Exploring the Effects of a Social-Emotional Learning Intervention in Brazilian Primary Schools: Findings from Year Two of Implementation

Abstract

Despite rising demand, evidence regarding the effectiveness of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs implemented at scale in low- and middle-income countries remains limited. Building on an earlier randomized control trial showing largely null program effects in year one, the present study examines the effectiveness of a school-wide SEL intervention during its second year of implementation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The study sample included 3,188 third- and fourth-grade students attending 84 public primary schools during the 2018 school year. We identified small (d = 0.09 − 0.12) iatrogenic impacts of school-level random assignment to the intervention on students’ behavior problems, ability to name appropriate reactions to emotional situations, and working memory during year two, and no average impacts on students’ labeling of emotional facial expressions or inhibitory control. Two-stage least squares analyses revealed that students whose teachers implemented more program lessons during year two experienced more negative outcomes. Using exploratory analyses of impact heterogeneity and qualitative feedback from study teachers, we discuss possible reasons for these unexpected findings and provide recommendations for supporting children’s social-emotional needs in diverse settings.

Keywords:

• Social-emotional learning
• Brazil
• implementation

Open Research Statements

Study and Analysis Plan Registration

• The study is registed on the American Economic Association’s registry for randomized controlled trials (AEARCTR-0002887): https://www.socialscienceregistry.org/trials/2887.

Data, Code, and Materials Transparency

• The materials, data, and code underlying the results reported in this manuscript are not openly available.

Design and Analysis Reporting Guidelines

• Not applicable.

Transparency Declaration

• The lead author (the manuscript’s guarantor) affirms that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned (and, if relevant, registered) have been explained.

Replication Statement

• This manuscript reports an original study.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work presented in this paper was supported by a grant from the Harvard Lemann Brazil Research Fund. We are also grateful for the support of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, the Rio de Janeiro Ministry of Education, Committee for Children, Instituto Vila Educação, the Rede Aplicada FGV (Applied Research and Knowledge Network), and CNPq. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the principals, pedagogical coordinators, teachers, and students who participated in this research.