Social-Emotional Learning Competencies of Turkish Learners of English: A Psychometric Evaluation

The Social-Emotional Learning movement attempts to promote the mental health, happiness, and academic success of learners. The promotion of related skills is of utmost importance, as they are needed to ensure adequate social functioning, well-being, self-regulation, and good human functioning in the 21st century. It is assumed that investigations focusing on existing competencies and needs of learners have the potential to draw a realistic picture of the social and emotional needs of the young generation, thereby suggesting pathways to meet these needs and encouraging the involved parties to make informed decisions concerning appropriate pedagogies, teaching materials, and activities. The current case study investigated whether young Turkish adults taking a required introductory English course reported Social-Emotional Learning needs. Utilizing the Social-Emotional Foreign Language Learning Scale, a recent foreign language-oriented psychometric test, the researchers gathered data from students (F=231; M=111; Unstated=2) who were enrolled in various faculties and vocational schools at a state university in northeastern Turkey. Descriptive statistics showed that young Turkish adults considered themselves to have a good Social-Emotional Learning capacity in terms of self-regulation, social relations, and responsible decision-making, contrary to most studies from collectivist cultures. These self-reported good social and emotional capacities are explained in light of recent educational reforms, Turkish culture, and the methodology of the present study. Finally, some implications and suggestions for future research are provided.