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Contextual factors affecting adolescents' social–emotional skills: A network analysis and cross‐cultural comparison

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examined the role of contextual factors in shaping adolescents' social-emotional learning (SEL) using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. The sample included 292,466 15-year-old adolescents across 42 countries or economies (18 low- and 24 high-context economies). Network analysis highlighted stress resilience, cooperation, perseverance, and curiosity as pivotal skills of SEL, with stress resilience emerging as central. The results further indicated significant cultural variations in how contextual factors would affect students' SEL: In high-context cultures (where communication relies heavily on implicit and situational cues), teacher-student relationships played a more central role, while in low-context cultures (where communication tends to be explicit and direct), sense of school belonging was prioritized. These results underscored the need for culturally responsive SEL programs, tailored to specific cultural dynamics, to support optimal skill development.

Source: Journal of Research on Adolescence

DOI: 10.1111/jora.70104

Authors: Xiaotian Zhang, Yi Wang, Mengdi Chen

Institutions: University of Macau, Macau University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Early Childhood Education and Development

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: Macau University of Science and Technology