INTEGRATING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING IN ALBANIAN LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS: A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION MATERIALS IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Arbresha ZENKI-DALIPI, Makfirete AMETI, Rinesa ABDULI

Abstract

The development of socio-emotional competences (SEL), as outcomes of social-emotional learning (SEL), is increasingly recognized as a powerful determinant of students’ personal, social, and academic development. As a vital institution in contemporary and dynamic society, schools play a critical role in providing opportunities for the development of emotional awareness, empathy, self-management, social skills, and responsible decision-making. The purpose of this study is to analyze the presence of socio-emotional elements in Albanian language textbooks for grades I–V in North Macedonia, with a focus on literary and narrative content. Guided by the CASEL core competencies, 85 text units, including stories, poems, dialogues, and theatrical fragments, were systematically analyzed. Each content was examined according to indicators such as: emotional awareness, expression and self-management, cooperation, empathy, conflict resolution, building positive relationships, reflective questions, SEL practical exercises, illustrations, and representation of diversity. The analysis revealed that, in addition to being more present, emotional awareness and expression are also more stable. In relation to the former, cooperation, conflict resolution, and diversity in the analyzed contents appear to be treated less frequently. The visual presentation supports the intuitive emotional understanding in over 60% of the content. The findings highlight that practical SEL exercises and application in real-life contexts and diversity are underrepresented. The study findings highlight the potential that language content offers for fostering holistic socio-emotional development. Therefore, the intentional and more comprehensive integration of SE elements is strongly emphasized. Simultaneously, the findings offer practical implications for curricula designers, authors, and educators to target socio-emotional development through language and literature.

Pages: 82 - 94