Nurturing Social and Emotional Learning Across the Globe

Emilia-Romagna and Turin (Italy)

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 of school-aged children. 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.

Emilia-Romagna and Turin participated for the first time in the SSES in 2023, assessing the skills and learning environments of students aged 15.

This site note provides an overview of findings of Volume II of the SSES 2023 (OECD, 2024[1]) for Emilia-Romagna and Turin. Volume II points to significant differences in how social and emotional skills are promoted in school, at home and by society, as well as how this relates to differences in skills, both between and within participating countries and subnational entities (hereafter, “sites”).

This site note provides key results for ensuring students’ social and emotional growth in Emilia-Romagna and Turin in three areas:

• Schools’ promotion of social and emotional learning and teacher preparedness

• Schools’ environment supporting social and emotional growth (support and safety at school)

• Gender equity among students

Results for Emilia-Romagna and Turin are reported separately and compared to the international average across participating sites (reported as “average” within this note). By comparing results internationally, policy makers and educators can learn from sites’ policies and practices. Further information about the calculation of these averages can be found at the end of this note and in the Reader’s Guide within Volume II of the SSES 2023 (OECD, 2024[1]).

The OECD collaborated with Fondazione per la Scuola as the national project partner to implement the SSES in Emilia-Romagna and Turin.

How do schools promote social and emotional learning?

Organisation of social and emotional learning at school

• The formal integration of teaching socio-emotional skills into general practices across subjects is very common across schools in the Italian sites. In both Emilia-Romagna and Turin, socio-emotional education is integrated across all subjects for 86% of 15-year-olds (average: 83%). Socio-emotional education as a separate subject is less common in Emilia-Romagna (14%), and particularly in Turin (2%) compared to the average across sites (38%).

• Despite the wide integration of socio-emotional education across subjects in the Italian sites’ schools, a shared mindset among the teaching staff concerning socio-emotional teaching and learning is lacking. Specifically, 48% of students in Emilia-Romagna and 40% in Turin attend schools where not all teachers and the principal agree that teachers should be responsible for social and emotional learning (average: 58%). Some 10% of students in Emilia-Romagna and 21% in Turin are in schools lacking a shared mindset among school staff on the teachability of socio-emotional skills (average: 42%).

Figure 1. Shared mindset on the impact of social and emotional skills on increasing youth employment, economic success, and social equality, by site

Percentage of 15-year-old students in schools where all teachers and the principal (strongly) agree that social and emotional skills have an impact on increasing youth employment and economic success and on decreasing social inequality

Note: Sites are listed in descending order of the percentage of students in schools where all teachers and principals agreed or strongly agreed that social and emotional skills impact youth employment and economic success.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table A2.14.

• A joint acknowledgement of the wide-ranging impact of social and emotional skills is even less common: almost all students in Emilia-Romagna and Turin (96% and 97% respectively) are in schools without a shared mindset on the impact of socio-emotional skills on social equality (average: 81%). In addition, 97% of students in Emilia-Romagna and 90% in Turin attend a school where staff do not agree about the impact of socio-emotional skills on youth employment and economic success, while the average across sites is 79%.

Social and emotional teaching online and remotely

• Most teachers on average across sites perceive online and remote teaching as a challenge rather than an opportunity for social and emotional learning, especially for developing social skills. This was particularly the case in Italian sites. Among teachers in Emilia-Romagna and in Turin who taught students online or remotely during the previous year (respectively 44% and 46%, while the average is 40%), 81% in Emilia-Romagna and 85% in Turin feel that the development of skills such as being assertive, sociable, and enthusiastic around other people were hindered a bit or a lot by online or remote teaching (average: 65%). Between 9% and 10% of teachers in Emilia-Romagna and Turin with recent online or remote teaching experience perceive online and remote teaching as able to foster these skills (average: 23%).

Teacher preparedness

• More teachers feel capable of social and emotional teaching in Emilia-Romagna and Turin compared to the average across sites. Among teachers of 15-year-olds, between 94% and 95% in Emilia-Romagna and Turin report feeling capable of understanding students’ feelings and emotions to a moderate or large extent (average: 73%) and between 87% and 88% in Emilia-Romagna and Turin feel this way about helping students develop social and emotional skills (average: 70%).

