Social and emotional learning in Palestinian K-12 schools

Abstract

Social and Emotional Skills (SES) are of paramount significance for nurturing and educating schoolchildren, adolescents and adults. SES skills such as self-awareness, social awareness, self-regulation, responsible decision-making and relationship skills, could be nurtured and developed through childhood, adolescence and beyond (Jones and Bouffard, 2012). Further, Goodman et al, (2015) concluded that social and emotional skills have substantial positive influence on students’ health, well being and academic success. Having said that this chapter will trace and map how social and emotional learning in Palestinian K-12 schools is implemented and practiced. First, the author will discuss and analyze the Palestinian education policy on social and emotional learning. That is, he will investigate the ways in which the Palestinian Education System design, implement and practice social and emotional learning at its K-12 schools. Second, how the approaches that the Palestinian education system follows to implement social and emotional learning at schools shape students learning experience and academic achievement will be described thoroughly. Third, the challenges that Palestinian educators encounter in implementing social and emotional learning programs will be discussed. Fourth, the author will report on the effectiveness of such approaches on children and young people in developing the core skills of emotional and social learning. Finally, recommendations for improving social and emotional learning at the Palestinian K-12 schools will be suggested.