Social and Emotional Skills for Better Lives

Bogotá (Colombia)

This site note provides an overview of how social and emotional skills are distributed among different student groups and how they relate to students’ health, well-being, educational outcomes and future aspirations in Bogotá. It draws on data from the Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES) 2023.

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia.

SSES 2023 measured the following skills among 10- and 15-year-old students in Bogotá:

• Task performance skills (persistence, responsibility, self-control and achievement motivation)

• Emotional regulation skills (stress-resistance, emotional control and optimism)

• Engaging with others skills (assertiveness, sociability and energy)

• Open-mindedness skills (curiosity, creativity and tolerance)

• Collaboration skills (empathy and trust)

Bogotá also participated in SSES 2019, results are therefore compared between 2019 and 2023. Results are also compared to the average across participating sites. This average includes:

• Sites that participated in SSES 2023 in all analyses: Bulgaria, Bogotá (Colombia), Chile, Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Emilia-Romagna (Italy), Gunma (Japan), Helsinki (Finland), Jinan (China), Kudus (Indonesia), Peru, Sobral (Brazil), Spain, Turin (Italy) and Ukraine

• The following cities that participated in SSES 2019, where possible: Daegu (Korea), Houston (United States), Istanbul (Türkiye), Manizales (Colombia), Ottawa (Canada), and Suzhou (China)

Data for achievement motivation between 2019 and 2023 are not comparable, therefore analyses for this skill only include SSES 2023 sites.

All SSES 2019 sites surveyed both 10- and 15-year-olds, whereas surveying 10-year-olds became optional in SSES 2023. The average across sites for 10-year-olds therefore includes data from SSES 2019 sites who did not participate in 2023 and the following SSES 2023 sites: Helsinki (Finland), Bogotá (Colombia), Jinan (China), Kudus (Indonesia), Sobral (Brazil) and Ukraine.

The OECD collaborated with the Colombian Institute for Educational Assessment and Evaluation (Icfes) as the national project partner to implement the SSES in Bogotá.

For further information, refer to ‘Social and emotional skills for better lives: Findings from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023’ and the Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023 Technical Report (forthcoming).

How have levels of students’ social and emotional skills changed between 2019 and 2023 in Bogotá?

• Both 10- and 15-year-olds in Bogotá reported lower levels of most social and emotional skills in 2023 compared to 2019.

• Differences in levels of 15-year-old students’ social and emotional skills between these years were largest for tolerance and optimism, followed by creativity, curiosity, and sociability (see Figure 1).

• Levels of persistence were larger in 2023 than in 2019 among 15-year-olds, while levels of this skill were slightly lower among 10-year-olds.

Figure 1. Social and emotional skills where both 10- and 15-year-old students reported lower levels in 2023 compared to 2019 in Bogotá

Note: All differences between 2019 and 2023 are statistically significant with a threshold p<0.05. Each social and emotional skill scale is scaled to fit approximately normal distributions with means around 500 points and standard deviations around 100 points. Differences between 2019 and 2023 are reported in points.

Source: OECD, SSES 2019 and 2023 Databases Table B2.8

How are students’ social and emotional skills distributed across socio-demographic groups in Bogotá?

Differences in skills between boys and girls

• 15-year-old girls in Bogotá reported lower levels of emotional regulation skills (stress resistance, emotional control, optimism), energy, sociability, self-control, and trust than 15-year-old boys in both 2019 and 2023, on average.

  • Gender differences at age 15 in most of these skills (all except trust) were larger in Bogotá in 2023 compared to 2019. For emotional control, energy, optimism, and sociability, both boys’ and girls’ levels of these skills were lower in 2023 than 2019, however the difference was much larger for girls. For stress resistance, the gender difference increased as girls reported similar levels in 2023 compared to 2019, while boys reported higher levels.