• Despite teachers feeling more capable of social and emotional teaching, they report a lack of relevant training to a higher extent than on average across sites. A lack of relevant training was also more frequently reported in Turin than Emilia-Romagna. For example, 41% of teachers in Emilia-Romagna and 48% in Turin lack training in incorporating social and emotional learning in the classroom (average: 29%) and 59% in Emilia-Romagna and 66% in Turin lack training in monitoring social and emotional learning (average: 40%).

• Fewer teachers in Italian sites report using official resources for integrating students’ social and emotional learning into their teaching compared to the average across sites. On average across sites, 52% of teachers report drawing on official resources, compared to 31% of teachers in Emilia-Romagna and 24% in Turin.

The role of teacher feedback

• Students aged 15 who receive more teacher feedback report higher social and emotional skills. However, the strength of these relationships varies depending on the specific skill and site. In Emilia-Romagna, receiving more frequent teacher feedback is associated with greater levels of all socio-emotional skills except self-control, and most strongly with achievement motivation, trust, tolerance, persistence, and creativity. In Turin, relationships between teacher feedback and students’ social and emotional skills are weaker than those observed in Emilia-Romagna for creativity, curiosity, persistence, and achievement motivation. Moreover, no relationship is found for emotional control, stress resistance, assertiveness, tolerance, and responsibility. In Turin, receiving more frequent teacher feedback is most strongly associated with trust, optimism, sociability, achievement motivation and energy at age 15.

Figure 2. Relationship between teacher feedback and students’ social and emotional skills

Standardised regression coefficients of 15-year-old students' individual skills on the teacher feedback index, average across sites

Note: All coefficients for the average relationship across sites are statistically significant with a threshold p < 0.05. Models control for gender, socio-economic and migrant status. See Annex A for information about how the teacher feedback index was calculated. Social and emotional skills are listed by the size of the effect on the teacher feedback index.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table T6_st_feedback_ols

• Students in Emilia-Romagna and Turin report receiving less feedback from their teachers compared to other sites. In 2023, around one-quarter of 15-year-olds in both Emilia-Romagna and Turin report that their teachers provide them with feedback on ways to improve performance (average: 42%) and on improvement areas in many lessons or every lesson (average: 39%). Moreover, between 11% and 12% of 15-years-old in both sites report frequently receiving feedback on their strengths, less than the average (27%).

Figure 3. Type of teacher feedback, by site

Percentage of students who reported receiving the following types of feedback in many lessons or every or almost every lesson

Note: Sites are listed in descending order of the percentage of students who reported that their teachers provided feedback on their strengths in every or almost every lesson.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table A2.1.

The role of extra-curricular activities

• 15-year-old students who engaged regularly in extra-curricular activities report higher socio-emotional skills, particularly higher levels of energy, creativity, sociability, achievement motivation and assertiveness in Emilia-Romagna and higher levels of energy, achievement motivation, responsibility, assertiveness and sociability in Turin.

• Students in Emilia-Romagna and Turin participate in a range of different extra-curricular activities. For example, around 10% of students in both sites report participating at least once a month in sports activities (average: 27%), around 50% in art activities (average: 53%), and around 10% in environmental protection activities on a regular basis (average: 29%).

How supportive and safe are schools in Emilia-Romagna and Turin?

Sense of belonging and emotions at school

• Students’ sense of belonging and emotions at school often differ according to gender, socioeconomic status, and academic achievement. However, these results vary considerably by site, suggesting such inequalities are not inevitable outcomes. In Emilia-Romagna and Turin, girls report significantly less sense of belonging, fewer positive emotions, and more negative emotions at school. In both sites, socioeconomically disadvantaged students report less sense of belonging at school, while low academic performers report experiencing more negative emotions at school. Only in Emilia-Romagna, low academic performers report less sense of belonging. Schools should therefore promote positive experiences and belonging for students, particularly those from struggling groups.

Figure 4. Differences in sense of belonging and emotions at school by student characteristics

Differences in indexes of students’ sense of belonging, positive emotions, and negative emotions at school, by gender, socioeconomic status, and educational achievement – by site

Note: Significant average differences at a threshold p < 0.05 are coloured, while non-significant average differences are outlined. High and low academic performers are students respectively in the top or bottom quarter of educational achievement in their site. Advantaged and disadvantaged students are students respectively in the top or bottom quarter of the index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) in their site. Sites are listed in alphabetical order.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Tables A3.2, A3.5, A3.11.

