Examining Students’ Socio-Emotional Skills Profiles During the Early Post-COVID-19 Period and Their Relationships with Self-Directed Learning Self-Efficacy

This study, consistent with Self-Determination Theory, aims to determine students’ socio-emotional skill profiles and the corresponding levels of self-efficacy for self-directed learning. For the analyses, data from 7206 Turkish students in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 were used to conduct a Latent Profile Analysis. The results revealed that the students in this study could be classified into five distinct profiles based on their socio-emotional skills. In particular, the profiles differed statistically significantly in self-efficacy for self-directed learning; in particular, the self-directed learning self-efficacy levels of those in the optimal need satisfaction profile were higher than those in the other profiles. Despite this, 64% of the participants have shown below-average confidence in self-directed learning. These findings not only enhance our understanding of students' socio-emotional development but also highlight the need for educational interventions that prioritize the holistic development of students' socio-emotional skills.