  • Gender differences in emotional regulation skills, energy, sociability, and trust were also visible at age 10 in Bogotá in 2023. However, gender differences in these skills were smaller at age 10 than at age 15 for all except trust. There were no gender differences in emotional control, trust, or sociability at age 10 in 2019, therefore these differences emerged in 2023. For stress resistance and energy, the differences at age 10 were larger in 2023 than in 2019. Finally, for optimism, boys reported lower levels than girls at age 10 in 2019, therefore this reversed in 2023.

Figure 2. Gender differences in social and emotional skills in Bogotá at age 15 in 2023

Standardised differences between the scores of 15-year-old girls and boys in Bogotá compared to the average across sites

Note: Skills are ordered from the largest to smallest gender difference. Significant differences at a threshold of p < 0.05 are coloured, non-significant coefficients are outlined. Differences in Bogotá that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by the asterisk against each skill.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table B2.4

• 15-year-old boys in Bogotá reported lower levels of tolerance than 15-year-old girls in both 2019 and 2023, on average. 15-year-old boys also reported lower levels of achievement motivation than girls in 2023, however this skill is not comparable to 2019.

  • Gender differences at age 15 in tolerance were smaller in Bogotá in 2023 compared to 2019. This was because levels of tolerance among both boys and girls were lower in 2023 than 2019, however the difference between these years was larger for girls.

  • 15-year-old boys also reported lower levels of empathy, persistence, and responsibility in 2019, while there were no significant gender differences in these skills in 2023. For empathy and responsibility, this was because levels of these skills for both boys and girls were lower in 2023 than 2019, however these differences were larger for girls. For persistence, levels of this skill were larger for both boys and girls in 2023 than 2019, however this difference was larger for boys than girls.

• Gender differences for several skills tend to be larger in Bogotá than in other sites. Differences between boys and girls in emotional regulation skills, energy, sociability, and self-control were larger in Bogotá in 2023 compared to the average across sites.

Differences in skills between advantaged and disadvantaged students

• Levels of social and emotional skills among the most advantaged and most disadvantaged students, according to their economic, social, and cultural status, are compared. This status is based on students’ parents’ levels of education and occupations, as well as household possessions. Disadvantaged students are those in the bottom quarter within their site based on this status, while advantaged students are those in the top quarter.

• Disadvantaged 10- and 15-year-old students in Bogotá reported lower levels of most skills than advantaged students, on average. At age 15 in 2023, disadvantaged students reported lower levels of open-mindedness skills (tolerance, curiosity, creativity), empathy, sociability, persistence, self-control, and assertiveness than their advantaged peers.

  • Differences in empathy by socio-economic background in 2023 were larger than on average across sites, while differences in creativity, sociability, curiosity, and assertiveness were smaller than average.

  • Differences by socio-economic background in assertiveness, sociability and creativity were smaller in Bogotá in 2023 than in 2019. For sociability and creativity, this was because both advantaged and disadvantaged students reported lower levels in 2023 than 2019, however these differences were larger for advantaged students. For assertiveness, advantaged students reported lower levels in 2023 compared to 2019, while disadvantaged students reported higher levels.

  • Disadvantaged students reported lower levels of stress resistance than advantaged students in 2019, while there was no significant difference in this skill in 2023. This was because disadvantaged students reported higher levels of stress resistance in 2023 compared to 2019, while levels of this skill among advantaged students remained broadly similar. Conversely, there was no difference by socio-economic background in self-control in 2019 in Bogotá, therefore this emerged in 2023. This was because levels of this skill were lower among both groups in 2023 compared to 2019, however this difference was larger for disadvantaged students.

Figure 3. Differences between advantaged and disadvantaged students in social and emotional skills in Bogotá at age 15 in 2023

Standardised differences between the scores of 15-year-old advantaged and disadvantaged students in Bogotá compared to the average across sites

Note: Skills are ordered from the largest to smallest difference by socio-economic background. Significant differences at a threshold of p < 0.05 are coloured, non-significant coefficients are outlined. Differences in Bogotá that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by the asterisk against each skill.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table B2.5

Differences in skills between 10- and 15-year-olds

• 15-year-old students in Bogotá reported lower levels of most skills than 10-year-olds, on average, in 2023: trust, energy, responsibility, sociability, emotional regulation skills (optimism, emotional control, stress resistance), creativity, persistence, self-control, and curiosity.