• Across all participating sites, students’ emotional experiences vary widely (see Figure 5 and Figure 6). Students in Italian sites report feeling positive emotions at school less often compared to other sites. In Emilia-Romagna, 31% of 15-year-olds feel confident at school more than half the time (average 39%), while 22% feel motivated (average 33%), 31% feel interested (average 40%) and 38% feel happy (average 50%). Results were broadly similar in Turin: 29% feel confident, 21% feel motivated, 31% feel interested and 38% feel happy at school more than half the time.

• For negative emotions, 33% of 15-year-olds in Emilia-Romagna feel anxious at school more than half the time (average 20%), while 25% feel upset (average 17%) and 19% feel angry (average 15%). A similar proportion of students in Turin report feeling anxious (35%) and angry (21%) compared to those in Emilia-Romagna, however a slightly larger proportion report feeling upset (29%).

Figure 5. Composition of 15-year-olds’ positive emotions at school, by site

Percentage of students who reported they have felt the following positive emotions more than half the time while at school

Note: See Annex A for information about how the positive emotions index was calculated. Sites are listed in descending order of the positive emotions index.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table A3.4.

Figure 6. Composition of 15-year-olds’ negative emotions at school, by site

Percentage of students who reported they have felt the following negative emotions more than half the time while at school

Note: See Annex A for information about how the negative emotions index was calculated. Sites are listed in descending order of the negative emotions index.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table A3.10.

• A greater sense of belonging, more positive emotions, and fewer negative emotions at school are each associated with higher levels of socio-emotional skills in all sites. In both Emilia-Romagna and Turin, sense of belonging is most strongly associated with sociability, optimism, energy, trust, assertiveness, and stress resistance; more positive emotions at school are most strongly associated with optimism, energy, achievement motivation and persistence; and less negative emotions are most strongly associated with higher levels of stress resistance, emotional control, optimism, energy and trust.

Relationships at school

• Good relationships with teachers and classmates are associated with higher levels of socio-emotional skills in all sites, but each type of relationship promotes different skills. For 15-year-old students in both Emilia-Romagna and Turin, positive teacher-student relationships are most strongly correlated with achievement motivation, optimism, curiosity and trust; positive peer-to-peer relationships are most strongly associated with trust, optimism, sociability, energy, tolerance, and emotional control.

Bullying

• Many students who report bullying others also report being victims of bullying themselves. In Emilia-Romagna and Turin, 10% of all students in both sites report being a victim and perpetrator of bullying (average: 11%). Moreover, 7% of students in both sites report being only a perpetrator (average: 5%). Finally, 11% of students in Emilia-Romagna and 13% in Turin report being a victim only (average: 14%).

Figure 7. Percentage of 15-year-olds who reported being a victim, a perpetrator of both, by site.

Note: Sites are listed in descending order of the total involvement in bullying. The percentages of involvement in bullying refer to students who reported being involved in bullying - victim and/or perpetrator - in at least one of the items several times a month or more.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Table A3.34.

• Students involved in bullying tend to have poorer social and emotional skills, however there are differences depending on students’ role in bullying. In both Emilia-Romagna and Turin:

• Being a victim of bullying only is associated with lower levels of emotional regulation skills (emotional control, optimism, and stress resistance) and engaging with other skills (assertiveness, energy, and sociability), as well as lower levels of trust and responsibility compared to students not involved in bullying. However, such students tend to have higher levels of empathy.

• Being a perpetrator of bullying only is associated with lower levels of task performance skills (achievement motivation, responsibility, self-control, and persistence) and collaboration skills (empathy and trust), as well as lower levels of emotional control, curiosity, and tolerance.

• Being both a victim and perpetrator is also associated with lower levels of task performance skills, trust, emotional control, and tolerance, as well as less optimism and energy.

What is the state of gender equity among students?

Gender stereotypes

• Boys tend to agree more with gender stereotypes than girls, particularly with those related to women’s access to financial resources and positions of leadership. On the other hand, agreement with such stereotypes is often low among girls, particularly in Italian sites.

Figure 8. Students’ agreement with gender stereotypes, by site

Note: Sites are listed in descending order of the percentage of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that boys are more ambitious than girls. Only differences that are statistically significant with a threshold of p < 0.05 are noted by site names.

