Emotion Understanding, Social Competence and School Achievement in Children from Primary School in Portugal.

Maria Da Glória Franco,Maria J Beja,Adelinda Candeias,Natalie Santos

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01376

Maria Da Glória Franco, Maria J Beja + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01376

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Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between emotion understanding and school achievement in children of primary school, considering age, gender, fluid intelligence, mother’s educational level and social competence. In this study participated 406 children of primary school. The instruments used were the Test of Emotion Comprehension, Colored Progressive Matrices of Raven, Socially Action and Interpersonal Problem Solving Scale. The structural equation model showed the relationship between the emotion understanding and school performance depends on a mediator variable that in the context of the study was designated social competence. Age appear as an explanatory factor of the differences found, the mother’s educational level only predicts significantly social emotional competence, fluid intelligence is a predictor of emotion understanding, school achievement and social emotional competence. Regarding the influence of sex, emotional understanding does not emerge as a significant predictor of social emotional competence in girls or boys. Multiple relationships between the various factors associated with school achievement and social emotional competence are discussed as well as their implications in promoting child development and school success.

Highlights

The importance emotions have, in understanding the learning process and in the manner how individuals successfully complete their learning, is a topic that has commenced many studies
As suggested in the accumulated research in the past years (Izard et al, 2001; Trentacosta and Izard, 2007; Zins et al, 2007; Rhoades et al, 2011; Torres et al, 2015) in this study we found evidence that emotion understanding is a poor predictor of academic achievement
The addition of emotion understanding to the model merely adds to the explained variance value by 1.2%, a modest increase that is consistent with other studies carried out in high school students (Agnoli et al, 2012; Qualter et al, 2012; Downey et al, 2014)

Summary

Introduction

The importance emotions have, in understanding the learning process and in the manner how individuals successfully complete their learning, is a topic that has commenced many studies. In social interactions in the classroom, Social competences provide positive relationships between the individual and other social agents involved (Del Prette and Del Prette, 2005; Elijah and Madeira, 2013). In this socio-constructivist approach, Saarni (1990) defends that emotions play a central role in social interaction. By understanding his emotions and feelings, the subject can decide, based on them, the most adequate behavior for each context, contributing to a constructive social and Emotion Understanding, School Achievement personal interaction, adapting conduct to context and situations. This ability to express, identify, understand and regulate emotions, as well as the ability to understand others’ emotions and feelings, is what the author defines as emotional competence (Saarni, 2000)

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