Assessing social and emotional learning in schools: a scoping review of whole-school SEL assessment

The importance of social and emotional learning (SEL) in schools continues to grow, especially in respect to whole-school approaches. However, ambiguities persist regarding what constitutes a whole-school approach and how this might be assessed. A scoping review was carried out to identify key concepts in whole-school SEL evaluation and assessment. Searches of Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google, and Google Scholar (2015–2025) identified 14 relevant sources. Five key areas of whole-school SEL activity were found, organised by level of implementation (student, class, school, leadership, community). Little to no validated assessment methods for monitoring whole-school activity were identified, indicating a significant research gap. Implications and recommendations for future research and practice are discussed.