Why SEL Skills Matter

Donny McChesney, CTO

The Problem

When students struggle in math, we often assume the issue is content knowledge. But research shows that social-emotional learning (SEL) skills are powerful predictors of math achievement. SEL helps students manage emotions, stay motivated, and persist through challenges, precisely the qualities math learning demands.

We look at four SEL factors most closely linked to math success in grades 1–8: social awareness, self-management, self-efficacy, and growth mindset.

What the Research Says

1. Social Awareness
Social awareness – the ability to empathize and work well with others – supports collaboration in math learning. Studies of cooperative math classrooms have shown that when students develop empathy, they also tend to boost their achievement. Large-scale surveys confirm the link: Kanopka et al. (2024) found that increases in social awareness predicted modest but positive gains in standardized math scores. While smaller than other SEL factors, social awareness contributes to a positive learning climate that supports math growth.

2. Self-Management
Self-management – regulating focus, effort, and emotions – is one of the strongest predictors of math achievement. Claro and Loeb (2019) analyzed data from over 200,000 California students and found that students with strong self-management learned the equivalent of nearly three extra months of material compared to peers. Kanopka et al. (2024) similarly found that within-student improvements in self-management predicted consistent gains in math scores. Put simply, students who persist and manage their frustration tend to perform better in math.

3. Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is students’ belief that they can succeed in math. Large-scale analyses of NAEP data show that students with higher math self-efficacy consistently outperform peers, regardless of demographic background (Yang et al., 2024). Other studies support this finding, showing that self-efficacy is strongly correlated with grades (Richardson et al., 2012). However, when self-efficacy is modeled alongside growth mindset and self-management, its independent predictive power often shrinks. Still, confidence remains an important motivational driver.

4. Growth Mindset
Growth mindset — the belief that ability can be developed – is perhaps the most powerful SEL predictor of math achievement. Blackwell et al. (2007) demonstrated that middle school students with a growth mindset showed improvement in their math grades over two years, whereas their peers with a fixed mindset declined. More recent large-scale studies (Claro & Loeb, 2019; OECD PISA) confirm the strong positive correlation. Intervention trials, such as those by Yeager et al. (2019), demonstrate that teaching a growth mindset enhances math grades and increases enrollment in advanced courses, particularly among struggling students.

Synthesis

Together, these four SEL skills form a foundation for math success. Growth mindset and self-management consistently emerge as the strongest predictors of math gains, while self-efficacy and social awareness play supportive but meaningful roles. Durlak et al.’s (2011) landmark meta-analysis of SEL programs found that SEL interventions improved academic outcomes by approximately 0.3 standard deviations – a significant boost equivalent to approximately one month of additional learning.

For educators, the takeaway is clear: strengthening SEL is not separate from improving math performance – it’s essential to it. Classrooms that teach persistence, confidence, and collaboration alongside math content help students thrive both academically and emotionally.

Zipline

At Zipline, we firmly believe that by helping you understand and address your students’ social-emotional well-being, we help you maximize the impact that your class has on their lives. By simply activating Zipline’s SEL system while you teach, an open-source, widely validated SEL survey develops profiles on your students as they work. Then, once every two weeks, Zipline produces reports that score students in these areas. We then suggest interventions that you implement to help increase students’ well-being and provide them with the foundation to achieve academic success.

Conclusion

Math achievement isn’t just about numbers; it’s also about mindsets, habits, and relationships. When students believe they can grow, manage their effort, and learn with and from others, their math scores rise. At Zipline, we build these SEL supports into the platform – helping teachers not only deliver math lessons, but also foster the resilience and confidence that students need to succeed.

Created by teachers for teachers, Zipline transforms math instruction into personalized learning – free to try anytime at zipline.ac.

References

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Bridgeland, J. M., DiIulio, J. J., & Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Civic Enterprises. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED513444.pdf

Byun, J., & Joung, E. (2018). Digital game-based learning for K–12 mathematics education: A meta-analysis. Educational Media International, 55(4), 338–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2018.1547945

Hussein, M. H., Ow, S. H., Cheong, L. S., Thong, M.-K., & Ale Ebrahim, N. (2022). Effects of digital game-based learning on elementary and middle school mathematics achievement: A systematic review. Education and Information Technologies, 27(2), 2419–2444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10760-9

Papert, S. (1998). Does easy do it? Children, games, and learning. Game Developer Magazine. https://dailypapert.com/does-easy-do-it-children-games-and-learning/