11. Social and emotional development &  positive relationships

Good teaching and learning supports social and emotional development and positive relationships

A 2013 OECD report suggests that ‘… learning cannot – and should not – be understood as a purely cognitive activity: practitioners need to be aware of and responsive to students’ emotions and motivations in order for successful learning to happen… They need to feel competent to do what is expected of them and learn better when they experience positive emotions’.

Pedagogy that supports social and emotional aspects of learning is important across every aspect of the curriculum and is integral to pursuing the curriculum purposes. It is also an important aspect of the definition of the curriculum adopted by the Review: the climate for learning is part of the learning experience. Approaches that support learners’ social and emotional well-being provide opportunities for the development of emotional intelligence and metacognition. Learners can thus reflect on their own learning and understand the positive impact that they might have on the learning of others.

The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional and Academic Development details what is happening in the brain at different ages and the specific features of healthy environments for each stage of development.  If we want to secure strong progress for all, we need brains to thrive; and so it is likely that curriculum design and pedagogical choices should be informed by this research.