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Social and Emotional Learning

What is 
SEL?

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is an essential part of education and human development. SEL is the process of developing the competencies in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. 

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The outworking of SEL will equip our children to develop healthy identities, recognise and manage their emotions in a helpful manner, exhibit empathy towards others, build healthy relationships with good boundaries and to develop resilience to handle challenging situations effectively.

 

Essentially, SEL is "the missing piece" to close the gap of where we are, to where we hope to be. If you'd like, in a Malaysian context, we would most likely refer to bits and pieces of SEL competencies as "soft skills". 

White Sheet

Core SEL Competencies

as defined by casel.org

1

Self-awareness

The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognise one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

  • Identifying thoughts and emotions

  • Having a growth mindset

  • Demonstrating honesty and integrity

  • Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

  • Developing interests and a sense of purpose

2

Self-management

The abilities to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations.

  • Managing thoughts and emotions

  • Showing courage to take initiative

  • Setting personal and collective goals

  • Using planning and organisational skills

  • Applying stress-management strategies

  • Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation

  • Demonstrating personal & collective agency

3

Social Awareness

The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathise with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.

  • Taking other's perspectives

  • Recognising strengths in others

  • Demonstrating empathy and compassion

  • Understanding and expressing gratitude

  • Identifying diverse social norms

4

Relationship Skills

The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This include the ability to communicate and actively listen and showcasing good leadership competencies.

  • Communicating effectively

  • Developing positive relationships

  • Practicing collaborative problem-solving

  • Resolving conflicts constructively

  • Resisting negative social pressure

  • Showing leadership in groups

  • Seeking and offering support when needed

5

Responsible Decision Making

The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations. 

  • Identifying solutions

  • Applying critical thinking skills

  • Creating and evaluating impact

  • Evaluating consequences of actions

  • Learning to make a reasoned judgment upon analysing information, data and facts

  • Reflecting on role in promoting personal, family and community well-being

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