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Behavioral Sciences
Special Issues
Socio-Emotional Competencies and School Adjustment in Adolescence
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Socio-Emotional Competencies and School Adjustment in Adolescence

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Educational Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 4490

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vítor Alexandre Coelho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Psychology for Development Research Centre, Universidade Lusíada, 4100-346 Porto, Portugal
Interests: social and emotional learning; school climate; bullying prevention; school transitions
Prof. Dr. Baiba Martinsone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of Latvia, Jurmalas Gatve 76, LV-1083 Riga, Latvia
Interests: social emotional learning; promoting mental health in schools; development and evaluation of universal prevention programs
Dr. Anastassios Matsopoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preschool Education. Gallou University Campus, 74100 Rethymno, Greece
Interests: resilience programs; teacher consultation; mental health of children and adolescents; parent education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences, dedicated to the theme "Socio-Emotional Competencies and School Adjustment in Adolescence", aims to showcase the most recent research and theories on the relationship between social and emotional competencies and school adjustment in adolescence. After the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents in various regions returned to regular schooling while facing an increase in internalizing and externalizing problems, often with insufficient support. This situation has been associated with additional problems in school adjustment for many adolescents and significant mental health issues. Furthermore, the last few years have been marked by societal changes driven by an increase in global tensions, rapid global changes, and a fast technological innovation that have raised questions regarding the role of schools as agents to help students reach their potential. This scenario has created social and ethical dilemmas for overburdened school systems.

Over the past 20 years, social and emotional skills have become recognized as being of high importance for school success and for school adjustment. The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework, developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, is widely accepted globally. This framework underpins many studies on how SEL supports adolescents' adjustment through individual, classroom, and school-level initiatives.

We invite submissions on interventions that enhance social and emotional competencies or promote school adjustment by improving educational climate. We also welcome reflections or insights on key aspects of school adjustment, such as school climate, belonging, and connectedness.

By showcasing the latest research on implementation and theories in this area, this Special Issue aims to contribute to the interventions and policies that utilize social and emotional development in the promotion of school adjustment in adolescents in a rapidly changing global context.

Dr. Vítor Alexandre Coelho
Prof. Dr. Baiba Martinsone
Dr. Anastassios Matsopoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • social and emotional learning
  • school adjustment
  • school transition
  • school climate
  • school belonging
  • school connectedness
  • school engagement
  • differential effectiveness

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 904 KB  
Article
Profiles of Social Achievement Goals Among Korean High School Students: Associations with Academic Achievement Goals and Emotions
by Boreum Kim
Behav. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16010094 - 9 Jan 2026
Viewed by 735
Abstract
This study explored Korean adolescents’ social achievement goal profiles and their associations with academic achievement goals and achievement emotions. A sample of 1210 high school students completed measures of social achievement goals, 3 × 2 academic achievement goals, and achievement emotions. Latent profile [...] Read more.
This study explored Korean adolescents’ social achievement goal profiles and their associations with academic achievement goals and achievement emotions. A sample of 1210 high school students completed measures of social achievement goals, 3 × 2 academic achievement goals, and achievement emotions. Latent profile analysis based on three social achievement goals (development, demonstration-approach, and demonstration-avoidance) identified four profiles: Development-Focused Low Social (7%), Development-Focused Moderate Social (49%), High Development and High Avoidance (35%), and Active Socialites (9%). The Development-Focused Low Social profile showed the lowest overall academic achievement goal endorsement, with self-approach goals being most prominent and with lower levels of negative emotions. The Active Socialite group reported the highest academic achievement goals overall, with self- and other-based academic goals most prominent, as well as elevated pride alongside heightened anxiety and shame. Overall, the findings highlight the central role of social motivation in adolescents’ academic goal regulation and emotional experiences within a highly competitive Korean school context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Emotional Competencies and School Adjustment in Adolescence)
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23 pages, 1216 KB  
Article
Students’ Socio-Emotional Skills and Academic Outcomes After the PROMEHS Program: A Longitudinal Study in Two European Countries
by Baiba Martinsone, Celeste Simões, Liberato Camilleri, Elisabetta Conte and Paula Lebre
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 1529; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15111529 - 10 Nov 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2903
Abstract
Previous research shows that better socio-emotional skills are associated with students’ behavioral adjustment and positive learning outcomes; however, the protective role of socio-emotional skills regarding academic learning during global crises has not been studied sufficiently. This research aims to evaluate longitudinal changes in [...] Read more.
Previous research shows that better socio-emotional skills are associated with students’ behavioral adjustment and positive learning outcomes; however, the protective role of socio-emotional skills regarding academic learning during global crises has not been studied sufficiently. This research aims to evaluate longitudinal changes in students’ socio-emotional skills and learning outcomes during the implementation of a universal prevention program Promoting Mental Health at Schools (PROMEHS). The research coincided with lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore allowing an assessment of the protective role of socio-emotional learning even in the face of adverse circumstances. In total, 3166 students (aged 7–17 years) from Latvia and Portugal participated in the research, and a survey of their respective teachers was used to collect data. The SSIS-SEL teacher form and a three-item learning outcomes measure addressing academic motivation, engagement, and performance were applied in the study. It was found that growth in socio-emotional skills has a positive effect on academic outcomes, while a decline in socio-emotional learning has a detrimental effect on academic outcomes. This applies to both experimental and control groups, both genders, all educational levels, and both countries. Additionally, the increase in socio-emotional skills predicted better academic outcomes in upper secondary schools than in primary and lower secondary schools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Emotional Competencies and School Adjustment in Adolescence)
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