Taking Stock of Programs to Develop Socioemotional Skills: A Systematic Review of Program Evidence

Abstract

Possessing a range of cognitive, socioemotional, and technical skills is important for individuals to maximize their chances of success in many aspects of life. In particular, a growing body of research highlights the effects that socioemotional skills have on a variety of outcomes, from wages and academic performance to health. Programs to help participants develop such skills continue to expand in both high-income and lower-income countries, targeting individuals of almost all ages and life stages. Socioemotional skills development is embedded in programs as diverse as early-childhood nutrition programs for adolescent mothers, K-12 academic curricula, and workforce training programs for vulnerable adults. However, the characteristics that make some programs more successful than others, or even what types of outcomes programs use to measure ‘success’, are less clear in the literature. This analysis seeks to fill this knowledge gap through a systemic review of socioemotional skills development programs. To categorize the wide range of socioemotional program objectives, this analysis breaks down programs by where they occur, program characteristics, participant characteristics, and outcomes measured. Only programs with randomized or quasi-randomized evaluations are included. The programs in this review are divided into three categories, on the basis of when they are implemented in the life cycle: (a) before-school programs (infants and young children), (b) school-based programs (preschool to secondary education), and (c) out-of-school programs (usually targeted, vulnerable populations). Next, the review assesses programs by their specific characteristics: objectives, components and complementary elements, setting, and quality.