Source: OECD, SSES 2023 Database Tables A4.2 and A4.4.

• In Emilia-Romagna and Turin, over one-quarter (29% and 26% respectively) of boys agree that men make better political leaders, compared to a small minority (2% and 3%) of girls (averages: 33% of boys and 10% of girls). More boys (10% in Emilia-Romagna and 12% in Turin) than girls (3% and 2%) also report that having a well-paying job is more important for men (averages: 16% of boys and 5% of girls).

• More boys also agree that boys are better at technology than girls in both Italian sites: 31% of boys in Emilia-Romagna and 28% of boys in Turin agree with this (average: 35%), compared to fewer than 5% of girls in both sites (average 14%). Such beliefs may contribute to gender differences in career choices, where boys are more likely to expect to pursue careers in ICT, science and engineering, while girls are more likely to expect careers in the health and education sectors (OECD, 2024[2]).

• In both Emilia-Romagna and Turin, agreement with gender stereotypes is linked to lower levels of all open-mindedness skills (creativity, curiosity, and tolerance) among girls and boys, except for creativity among boys in Emilia-Romagna. Additionally, it is associated with lower empathy among boys in both sites. This agreement is also associated with lower responsibility among girls and lower trust, emotional control, and self-control among boys in Emilia-Romagna and lower responsibility among boys in Turin. However, the opposite relationship is found for a minority of skills among boys only. Agreement with gender stereotypes is associated with greater optimism and energy among boys in Emilia-Romagna, and with greater stress resistance among boys in Turin.

Responsibilities for unpaid domestic tasks

• Students report that women take on greater responsibility for unpaid domestic tasks such as cleaning, cooking and childcare than men. For example, around half of students in Emilia-Romagna and Turin (51% and 49% respectively) report that their female relatives were mainly responsible for cleaning the house, while very few (3% and 2%) say the same for male relatives (averages: 40% for female relatives and 3% for male relatives).

• Gender equity is positively associated with socio-emotional skills. Students in homes where domestic tasks are shared between male and female relatives tend to disagree more with gender stereotypes and have greater socio-emotional skills. In Turin, students with greater equity at home report higher levels of sociability and tolerance, and additionally, higher levels of trust, optimism, and emotional control in Emilia-Romagna.

Key features of SSES 2023

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:

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

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

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

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

• Collaboration skills (empathy and trust)

How were skills and learning environments measured?

All students completed a questionnaire where they indicated 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’. Additionally, students answered a background questionnaire on their school and home environment. Information on the promotion of social and emotional skills in school was also collected via questionnaires from teachers and principals of the participating students.

Who participated in the Survey?

Students in sixteen sites – six countries and ten sub-national entities - participated in SSES 2023:

• Bulgaria, Bogotá (Colombia), Chile, Delhi (India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Emilia-Romagna (Italy), Gunma (Japan), Helsinki (Finland), Jinan (China), Kudus (Indonesia), Mexico, Peru, Sobral (Brazil), Spain, Turin (Italy) and Ukraine. Data from Mexico did not meet the standards and was therefore not included in the reporting.

Data from six sites who participated only in the first round of SSES in 2019 are included in analyses wherever possible to expand the coverage:

• Daegu (Korea), Houston (United States), Istanbul (Türkiye), Manizales (Colombia), Ottawa (Canada), and Suzhou (China)

Some 52,000 15-year-old students took the SSES survey in 2023 across all 16 participating sites. In both Emilia-Romagna and Turin, approximately 3,000 15-year-old students completed the survey.

Who does the data represent?

The data represents about 3 million 15-year-olds in the schools of the 16 participating sites. The data represents 22,600 15-year-old students in Emilia-Romagna and 14,600 15-year-old students in Turin.

How were averages built?

Where averages are provided, these correspond to the arithmetic mean of all participating sites except for Sintra (Portugal) and Mexico. Data for Sintra (Portugal) and Mexico did not meet the technical standards. Further information can be found in the Reader’s Guide within Volume II of the SSES 2023 (OECD, 2024[1]).

References

[1] OECD (2024), Nurturing Social and Emotional Learning Across the Globe: Findings from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/32b647d0-en.

[2] OECD (2024), Social and Emotional Skills for Better Lives: Findings from the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/35ca7b7c-en.