Emotional Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning: An Overview

The term “EI (emotional intelligence)” was first used in 1990 by Salovey and Mayer. EI involves: (1) the ability to perceive accurately, appraise and express emotion; (2) the ability to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; (3) the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and (4) the ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth. Adequate interpersonal skills are an important component of EI. Social skills include: interpersonal behaviors needed to make and keep friends, such as joining in and giving compliments; peer-related social skills valued by classmates, such as sharing and working cooperatively; teacher-pleasing social skills related to academic success, such as listening and following directions; self-related behaviors, such as following through and dealing with stress; communication skills, such as attending to the speaker; and assertiveness skills. IE may be as important as or even more important than cognitive intelligence. Many learners, particularly those at risk of school failure, do not possess the social-emotional skills needed to be emotionally intelligent. Social-emotional learning enables learners to effectively understand process, manage and express the social and emotional aspects of their lives.