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Saad Alshehri, University of Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaAbstract
This study examines the integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and personal resilience into the curricula of higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. Despite the growing empirical evidence highlighting the positive impact of SEL on academic achievement, emotional well-being, and resilience, there is a gap in research regarding its specific implementation within Saudi colleges. The study highlights that while SEL is increasingly recognised as essential for fostering emotional intelligence and resilience, its incorporation across various academic disciplines remains inconsistent. Through qualitative interviews with students and faculty, the research identifies several themes: a growing emphasis on emotional regulation and personal development, variability in SEL integration across departments, and the emergence of resilience-building in psychology and leadership programmes. The study also finds that SEL activities are often relegated to extracurricular programmes rather than integrated into core curricula, limiting their effectiveness. Faculty members acknowledge the importance of SEL and resilience, but face challenges related to time constraints, insufficient training, and competing academic priorities. Students, on the other hand, express a desire for broader SEL integration across all subjects, emphasising the need for resilience training to help them cope with academic pressures and personal challenges. The study concludes with recommendations for more structured SEL and resilience initiatives to enhance student outcomes in Saudi higher education.
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Conference: ECE2025Stream: Higher education
This paper is part of the ECE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Alshehri S. (2025) Exploring the Role of Social and Emotional Learning and Personal Resilience Interventions in Saudi Higher Education Curricula ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 601-618) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2025.48
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2025.48
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