Assessing differential effects of implementation quality and risk status in a whole-school social and emotional learning programme: Secondary SEAL

This study examines differences in impact of the secondary social and emotional aspects of learning (SSEAL) programme through (i) pupils with low, average and high Emotional Literacy (EL) skills and (ii) variation in implementation quality. Data from a 2-year, quasiexperimental pre-test–post-test design was used, consisting of 3306 pupils (aged 11–12 years) attending 41 English secondary schools. Data was collected using (i) self-report measures (Emotional Literacy: Assessment and Intervention (ELAI) inventory) and (ii) longitudinal, qualitative methods. Results showed (i) no significant improvements for any EL group and (ii) no effect of implementation quality. Recommendations for future research are also presented.