  • Differences between 10- and 15-year-olds in sociability and creativity were wider in 2023 compared to 2019, whereas differences in stress resistance and persistence were smaller.

• 10-year-old students in Bogotá reported lower levels of empathy and tolerance than 15-year-olds, on average. Age differences in empathy were smaller in 2023 compared to 2019 in Bogotá.

• Age differences in trust, responsibility, sociability, self-control, and tolerance in Bogotá were larger than the average across sites in 2023, while those in persistence, stress resistance and curiosity were smaller than average.

Figure 4. Age differences in social and emotional skills in Bogotá in 2023

Standardised differences between the scores of 10 and 15-year-old students in Bogotá compared to the average across sites

Note: Skills are ordered from the largest to smallest age difference. Significant differences at a threshold of p < 0.05 are coloured, non-significant coefficients are outlined. Differences in Bogotá that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by the asterisk against each skill.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table B2.3

How are students’ social and emotional skills linked to their educational outcomes and career prospects in Bogotá?

Levels of absence and tardiness and students’ ambitions for the future

• In Bogotá, 53% of 15-year-olds had arrived late for school at least once in the two weeks prior to the SSES assessment, above the average across sites (48%). In addition, 20% of students in Bogotá had skipped classes, below the average across sites (29%), while 30% had skipped at least one day of school in the prior two weeks, similar to this average (31%).

• In Bogotá, 94% of 15-year-olds expect to complete tertiary education and 74% expect to have a managerial or professional job, both above the average across sites (84% and 57% respectively).

Relationships between social and emotional skills and academic outcomes

• In Bogotá, 15-year-old students with higher levels of task performance skills (achievement motivation, persistence, responsibility, and self-control) and open-mindedness skills (curiosity, creativity, and tolerance) tend to achieve better grades in maths, reading and arts and report being late and skipping school less often. Higher levels of assertiveness are also associated with better grades in reading and maths.

• Students with higher levels of emotional regulation skills (emotional control, stress resistance and optimism), trust and empathy also report being late and skipping school less often.

Figure 5. Relationships between students’ social and emotional skills and grades in Bogotá in 2023 compared to the average across sites

Standardised regression coefficients of individual skills on maths and reading grades among 15-year-olds in Bogotá compared to the average across sites

Note: Significant coefficients at a threshold of p < 0.05 are coloured, non-significant coefficients are outlined. Coefficients in Bogotá that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by the asterisk against each skill.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Tables B4.1 and B4.4

Relationships between social and emotional skills and students’ ambitions for the future

• In Bogotá, 15-year-old students with higher levels of achievement motivation, empathy, curiosity, and tolerance report higher expectations of both completing tertiary education and having a managerial or professional job at age 30. Students with higher levels of persistence, self-control, assertiveness, and responsibility were also more likely to expect to complete tertiary education.

• The relationships between most skills and students’ ambitions for the future are weaker or not observed in Bogotá than on average across sites (see Figure 6).

Figure 6. Relationships between students’ social and emotional skills and their future aspirations in Bogotá in 2023 compared to the average across sites

Standardised regression coefficients of individual skills on students’ expectations to complete tertiary education and have a managerial or professional job in the future among 15-year-olds in Bogotá compared to the average across sites

Note: Significant coefficients at a threshold of p < 0.05 are coloured, non-significant coefficients are outlined. Coefficients in Bogotá that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by the asterisk against each skill.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Tables B4.19 and B4.30

How are students’ social and emotional skills linked to their health and well-being outcomes in Bogotá?

Students’ health behaviours

• 15-year-old students in Bogotá were more likely to report low levels of exercise and eating few fruits and vegetables compared to the average across sites. In Bogotá, 36% of students said they only exercise once a week or less (compared to 31% on average), while 41% do not eat fruit or vegetables most days (compared to 35% on average) – see Figure 7.

