Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Humanities
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): JUNE 2026

The Effect of Social Emotional Learning on Elementary School Students' Social Skills: A Quantitative Approach

Maria Ulfah (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Supriadi (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)
Andika Arisetyawan (Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2026

Abstract

Developing robust social skills in early childhood is foundational to academic success and lifelong emotional well-being. Despite its importance, conventional elementary curricula predominantly focus on cognitive metrics, often leaving teachers unequipped to address rising behavioral challenges and social deficits in the modern classroom. This study aims to examine the effect of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) on the social skills of elementary school students. Employing a quantitative quasi-experimental framework, this study involved 67 fifth-grade students, assigned to an experimental class (n = 32, receiving SEL intervention) and a control class (n = 35, receiving conventional instruction). Data on students' social skills were systematically gathered using a validated questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive metrics alongside paired and independent sample t-tests. The empirical findings indicate that SEL implementation exerts a profoundly positive and statistically significant effect on students' social skills. The experimental group demonstrated an exponential increase in mean social skill scores, rising from a pre-treatment baseline of 65.07 (low category) to an impressive 94.28 (very high category) post-treatment. Conversely, the control group’s post-test mean stagnated at 63.19 (low category), establishing the definitive superiority of the SEL framework over traditional teaching methods (p < 0.05). Consequently, SEL serves as a potent and scalable pedagogical alternative to address contemporary deficits in elementary students' social skills. These results provide vital empirical backing for educational policymakers to systematically integrate emotional intelligence and social-framework modeling into primary school curricula.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijesh

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education

Description

Indonesian Journal of Education and Social Humanities (IJESH), the main focus is major issues in Teaching, Teaching Assessment, Learning Media, Education Subject Development, Education and Humanitarian Management, Citizenship education, Geography education, History education, Sociological education, ...