title: The Effectiveness of a Portuguese Elementary School Social and Emotional Learning Program.
abstract: We examined the effects of a social and emotional learning program, Program Positive Attitude, on the social and emotional competencies and self-esteem of Portuguese elementary school students, from the twin perspectives of students and their teachers. Participants were 1237 fourth grade students from 37 schools in a Portuguese municipality, with a mean age of 9.2 years, of which 970 students (in 86 classes) participated in the program and 267 students (in 21 classes) served as a comparison group. Students and their teachers completed questionnaires prior to and following the intervention. We used multilevel linear modeling with a repeated measures design to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Both students and their teachers reported significant intervention gains in self-control and social awareness. Students' in the intervention group also identified reductions in social isolation and improvements in self-esteem, and their teachers reported decreases in their students' social anxiety. An analysis by gender revealed that only girls showed increases in self-esteem, and only boys reported reduced social isolation. These findings support the effectiveness of the program.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. vitorpcoelho@gmail.com.|Académico de Torres Vedras, Largo Eugénio Trigueiros 17-21, 2564, Torres Vedras, Portugal. vitorpcoelho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vitor Alexandre
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6427-4420
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.affiliation: Académico de Torres Vedras, Largo Eugénio Trigueiros 17-21, 2564, Torres Vedras, Portugal.
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Paula
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Figueira
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D000068356:Self-Control; D013334:Students
keywords: Elementary school; Health promotion; Self-esteem; Social and emotional learning