A cross-sectional study on the influence of Social & Emotional Development on Learner Achievements in Pre-Primary Schools in Nakasongola Town Council.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/1shw2e70Keywords:
Social and emotional development, learner achievement, pre-primary education, Nakasongola, early childhood developmentAbstract
Background.
Social and emotional development (SED) forms a critical foundation for children’s readiness to learn, interact, and transition successfully into primary education. This study examined the influence of SED on learner achievement in selected pre-primary schools within the Town Council.
Methodology.
The study adopted a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional survey design within a mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. The target population comprised 160 participants, including teachers, head teachers, inspectors of schools, and the District Education Officer. A sample of 113 respondents was selected using Krejcie and Morgan’s (1970) table. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and document review, and analyzed using SPSS version 24 for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data.
Results:
The sample consisted of 67% female teachers, 54% held certificates. Overall SED among learners was low, with mean scores ranging from 1.95 to 2.20 on a 5-point scale. Emotional regulation scored the lowest (M = 1.95, SD = 0.62). Learners struggled with emotional expression, empathy, self-regulation, cooperative play, and confidence. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between SED and learner achievement (r = 0.63, p < 0.01). Regression results showed that SED significantly predicted learner achievement (β = 0.28, p < 0.001), accounting for a substantial proportion of the variance (R² = 0.61).
Conclusion.
The study established a significant positive relationship between social and emotional development and learner achievements. This implies that children who exhibit self-regulation, empathy, cooperation, and positive social interactions tend to perform better both academically and behaviorally.
Recommendation.
Pre-primary teachers should integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) activities such as role-playing, emotion recognition, and cooperative play into daily classroom routines.
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Copyright (c) 2025 REBECCA BIRUNGI (Author)
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