Improving Literacy Competence and Social and Emotional Competencies in Primary Education Through Cooperative Project-Based Learning.

BACKGROUND: Cooperative learning and Project-Based Learning are methodologies that can promote learning environments and improve learning, school achievement, and social and emotional competencies. METHOD: A mixed combination of these two methodologies called Cooperative Project-Based Learning was designed, and a quasi-experimental evaluation study with a pre-test and a post-test was conducted with a sample of 156 students from Primary Education. Literacy competence and social and emotional competencies, including empathy, were analyzed and compared between experimental and control groups. RESULTS: The intervention effectively increased scores on literacy competence, social and emotional competencies, and empathy in the experimental group, significantly more than in the control group. The girls in the experimental group exhibited greater improvement than the controls in literacy competence, social and emotional competencies and empathy. However, the boys in the experimental group were only different from the boys in the control group in literacy competence, but not in the other two variables. CONCLUSIONS: These results have implications for school practice and curriculum planning in Primary Education. New lines of future research are also being opened based on the impact of Cooperative Project-Based Learning on other key competencies and on the prevention of antisocial behaviors.

Improving Literacy Competence and Social and Emotional Competencies in Primary Education Through Cooperative Project-Based Learning / Mejora de las Competencias Socioemocionales y de ComunicaciónLingüística en Educación Primaria a través del Aprendizaje Basadoen Proyectos Cooperativos

Background: Cooperative learning and Project-Based Learning aremethodologies that can promote learning environments and improve learning,school achievement, and social and emotional competencies. Method:A mixed combination of these two methodologies called CooperativeProject-Based Learning was designed, and a quasi-experimental evaluationstudy with a pre-test and a post-test was conducted with a sample of 156students from Primary Education. Literacy competence and social andemotional competencies, including empathy, were analyzed and comparedbetween experimental and control groups. Results: The interventioneffectively increased scores on literacy competence, social and emotionalcompetencies, and empathy in the experimental group, significantly morethan in the control group. The girls in the experimental group exhibitedgreater improvement than the controls in literacy competence, socialand emotional competencies and empathy. However, the boys in theexperimental group were only different from the boys in the control groupin literacy competence, but not in the other two variables. Conclusions:These results have implications for school practice and curriculum planningin Primary Education. New lines of future research are also being openedbased on the impact of Cooperative Project-Based Learning on other keycompetencies and on the prevention of antisocial behaviors.

Antecedentes: el aprendizaje cooperativoy el Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos son metodologías que puedenmejorar el aprendizaje, el éxito académico y las competencias socialesy emocionales. Método: se diseñó una combinación mixta de estas dosmetodologías llamado Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos Cooperativos.Se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental con pre-test y post-test, conuna muestra de 156 estudiantes de Educación Primaria. Resultados: seanalizaron y compararon las competencias en comunicación lingüística ylas competencias socioemocionales (incluyendo empatía) entre los gruposexperimentales y control. La intervención aumentó las puntuaciones enlas tres variables de estudio en el grupo experimental, significativamentemás que en el grupo de control. Las chicas del grupo experimentalmostraron puntuaciones mayores en comparación con las chicas del grupocontrol en la competencia en comunicación lingüística, las competenciassocioemocionales y la empatía. Sin embargo, los chicos del grupoexperimental solo mostraron diferencias con los chicos del control en lacompetencia en comunicación lingüística. Conclusiones: estos resultadostienen implicaciones para la práctica escolar y la planificación curricular enEducación Primaria. También abren nuevas líneas de investigación futurasbasadas en el impacto del Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos Cooperativosen otras competencias clave y en la prevención de comportamientosantisociales

Descriptive and Quasi-Experimental Studies about Moral Emotions, Online Empathy, Anger Management, and Their Relations with Key Competencies in Primary Education.

BACKGROUND: Antisocial behaviours make social interactions difficult among students. Moral emotions, online empathy, and anger management are social and emotional variables related to prosocial and antisocial behaviours and health problems. This research aims to assess the impact of Cooperative Project-Based Learning intervention on these three variables for Primary Education students. Additionally, the relations of these variables with key competencies, such as social and emotional competencies and literacy competence, were studied. METHOD: This research is made up of two studies, descriptive and quasi-experimental, during regular school hours. The descriptive study was carried out with a sample of 516 primary school students and aimed to assess the development of the three variables, taking into account personal and ethnic-cultural factors. The quasi-experimental study, with pre-test and post-test data, had the participation of 145 students to study the incidence of these variables after Cooperative Project-Based Learning intervention in Primary Education. RESULTS: The results show the relation among the cited variables and the positive impact of the intervention on moral emotions and anger management in the experimental group compared to the control group. Experimental group girls presented higher scores in moral emotions than control group girls. CONCLUSION: These results open new research lines in relation to the intervention as a programme to prevent the appearance of antisocial behaviours and health problems at school.

Social and emotional competencies and empathy as predictors of literacy competence / Competencias socioemocionales y empatía como predictores de la competencia en comunicación lingüística

BACKGROUND: Desirable interpersonal interactions require literacy competence and social and emotional competencies, which are closely related to empathy. This study aimed to investigate whether social and emotional competencies and empathy predict literacy competence in Primary Education, assessing students' socio-educational characteristics. METHOD: The three variables were analysed in a sample consisting of 516 Primary Education children from six schools in Spain. RESULTS: competence was higher in girls and students from the ethnic-cultural majority. Empathy and social and emotional competencies were related to literacy competence. CONCLUSIONS: Literacy competence could be improved by targeting social and emotional development. New intervention programs could be based on the results

ANTECEDENTES: las interacciones interpersonales deseables requieren competencia en comunicación lingüística y competencias sociales y emocionales, que están estrechamente relacionadas con la empatía. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar si las competencias sociales y emocionales, y la empatía, predicen la competencia en comunicación lingüística en Educación Primaria, teniendo en cuenta las características socioeducativas de los estudiantes. MÉTODO: la muestra de este estudio consta de 516 niños de Educación Primaria de seis escuelas en España y se analizaron las tres variables. RESULTADOS: la competencia en comunicación lingüística fue mayor en mujeres y estudiantes de mayoría étnico-cultural. La empatía y las competencias sociales y emocionales estaban relacionadas con la competencia en comunicación lingüística. CONCLUSIONES: la competencia en comunicación lingüística podría mejorarse mediante el desarrollo social y emocional. Las nuevas intervenciones podrían basarse en estos resultados

Social and emotional competencies and empathy as predictors of literacy competence.

BACKGROUND: Desirable interpersonal interactions require literacy competence and social and emotional competencies, which are closely related to empathy. This study aimed to investigate whether social and emotional competencies and empathy predict literacy competence in Primary Education, assessing students' socio-educational characteristics. METHOD: The three variables were analysed in a sample consisting of 516 Primary Education children from six schools in Spain. RESULTS: competence was higher in girls and students from the ethnic-cultural majority. Empathy and social and emotional competencies were related to literacy competence. CONCLUSIONS: Literacy competence could be improved by targeting social and emotional development. New intervention programs could be based on the results.