so-called Socio-emotional Learning , an evidence-based pedagogical methodology that encourages people to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve goals, feel and show empathy, in addition to maintaining positive relationships, associated with better decision making. Aiming to contribute to the Latin American scientific body and to bring more information about the feasibility and effectiveness of this methodology in the education of Brazilian children aged 3 to 6 years, the current study used a strand of socio-emotional learning entitled SEL Kernels, which consists of short, 5–15 minute activities that can be applied in any classroom to develop social and emotional skills in children.
In total, 205 children had SEL Kernels implemented throughout the school year, while 109 children of a similar age composed the control group and followed the standard pedagogical routine. Data about the application of SEL Kernels were reported by teachers, according to the progression of each student in 5 assessment domains: hyperactivity, conduct problems, emotional problems, peer problems, and prosocial behavior.
In hyperactivity, there was also a significant reduction, of approximately 60%, and peer problems also decreased by a similar percentage, indicating that children had fewer difficulties in relationships with their colleagues and increased prosocial attitudes. These improvements were statistically significant and had measurable effects, showing that SEL Kernels had a positive impact in these areas.