Injecting Social and Emotional learning in daily teaching – learning practices: the SEL Injection Approach – S.I.A.

Resumen

The last years have seen a surge in the production of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) models and training curricula; this demonstrates a growing awareness towards these topics. The paper wishes to introduce a teaching – learning approach to the development of social and emotional competences named SEL Injection Approach – “S.I.A.” and based on the most recent Italian, European and international literature. The S.I.A. is based on short but recurring SEL “stimulations”, opportunely placed within the main curricular teaching – learning material of a given subject – which is the foundation basis. These stimulations are non – invasive injections, as they proficiently integrate without distorting the activity offered by the subject – context.

The S.I.A. approach highlights how learning generalisation and maintenance can happen through a gradual process of exposure and reiteration of contents in contexts that vary either in the stimulation or in the situation proposed by the context – problem.

The aim of this paper is to provide a list of initial proposals, fully integrated in the international curricula of schools of every order and grade, allowing teachers the freedom of finding the margins of contamination and development of the approach itself according to the different contexts.