Testing the CASEL Model: Exploring Relationship between Social Emotional Competencies and Academic Performance of Distance Learners

Social emotional competencies (SEL) enable an individual to understand thoughts, ideas, and feelings. These are also important for students’ emotional, mental, and social well-being to achieve academic goals (Fitzgerald, Shipman, Pauletic, Ellesworth, & Dymnicki, 2022). In this study we investigated whether social and emotional variables correlate with academic performance of students through CASEL model. Survey was conducted (N=150 female and 70 male) distance learners. For measuring the levels of social emotional competence, the Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ) was used which was based on CASEL model given by (Zhou & Ee, 2012). This scale contained five sub-constructs: “self-awareness competence, social awareness competence, self-management competence, relationship management competence, and responsible decision-making competence”. For measuring academic achievement of students their result was taken. Results showed that academic achievement of distance learners is significantly correlated with social emotional abilities such self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relationship management, and responsible decision-making. Social-emotional competencies (SEC) in distance learning should be the future focus of research for the reasons that they are the key competencies for academic success. Such learners can improve their ability to deal with educational challenges in remote settings if they acquire SEC, such as self- awareness, social awareness, relationship management, self-management, and responsible decision-making competence can enhance learners’ ability to manage academic challenges in remote settings. Integration of SEC development should be the priority for institutions in distance education programs and facilitating a learning support culture. The areas for further studies could be constituted in effective interventions to strengthen SEC for the positive academic outcomes of distance learners.