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Moldova Socioemotional Skills Assessment Summary

Core Content

This report presents the findings of the Moldova Socioemotional Skills Assessment, conducted in April 2019, aimed at evaluating the socioemotional skills of grade 9 students in Moldova. It is the first of its kind in the country, using internationally validated measures to assess students' socioemotional capabilities, which are critical for academic success, labor market performance, and overall well-being.

The assessment focused on five key domains of socioemotional skills:

• Working toward goals
• Exploring new horizons
• Managing emotions
• Engaging with others
• Caring for others

These domains are aligned with the Big Five Inventory (BFI-2), which is widely used in psychological research to measure socioemotional capabilities.

Main Points

Socioemotional Skills and Their Importance

• Socioemotional skills are noncognitive abilities that underpin academic, professional, and personal success.
• They include traits like perseverance, self-confidence, and compassion, which are as important as cognitive skills in explaining educational outcomes and well-being.
• These skills are particularly important for Moldova, where employers report significant shortages in socioemotional competencies, affecting productivity and business development.

Socioemotional Skills and Academic Performance

• The composite socioemotional skills measure showed strong predictive validity for math grades.
• Domain-specific skills such as 'working with others', 'engaging with others', and 'exploring new horizons' also correlated highly with math grades.
• These skills are essential for students to continue learning and succeed in society.

Socioemotional Skills and Well-being

• The composite socioemotional skills measure was also strongly associated with various indicators of well-being, including happiness, sense of belonging, and reduced exposure to bullying or victimization.
• Socioemotional skills contribute to students' emotional and social health, which in turn affects their academic and professional trajectories.

Gender Differences

• Girls generally self-report higher levels of socioemotional skills across most dimensions, such as 'engaging with others', 'caring for others', and 'working toward goals'.
• The only exception is 'managing emotions', where girls report lower levels than boys.

School and Family Influences

• Socioemotional skills are influenced by both school and family contexts.
• School-level factors that positively affect socioemotional skills include:
  • Fewer classroom disruptions
  • Higher-quality teachers (with more experience and better pedagogical practices)
  • Schools with a lower proportion of part-time teachers
• Family-level factors that are associated with higher socioemotional skills include:
  • Supportive and caring parents
  • Non-hostile family environments (no physical or verbal abuse)
  • Homes with more learning assets (e.g., quiet study spaces, books, computers)

Policy Implications

• The assessment highlights the need for systematic measurement and integration of socioemotional learning (SEL) into education policies and practices.
• Policy makers and educators are encouraged to:
  • Introduce regular socioemotional skills assessments at the system and school levels.
  • Develop curricula and teaching practices that foster socioemotional skills.
  • Promote SEL in existing education frameworks without requiring major reforms.
  • Implement inclusive and holistic approaches that involve teachers, parents, and students.
  • Start socioemotional learning early, as these skills are most malleable during childhood and adolescence.

Current Education System and Gaps

• Moldova has made progress in improving academic and cognitive skills, but socioemotional skills remain underdeveloped.
• The education system does not currently measure or monitor socioemotional development, limiting the ability of policymakers to address these skill gaps effectively.
• The government has introduced new curricula that include elements of SEL, such as 'Counseling and personal development' and 'Education for society', but these are not yet systematically assessed.

Key Information

• The Moldova Skills Measurement Survey (MSMS) and the Socioemotional Skills Assessment are part of a broader effort to understand the skill composition of the country's youth.
• The assessment involved 2,050 grade 9 students from 80 randomly selected schools.
• The data was collected through student questionnaires and school background questionnaires.
• The composite socioemotional skills measure explained a significant proportion of the variance in students' well-being and academic performance.
• Socioemotional skills are increasingly recognized as a key component of lifelong learning and human capital development.

Conclusion

The report emphasizes the importance of socioemotional skills in Moldova's educational and labor market outcomes. It calls for the integration of socioemotional learning into education systems and the development of policies that support the measurement and enhancement of these skills. The findings provide a foundation for future initiatives to improve socioemotional capabilities among students, aligning with global trends in education and workforce development.