Investigating the bidirectional relationships between social and emotional learning and academic outcomes among refugee students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 17560237 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Abiraahmi Shankar (0000-0001-8354-5353, New York University Steinhardt, USA, corresponding author), Ha Yeon Kim (0000-0001-7468-1310, New York University Steinhardt, USA), Caroline Tubbs-Dolan (New York University Steinhardt, USA), Roxane Caires (New York University Steinhardt, USA), J Lawrence Aber (0000-0001-8614-2963, Reinhardt University), Mayarí Montes de Oca (0000-0002-7362-491X, New York University Steinhardt, USA), Patrick Anker (0000-0003-2302-0445, New York University Steinhardt, USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-29 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Behavioral Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0165-0254 • E-ISSN: 1464-0651 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01650254261434433 |
| OpenAlex | W7160414418 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 65 |
This study investigates bidirectional relationships between Syrian refugee children’s social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and academic performance in an education support program in Lebanon. Using data from a cluster randomized control trial with 2,757 students who completed performance-based academic assessments and reports of their SEL skills from 131 teachers, we examine bidirectional associations between academic and five teacher-observable SEL skills/behaviors: Working Memory Functioning, Inhibitory Control Functioning, Prosocial Behavior, Hyperactivity & Externalizing Behavior, and Emotional Distress & Internalizing Behavior. Controlling for child-, teacher-, household risk-, and site-level covariates, multilevel modeling revealed that Working Memory Functioning uniquely stood apart from other SEL domains: start-of-year teacher-reported Working Memory Functioning predicted end-of-year academic performance, and start-of-year academic performance predicted end-of-year teacher-reported Working Memory Functioning. No other SEL skills demonstrated such bidirectional associations. Start-of-year academic performance also negatively predicted end-of-year teacher-reported Emotional Distress. Findings highlight the distinct and central role of Working Memory Functioning in academic learning, suggesting that easier-to-collect academic performance data may serve as an indicator of SEL skills that may be difficult to assess sans strong teacher–student relationships. Further, they highlight the utility of teacher-reported SEL assessments in resource-constrained contexts, calling attention to bidirectional developmental pathways when supporting children’s holistic well-being
Academic achievement · Multilevel model · Prosocial behavior · Refugee · Social emotional learning · Social skills · Working memory · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Early Childhood Education and Development · Migration, Health and Trauma
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |