‘Thinking Outside the Box’: Promoting Learning Through Emotional and Social Skills Development

Abstract

The European Qualifications Framework provides a useful insight into the kinds of outcomes and abilities that are promoted across the EU. However, beyond arguably vague references to concepts such as ‘integrity’ and ‘autonomy’, this framework makes no reference to the development of students’ social and emotional competencies. Based on initial research findings in an Irish context, and when considered against the backdrop of a convincing literature on the importance of emotional intelligence in academic attainment, there would appear to be considerable scope to modify this framework in order to accommodate more specific reference to the development of emotional and social skills. This paper addresses an important gap in educational practice at Third Level and presents a suggested reformulated version of the EQF that includes reference to social and emotional skills development at all levels of academic attainment. It is hoped that this may help to stimulate new thinking in this area and promote the incorporation of learning outcomes that are more directly relevant to the development of emotional competencies in qualifications frameworks at national level across the EU. However, a need for much further research in this area is indicated.