SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND CRITICAL THINKING DISPOSITION

Abstract

IntroductionSocial Emotional LearningSocial emotional learning not only increases individuals? academic performance but also provides individuals with adapting to changes in today?s globalization, and enables them to gain lifelong learning skills (Lindsay, 2013). Social emotional learning is described as having a capacity to define and regulate one?s own emotions accurately, improving problem solving skills, and a skill to establishing good relationships with the people around. At the same time, these skills refer to competence that all students should have (Zins & Elias, 2007). Social emotional learning improves attitudes, skills, and behaviors that are necessary for students to establish healthy relationships with their peers and teachers, and to work together efficiently. These are empathy, respect, cooperation, regulating emotions, self-control, goal setting, critical thinking and problem solving skills (Varela, Kelcey, Reyes, Gould, & Sklar, 2013). According to Elias et al. (1997), social emotional learning is an integration process of thinking, feeling, and behaving in order to be aware of oneself and the people around, to manage one?s and others? behaviors, and to take responsibility of one?s own decisions (Brackett & Rivers, 2014).Social emotional learning has five dimensions (CASEL, 2003): Self-Awareness: knowing one?s own feeling, evaluating one?s own competence realistically and developing self-reliance. Social Awareness: understanding other people?s emotions, comprehending their points of view by respecting different opinions, and interacting with them positively. Self-Management: managing emotions to do something easily, being persistent with accomplishing a goal, not losing ambition when confronted with troubles, and continuing to work. Relationship Skills: using emotions to communicate effectively, maintaining this communication healthfully and in cooperation, being resistant to negative social pressure, trying to resolve conflicts, and asking for help when needed. Responsible Decision Making: considering all possible factors when making a decision, reaching appropriate conclusion by taking into consideration different points of view, and taking responsibility for decisions.Social emotional learning competencies that are composed of five dimensions also help students develop lifelong learning competencies, which include higher order thinking skills such as problem solving and critical thinking, academic and professional skills such as organization and team work, and life skills such as citizen consciousness and following social events. Today, those competencies are defined by education specialists and employers as important skills that bring success after graduation and at a work place (Dymnicki, Sambolt, & Kidron, 2013). As Manning (1993) stated, social emotional learning is important especially for young adults. Recently, a need has arisen for individuals' hypothetical, reflective, critical thinking, moral and ethical reasoning skills to improve. In this process, social emotional learning makes a contribution to the development of these skills (Taylor & Larson, 1999).In the social emotional learning approach, alternative thinking strategies also exist. Alternative thinking strategies are derived from a dynamic model that comprises a successful operation of affective, behavioral, and cognitive systems in cooperation. These systems include social competencies as well. Alternative thinking strategies are used in order to develop individuals' social emotional competencies, prevent behavioral problems, develop critical thinking skills and enrich the classroom environment (Brackett & Rivers, 2014). Social emotional learning skills are also called life skills. Life skills are defined as critical thinking, coping with stress, emotion regulation, effective communication and self-awareness in order to cope with social problems, prevention of social differentiation and injustice, expression of oneself, decrease of prejudice against different viewpoints and thoughts, and increase of understanding (UNICEF, 2015). …