The Impact of Social Emotional Learning Skills on Creativity

Introduction

In a world of continuous change and technological development, educators are searching for the most efficient methods to prepare students for the ever-changing landscape of the professional world. As employees are required to learn new processes and technologies each year, traditional content knowledge has been losing value (Park, 2018). Employers are more interested in hiring workers with the ability to adapt to change and thrive in a cooperative environment (Park, 2018). With this shift in preference from hard skills to soft skills, the inclusion of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and creativity in school curricula has become a new goal for many educators.

Since SEL and creativity have both proven to be crucial components for predicting the future success of children (Park, 2018; World Economic Forum, 2016), many experts have investigated to what extent these skills can be developed in children (Craft, 2001). While SEL skills have shown repeatedly that with the correct strategies employed in classrooms, social and emotional skills in children can improve (World Economic Forum, 2016), creativity has demonstrated varying results (Craft, 2001). Although there are studies that have identified a successful growth in creativity among children, some experts claim that these studies are inconclusive and that there is not sufficient evidence to support definitively that creativity can be taught. Nonetheless, in 2016, the World Economic Forum proposed a new approach to SEL in schools in which creativity is one of the key competencies of the framework (World Economic Forum, 2016). They suggested that modern interpretations of social and emotional skills were too narrow, and that in order to realize the full potential of SEL, creativity should be added to the curriculum along with other competencies.

Additionally, there are many parallels between the implementation of SEL strategies and the development of creativity in students. One of the most visible similarities between the two strategies is that they share three key requirements that must be met in the classroom. These requirements are sufficient time for students to complete their work, adequate and safe space for creativity and emotions to flourish, and an atmosphere that encourages risk-taking and self-exploration (Greenberg, 1992; Shallcross, 1981; Edwards & Springate, 1995; Sternberg & Lubart, 1991; Rhyammer & Brolin, 1999). The observations of these simple similarities have sparked an interest regarding what other overlaps exist between SEL and creativity development. Since creativity is considered by some researchers to stem from emotions and the expression of one’s self, it would be reasonable to question the effects of high social and emotional skills on a student’s creativity.

The aim of this chapter is to show educators how they can use SEL to better encourage and foster creativity in classrooms, especially in virtual classrooms. Such pedagogies give students invaluable skills that will equip them for success in future school and workplaces. This chapter will investigate the possible impact of SEL strategies on children’s creative development using the five branch SEL framework produced by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), instead of the World Economic Forum’s expansive interpretation of SEL which directly includes creativity. CASEL has established itself as a world leader in SEL training and education for both students and educators and is the organization with the most experience in the development of SEL. Therefore, their framework offers a more practical context for the analysis of the parallels between SEL and creativity. In addition to the aforementioned parallels, other similarities in strategies will be discussed and the benefits of certain SEL skills on a student’s ability to be creative will be explored. Finally, the social impact of the new virtual learning environments that have become popular in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with be discussed. But prior to analyzing the impact of SEL on creativity, both of these domains must first be clearly defined and examined.