• On the other hand, students in Bogotá were less likely to report other unhealthy behaviours compared to the average across sites. In Bogotá, 10% of 15-year-olds said they had ever smoked or drunk alcohol (below the average of 17%), while 24% skip breakfast most days (below the average of 37%). In addition, 48% of students say they get less than 8 hours sleep most nights, compared to 57% on average.

Figure 7. Percentage of 15-year-old students engaging in unhealthy behaviours in Bogotá in 2023 compared to the average across sites

Note: Frequencies of each behaviour that are significantly different to the average across sites are indicated by an asterisk against the behaviour.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table B3.3

Gender differences in health and well-being outcomes

• In Bogotá, as seen almost all sites, girls report poorer levels of all health and well-being outcomes (health behaviours, life satisfaction, current psychological well-being, test and class anxiety, relationship satisfaction, body image) than boys, on average. Gender differences in all health and well-being outcomes except test and class anxiety were larger in Bogotá than on average across sites.

• Data on students’ life satisfaction, current psychological well-being and test and class anxiety were also collected in 2019. Gender differences in these outcomes were wider in 2023 compared to 2019. For life satisfaction, this was due to girls reporting lower levels in 2023 compared to 2019, while levels remained broadly stable for boys. For psychological well-being and test and class anxiety, both boys and girls reported worse levels in 2023 compared 2019, however these differences were larger for girls than boys.

Relationships between social and emotional skills and students’ health and well-being outcomes

• Students with higher social and emotional skills tend to report better health and well-being outcomes.

  • Higher levels of all social and emotional skills are associated with higher levels of health behaviours, life satisfaction, current psychological well-being, and relationship satisfaction in Bogotá.

  • Higher levels of all skills except empathy were associated with better body image. There was no relationship between empathy and this outcome.

  • Higher levels of most skills (all except open-mindedness skills (creativity, curiosity, tolerance), achievement motivation, persistence, and empathy) were associated with lower levels of test and class anxiety. For achievement motivation and curiosity, higher levels were associated with greater test and class anxiety, while there was no relationship between this outcome and the other skills.

• The relationships between the following skills and health and well-being outcomes were stronger in Bogotá compared to the average across sites:

  • Emotional control with both life satisfaction and current psychological well-being

  • Responsibility, energy and optimism with both life satisfaction and body image

  • Sociability and assertiveness with body image

Key features of SSES 2023

What is the Survey on Social and Emotional Skills?

The Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES) is an international survey designed by the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation to improve understanding of social and emotional skills among 10- and 15-year-old students. The Survey aims to understand how levels of these skills differ among students with different characteristics; how these skills matter for important student outcomes; and how students’ school and home environments influence skill development.

Which social and emotional skills are covered in the Survey?

The 15 skills measured in the Survey were selected to provide a comprehensive coverage of those that are relevant for children’s and adolescents’ success and well-being. Further information on why and how these skills were selected can be found in the SSES assessment framework (Kankaraš and Suarez-Alvarez, 2019[1]).

How were these skills measured?

All students complete a questionnaire where they indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of statements. Examples of statements include: ‘I keep working on a task until it is finished’, ‘I stay calm even in tense situations’ and ‘I am able to defend my interests when they are challenged’.

Who participated in the Survey?

All sites in SSES 2023 surveyed 15-year-olds and surveying 10-year-olds was optional. Students in sixteen sites – six countries and ten sub-national entities – participated in SSES 2023. Data from seven sites who participated in the first round of SSES in 2019, but not in 2023, are also included in analyses in this report wherever possible to expand the coverage of the international average.

Some 18,000 10-year-old and 52,000 15-year-old students took the SSES assessment in 2023, representing about 630,000 10-year-olds and 3 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the 16 participating sites. In Bogotá approximately 3,300 10-year-old and 3,700 15-year-old students completed the assessment, representing about 87,500 10-year-old and 91,500 15-year-old students.

References

[1] Kankaraš, M. and J. Suarez-Alvarez (2019), “Assessment framework of the OECD Study on Social and Emotional Skills”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 207, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5007adef-en.