By Dr. Kareem Ali & Dr. Dua’ Ghosheh
June 14, 2025
Educating the whole child requires intentional efforts to nurture the mind, body, and soul, a vision that Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) powerfully supports by addressing both academic achievement and emotional well-being (Corcoran et al., 2018). SEL is defined as the process through which students acquire and apply essential life skills – such as responsibility, empathy, communication, collaboration, flexibility, and innovation – that are foundational for success in school and beyond (Oliveira et al., 2021; Mahoney et al., 2020; Stevens, 2021). These competencies empower learners to manage emotions, cultivate empathy, maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Specifically, SEL encompasses five interrelated domains:
- Self-awareness: recognizing one’s emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior.
- Self-management: regulating emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.
- Social awareness: understanding and empathizing with others from diverse backgrounds.
- Relationship skills: establishing and maintaining healthy and rewarding relationships.
- Responsible decision-making: making ethical, constructive choices about personal and social behavior
To cultivate these capacities, educators are encouraged to embed SEL into instructional practices and school culture, thereby fostering environments that support students’ holistic development (Mahoney et al., 2020).
A robust pedagogical framework that integrates targeted strategies to elevate teaching practice is instrumental in cultivating SEL and promoting deeper learning, particularly in primary education (Kotsari & Smyrnaiou, 2021). One promising approach developed at Harvard University’s Project Zero is the use of Visible Thinking Routines (VTRs): a set of instructional strategies designed to make student thinking more visible, reflective, and accessible to themselves, their peers, and their teachers (Bilbao et al., 2021).
Rooted in diverse educational methodologies, Visible Thinking Routines (VTRs) are designed to foster deep cognitive engagement by encouraging students to examine and articulate their thought processes. When used consistently, these routines promote collaboration, idea-sharing, and the development of robust thinking skills (Gholam, 2018). They empower students to express their insights clearly and engage meaningfully in learning communities that value independence, critical inquiry, and intellectual curiosity. Within these environments, students are not only encouraged to question and listen but also to plan, create, and reflect—habits that cultivate lifelong learning across disciplines and grade levels (Ritchhart et al., 2011). This instructional model naturally aligns with the goals of social-emotional learning. As students collaborate and reflect within supportive learning environments, they build empathy, strengthen communication, and develop a sense of shared purpose.
In the Palestinian context, where schools are not only centers for academic learning but also vital institutions for emotional and social development, the potential of VTRs becomes especially significant. Palestinian schools strive to serve as safe and affirming spaces that nurture creativity, emotional growth, and resilience, despite the political and social challenges they face (Ghosheh Wahbeh et al., 2023). This aspirational climate, characterized by respect, appreciation, and encouragement, helps unlock students’ hidden talents and fosters their creative and emotional development (Alyemni, 2024). Research supports that such environments contribute meaningfully to the development of students’ social, emotional, and cognitive capacities (Jones et al., 2019). For example, students with strong SEL skills are better equipped to manage their behaviors positively (Alzahrani et al., 2019) and are more prepared for school success, exhibiting fewer externalizing behaviors (Lam et al., 2022).
Given the current global climate, marked by conflict, instability, and rising mental health challenges, there is an urgent need to prioritize children’s social and emotional well-being within education systems (Jerome et al., 2022). This need is particularly acute in regions such as Palestine, where children face compounded stressors from protracted political and social unrest. In such contexts, integrating SEL into daily school routines is essential for building a supportive, inclusive school culture (Al-Matari et al., 2022). Educational institutions are not only tasked with academic instruction but also with fostering emotional resilience, positive identity formation, and constructive social engagement. Integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) into Palestinian schools, therefore, offers a pathway to support students’ holistic development and equip them with the tools to navigate both local hardships and global uncertainty (Gimbert et al., 2023)
To investigate the potential relationship between social-emotional learning (SEL) and visible thinking routines (VTRs), a mixed-method case study was carried out at Al-Jania Basic Mixed School in the Ramallah governorate of Palestine. The study aimed to examine the influence of VTRs on the development of students’ SEL competencies by employing a mixed-methods research design that combined both qualitative and quantitative descriptive approaches. The qualitative component adopted a case study methodology. This was complemented by focus group discussions with six teachers who implemented VTRs, allowing for the collection of rich, reflective insights into their classroom practices.
On the quantitative side, a pre- and post-test questionnaire was administered to assess changes in students’ SEL skills, following the application of VTRs in instruction. The study included 108 students (60 males and 48 females), aged 7 to 9, from grades 2, 3, and 4. These students were taught through instruction intentionally designed around a variety of VTRs, which were embedded into the teaching of core academic content. The inclusion of both students and teachers in the research design provided a comprehensive view of the impact and implementation of VTRs in fostering SEL within the early elementary classroom context.
The findings of this study reveal a promising link between the use of VTRs and the development of students’ social-emotional skills in the early grades. Through structured observation and teacher reflection, it was noted that routines such as “Look, Think, Wonder” and “What Makes You Say That?” provided students with structured opportunities to engage in self-expression, perspective-taking, and emotional articulation. Students showed increased awareness of their emotions, demonstrated more respectful communication with peers, and exhibited curiosity and empathy during collaborative learning activities.
