Integrating Social Emotional Learning Strategies in Higher Education

Social and emotional learning (SEL) strategies develop skills linked to cognitive development, encourage student focus and motivation, improve relationships between students and teachers, and increase student confidence and success. More attention should be paid to students' emotions in higher education to enhance students' engagement in the classroom and improve social awareness (i.e., respecting others, understanding other perspectives, providing help to those who need it), motivation, and academic achievement. This article focuses on the implementation of practices that promote SEL in higher education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. The paper aims to assess the academic and behavioral-related outcomes of applying SEL in mineralogy, an Earth science introductory course in a four-year university. The results of the present paper reveal that instructional practices supporting SEL are suited for engaging and stimulating learners' multiple intelligences. The observed student course assessment performance suggests that integrating SEL may be a viable strategy for promoting student interest in science, building stress resilience, and creating more positive engagement with students. The instructional practices reported in this paper could support science instructors in designing teaching methods that promote self-management and social awareness to increase students' academic outcomes.