Content and context for learning relationships : a cohesive framework for individual and whole school development

There is a growing body of research in the field of emotional and social literacy, together with much debate about what this means and what it includes. There is now widespread agreement about the importance of connectedness and the benefits of actively developing intra- and inter-personal skills for healthy relationships and well-being. There are, however, diverse views about the detailed content of programmes, together with a concern about pedagogy, process and the ethos in which programmes are embedded. This has implications for the sustainability of positive change. This theoretical paper, based on a review of the literature, related research studies and reflections on experience, offers a framework for the interaction of content and context across 11 dimensions of social and emotional literacy.