Connecting Social and Emotional Learning to Professional Development for Educators and Effective Teaching
Summary
Since 2018, the SEL-IRN has been actively engaged in conducting research and disseminating findings on the nature and value of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in supporting youth future readiness. The network brings together 34 researchers from 19 countries around the world, including seasoned and early-career researchers as well as graduate students.
As a direct outcome of this collaboration, the network held over 70 virtual meetings, two in-person meetings in Italy and Czech Republic, produced 28 joint publications, including one book, presented at 31 conferences, and delivered five webinars. We also organized a two-day conference in 2020, during which participating country teams presented findings from their first-year qualitative studies (2018–2019). Drawing on data collected between 2018 and 2020 on how educators perceive the nature and value of their own SEL skills, as well as the SEL skills they believe students need to compete for decent work and succeed in life, the group subsequently conducted a deeper examination of specific SEL skills and skill clusters, with particular attention to the cultural contexts of different regions and countries (2021–2023).
Conveners
Chong Myung Park (Co-convener)
Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, USA
Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development
Research Scientist
cmpark@bu.edu
Lea Ferrari (Co-convener)
University of Padova, Italy
Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology
Associate Professor
lea.ferrari@unipd.it
V. Scott Solberg (Co-convener)
Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, USA
Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development
Professor
ssolberg@bu.edu
IRN Reports
Other Publications & Resources
Park, C., Ferrari, L., Scoda, A., Ozdemir, N., Marsay, G., & Solberg, V. S. H.
(2025). Social and Emotional Learning as a Foundation for Future Readiness – Translating Research to Practice. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-84591-8
Countries of IRN Members: