The role of emotional education in the development of socioemotional skills in high school students

Abstract

This review article examines the role of emotional education in the development of socioemotional skills in high school students, in the face of the limited incorporation of these competencies in current educational systems. Through a qualitative literature review, studies published between 2010 and 2024 in databases such as Scopus and Web of Science were analyzed. The findings indicate that emotional education strengthens self-regulation, empathy, communication and conflict resolution, in addition to reducing aggressive behavior. Programs such as SEL, RULER and Second Step stand out for their effectiveness because they are evidence-based and have pedagogical structure and teacher training. The curricular integration of these competencies enhances their impact. It is concluded that emotional education is key to student wellbeing and should be considered an essential tool for comprehensive and inclusive education.