EFFECTS OF INNOVATIVE SEL APPROACHES ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The 21st-century education system increasingly demands holistic approaches that go beyond cognitive skills to foster social, emotional, and ethical competencies. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has emerged globally as a framework to enhance both academic achievement and well-being. However, its implementation in Pakistan remains limited and largely untested within local contexts. This study investigated the effects of innovative SEL interventions—mindfulness-based, culturally responsive, and technology-integrated—on student achievement and teacher performance in urban schools of Lahore. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design with a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test control group was employed, involving 500 middle school students and 32 teachers over 16–20 weeks. Quantitative findings demonstrated significant improvements in experimental group students’ performance in English and mathematics (p < .001), alongside enhanced collaboration, emotional regulation, and prosocial behavior. Teachers in the intervention group reported higher emotional intelligence, reduced burnout, and more effective classroom management. Qualitative data from interviews, observations, and journals corroborated these results, highlighting cultural relevance, stronger teacher-student relationships, and improved school climate. The study concludes that SEL is not an optional add-on but an essential driver of academic and emotional development in Pakistan. Policy integration, teacher training, culturally adapted curricula, supportive leadership, and community partnerships are recommended for sustainable implementation. These findings provide evidence that SEL, when locally contextualized, can transform classrooms into emotionally intelligent learning communities and address critical educational challenges in resource-constrained environments.