Association Between Social-Emotional Behaviors and Academic Outcomes in Primary School Students: A Person-Centered Approach

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between students’ social-emotional behaviors and their later academic outcomes from a person-centered perspective. To better inform social-emotional learning intervention practices, a person-centered approach was used to identify students’ social-emotional behavior profiles based on seven social skill indicators and four problem behaviors indicators. Data were drawn from 725 first- and second-grade students who participated in an effectiveness study of a universal social-emotional learning intervention program during the 2018–2019 school year. Results revealed three profiles: high social skills with low problem behaviors (HSLP; 45.2%), moderate social skills and relatively low problem behaviors (MSLP; 42.2%), and low social skills with high problem behaviors (LSHP; 10.8%). Profile membership was found to be significantly associated with standardized math test scores and academic engagement 5 months later, but no significant association was found with standardized reading test scores or academic motivation. Findings provide insights regarding how: (a) social skills and problem behaviors manifest concurrently among primary grade students, (b) initial profiles of student behaviors relate with later academic outcomes at the end of the school year, and (c) social-emotional learning interventions can potentially be tailored to target students’ needs.