Moreover, the implementation of these routines helped teachers create a psychologically safe classroom atmosphere, where students felt heard and valued. Teachers reported that the visual and dialogic elements of VTRs made students’ thinking more transparent, allowing educators to respond with greater emotional sensitivity and instructional precision.
While this study is limited in scale, the results contribute to the growing body of evidence suggesting that VTRs can serve as powerful tools not only for cognitive development but also for nurturing SEL in early childhood settings. These findings highlight the potential of integrating thinking routines into classroom practices as a means of supporting holistic student development—cognitively, emotionally, and socially.
Recommendations for Enhancing SEL through Visible Thinking Routines (VTRs):
Based on the study’s findings, the following key recommendations are put forward to enhance the impact of Visible Thinking Routines (VTRs) on students’ social-emotional learning (SEL):
- Incorporate VTRs such as “Look, Think, Wonder” and “What Makes You Say That?” to support self-expression, perspective-taking, and emotional articulation.
- Embed VTRs into daily instructions to foster respectful communication, empathy, and curiosity among students.
- Use VTRs to create a psychologically safe learning environment where students feel heard, valued, and emotionally secure.
- Leverage the visual and dialogic nature of VTRs to make students’ thinking visible and respond with greater emotional sensitivity.
- Utilize student reflections and structured observations to improve the effectiveness of SEL through VTRs.
- Recognize and utilize VTRs as tools not only for cognitive development but also for nurturing social and emotional growth.
- Integrate VTRs systematically into school curricula to ensure consistent SEL development across subjects and grades.
- Provide ongoing teacher training focused on reflective, student-centered teaching practices and the use of VTRs.
- Ensure that schools offer sufficient resources and administrative support to overcome implementation challenges like time constraints and classroom diversity.
Resources:
Learn more about Project Zero’s Visible Thinking Routines
Learn more about SEL and the work of Harvard’s EASEL Lab
References:
Al-Matari, A., Al-Muqbali, M., Al-Ma’awli, E. (2022). The degree of students’ possession of social and emotional learning competencies in secondary schools of basic education in the Sultanate of Oman. International Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 11(4), 902-923.
Alyemni,N. (2024). Social-Emotional Learning Competencies and Her Relationship with Creative Self-Efficacy among Female Secondary School Students in Riyadh. Journal of Educational and Psychological Sciences, 17(3), 757-781.
Alzahrani, M., Alharbi, M., & Alodwani, A. (2019). The effect of social-emotional competence on children academic achievement and Behavioral Development. International Education Studies, 12(12), 141. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v12n12p141
Bilbao, N., Lopez de la Serna, A., Romero, A., & Tejada Garitano, E. (2021). Developing visible thinking and motivation through the curricular design of an escape room in higher education. Revista Electrónica Educare, 25(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.25-3.27
Corcoran, R. P., Cheung, A. C., Kim, E., and Xie, C. (2018). Effective universal school-based social and emotional learning programs for improving academic achievement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 years of research. Educ. Res. Rev. 25, 56–72. doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2017.12.001
Ghosheh Wahbeh, D.; Burgos, D.; Affouneh, S.(2023) Adopting the GHOSHEH Model to Create Innovative Open Educational Resources Based on Rogers’ Process for Diffusion of Innovations. Sustainability 15, 5427. Retrieved from: https:// doi.org/10.3390/su15065427
Gholam, A. (2018). Student engagement through visual thinking routines. Athens Journal of Education, 5(2), 161–172. https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.5-2-4
Gimbert, B. G., Miller, D., Herman, E., Breedlove, M., & Molina, C. E. (2023). Social Emotional Learning in Schools: The Importance of Educator Competence. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 18(1), 3–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/19427751211014920
Jerome, H. C., Glasgow, D., Zaharis, M., & Safer, L. A. (2022). Teachers’ Perceptions on the Impacts of Social Emotional Learning Program Implementation. In Education Leadership Review (Vol. 23, Issue 1).
Jones, S. M., McGarrah, M. W., & Kahn, J. (2019). Social and Emotional Learning: A Principled Science of Human Development in Context. Educational Psychologist, 54(3), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2019.1625776
Kotsari, K. & Smyrnaiou, Z. (2021). Cultivating Social-Emotional Learning and Deeper Learning Skills through the Design and Implementation of Creative and Improvisational Activities in Science Education. The European Conference on Education 2021, 35-42. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2021.3
Lam, C. B., Chung, K. K. H., Lam, C. S., & Li, X. (2022). Linking social-emotional competence to behavioral and academic adjustment among Chinese Kindergarten Children: A multilevel approach. Early Education and Development, 33(5), 832–845. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1979836
Mahoney, J. L., Weissberg, R. P., Greenberg, M. T., & Yoder, N., et al. (2020). Systemic social and emotional learning: Promoting educational success for all preschool to high school students. American Psychologist, 76(7), 1128–1142. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000701
Oliveira S., Roberto MS, Pereira NS., Marques-Pinto A and Veiga-Simão AM. (2021). Impacts of Social and Emotional Learning Interventions for Teachers on Teachers’ Outcomes: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front. Psychol, 12(677217). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.677217
Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: How to promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. The Main Idea – Making Thinking Visible. Retrieved from: https://moe.edu.ps/m/4541
Stevens, H. (2021). School Counseling and Social Emotional Learning Programs. Journal of School Counseling, 19(19).