<![CDATA[Social and emotional learning (SEL) is increasingly regarded as a core component of primary education in Indonesia, yet the evidence on how it is implemented, how large its effects are, and which conditions support success is dispersed and uneven in quality. This structured narrative review synthesizes evidence on (1) forms of SEL implementation in primary schools, (2) its effects on students' social-emotional development, behavior, well-being, and academic achievement, (3) enabling factors and challenges, and (4) implications for classroom practice. Fifteen primary sources published between 2021 and 2026 were analyzed (two meta-analyses, one overview of reviews, six literature or systematic reviews, three qualitative studies, one quasi-experimental study, one experimental study, and one mixed-methods study), twelve of which came from Indonesian journals and authors, complemented by supporting literature. SEL was consistently associated with improvements in social-emotional skills, attitudes, and behavior, and with high well-being indicators, although Indonesian field evidence remains dominated by literature reviews, qualitative studies, and small-scale studies. Evidence for academic achievement was heterogeneous: a meta-analysis dominated by primary-school studies reported a small pooled effect (g = 0.08), whereas narrative syntheses and field studies reported positive directions without comparable effect sizes. Successful implementation was associated with sequenced, active, focused, and explicit (SAFE) practices, teacher understanding and capacity, school leadership and culture, family and facility support, and cultural fit. SEL is relevant to holistic student development but should be implemented as part of the learning ecosystem and evaluated continuously, rather than as an add-on activity or merely a means of raising test scores. Keywords: social and emotional learning; primary school; implementation; literature review; student well-being]]>
