Social Emotional Learning in China
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) has gained increasing attention as a cornerstone of holistic education around the world. Originating primarily from Western frameworks, SEL emphasizes the development of emotional intelligence alongside academics. In recent years, countries in East Asia have begun integrating evidence-based SEL practices into their educational systems.
Historically, education in these countries has heavily focused on academic achievements and career success. Students are expected to perform well in school as their educational outcomes determine the trajectory of future success. This significant amount of pressure contributes to the emergence of many mental issues, including anxiety and depression (Houri, 2012; Kim, 2024; Xu et al., 2024). In order to combat the mental health crisis, educators and policymakers in East Asia are gradually recognizing the need to revise the educational systems and provide more comprehensive SEL programs and services to students in these countries. This chapter of the blog will focus on China’s evolving approach to SEL.
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Educational Background & Foundations
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China’s education system has deep roots in the traditional ideas of Confucianism, which emphasize academic achievements rather than interests and talents. Today, there are three main education pathways in China: general education, vocational stream, and international education. While general education remains the dominant path, economic development of the country and increased opportunities abroad have made international education more popular among families (Chao et al., 2017).
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In order to better understand SEL concepts, Park et al. (2025) conducted a comprehensive research on SEL across different cultural contexts. They focused on qualitative strategies and involved educators from diverse cultural backgrounds to deepen understanding of the nature and value of SEL across settings. When discussing SEL topics, educators in East Asia particularly focus on four common themes: communication, stress management, empathy, and respect (Qi et al., 2025). Let’s learn about their definitions based on the cultural contexts of China:
1) Chinese educators see communication as the ability to communicate with others in a clear and considerate way, which involves listening carefully and responding well under different scenarios, especially in school settings and workplaces.
2) Stress management is the ability to effectively manage and deal with pressure, including academic pressure for students and work-life balance for adults.
3) Empathy is described as the ability to understand others’ feelings and experiences, as putting oneself into their shoes. Empathy extends the interconnection of feelings from one’s own senses to those of other people.
4) Respect means seeing value in others’ opinions, decisions, and actions among different social ranks. Beyond respect from students to teachers, juniors to seniors, people are also expected to show respect to peers.
With the understanding of common SEL themes, it is important to consider intervention programs that help students develop these essential skills and enable their success at school and in future workplaces. Over the past decades, China has made meaningful progress in developing and testing SEL programs that reflect its cultural and educational contexts (Chen & Yu, 2022). Although most initiatives remain at the early implementation stage, they have shown positive outcomes in improving students’ SEL skills (e.g., Li et al., 2022; Li & Hesketh, 2023; Fu et al., 2024; Wu & Qin, 2025).
Communication: Building Connection and Perspective-Taking
A notable example is the Ministry of Education of China and UNICEF initiative, implemented in a rural primary school in Henan Province (Li et al., 2022). This 16-week program consisted of SEL lessons on self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication, and empathy through storytelling, art, and group games. This intervention was successful at reducing peer relationship problems and enhancing mutual understanding and acceptance among students. However, the effect on conduct issues and hyperactivity was minimal, suggesting that longer or more extensive exposure may be needed to address deeper emotional challenges.
Stress Management: Enhancing Emotional Regulation and Resilience
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Another 16-week SEL program was delivered in rural central China, aiming to reduce psychosocial difficulties while promoting self-regulation and coping skills. This program showed immediate and long-term reductions in overall difficulty scores after the intervention, especially for students exposed to verbal or physical abuse by caregivers. It also served as a protective factor for students facing adversity, providing them with structured opportunities to express their feelings in a healthier way (Li & Hesketh, 2023).
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Empathy: Cultivating Social Awareness and Mindfulness
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Empathy has been a major focus in recent Chinese SEL research. Studies have highlighted how programs in rural and elementary school settings helped children better understand others’ emotions. One SEL intervention was successful not only in improving students’ ability to recognize others’ emotions but also in promoting mindfulness, the ability to experience thoughts and emotions without immediate, reactive responses (Wu & Qin, 2025). Similarly, the Positive Growth curriculum improved rural children’s ability to understand others’ feelings and maintain positive relationships with peers (Fu et al., 2024). Together, these studies demonstrate the effectiveness of empathy-focused SEL interventions in China that align with the cultural values of collectivism and social cohesion.
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Respect: Acknowledging Personal Differences
Despite respect being one of the core SEL skills for Chinese youth, few SEL interventions have explicitly focused on it. To address this research gap, insights from international research serve as valuable guidance for Chinese educators. A study on SEL programs in the United States found that very few lessons explicitly addressed equity and respect, advocating for the need to include respect in SEL instruction through structured reflection and perspective-taking activities (Ramirez et al., 2021). Chinese educators can implement activities such as role-play scenarios to demonstrate respectful listening between peers or a storytelling circle for students to share their experiences of being respected.
China’s journey toward SEL reflects a profound transformation from a traditional educational system that focuses on examinations and discipline to one that increasingly values emotional intelligence, empathy, and social connection. Recent studies collectively reveal modest outcomes of existing Chinese SEL interventions for youth. To establish a more robust SEL network, China must expand its focus beyond students to include training for teachers and parents. It is equally important to develop long-term evaluation systems to track the progress of current and new interventions. Ultimately, the evolving SEL movement in China embodies a cultural shift toward nurturing the whole child, who not only learns to succeed but also learns to connect, care, and thrive.
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About the Author: Irene Zheng is a junior majoring in Psychology and Public Relations at Boston University. She was born in Shanghai, China. She is interested in using interactive communication strategies to raise awareness for mental health issues, especially for teenagers and young adults.