Academic Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents: The Role of Psychosocial Capacities

A part of the Child Development and Learning (CDL) seminar series

Psychosocial capacities (also known as non-cognitive capacities or social-emotional competencies) refer to social-emotional skills, motivation, and self-beliefs held by individuals. Increasingly, researchers and educators are aware of the salient role that such capacities play in students’ short- and long-term social, emotional, and academic development. In this talk, results from several recent studies that examined psychosocial capacities among students will be discussed. The studies employ cross-sectional and longitudinal designs, involve primary data collection and population-level data, and traverse various capacities such as students’ prosocial behaviours, anxiety, adaptability, motivation, and basic psychological need thwarting. Together, findings provide knowledge about the nuanced roles that such factors play in child and adolescent academic outcomes. Implications for practice and research will be discussed.