Do social-emotional competencies shape the effects of students’ learning approaches on academic performance? Evidence from middle school education / <i>¿Las competencias socioemocionales influyen en los efectos de los enfoques de aprendizaje de los e

Socio-emotional competencies have been the subject of numerous studies that have explored their primary impact on school outcomes. Based on the CASEL model (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning), this study aimed to investigate whether socio-emotional competencies moderate the relationships between students’ learning approaches and their academic performance in mathematics and reading. The sample consisted of 685 seventh- and eighth-grade students aged 12 to 15 ( M = 13.92, SD = .69), of whom 54.6% were girls. The results showed that the relationship between the surface approach to learning and both types of grades was strongly negative only when the scores on the socio-emotional competencies scales were high. At the same time, these competencies did not moderate the relationships between the deep approach to learning and performance in the two disciplines. Although they did not impact all the relationships examined, fostering such skills may still enhance the learning process and support academic achievement through broader pathways.