The mediation role of social and emotional learning in the effect of school culture on school engagement in adolescents

The aim of this research is to examine the mediating role of social and emotional learning in the effect of students' school culture perceptions on their school engagement. A total of 365 (52.9% female, 47.1% male) students studying at two different high schools in Aydın province Efeler district participated in the research. The School Engagement Scale, The School Culture Scale, The Adolescents' Social and Emotional Learning Scale and Personal Information Form prepared by the researcher were used as data collection tools in the research. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis and the 4th model of Hayes' (2022) PROCESS procedure were used to test the research hypotheses. Direct and indirect effect estimates were examined using the Bootstrap method in 5000 samples. According to the results, it was determined that there were statistically significant positive relationships between school engagement and school culture, school engagement and social and emotional learning, school culture and social and emotional learning variables. It was determined that school culture significantly predicted school engagement in adolescents. In addition, it was concluded that the effect of school culture on social and emotional learning and the effect of social and emotional learning on school engagement statistically significant in a positive way. In the research model, all paths were determined to be statistically significant. According to the results obtained, it was found that the indirect effect of social and emotional learning was significant on the effect of school culture on school engagement in adolescents. Considering the adequacy of the indirect effect analysis, it was concluded that social emotional learning had a partial mediation effect on the effect of school culture on school engagement. In the field of guidance and psychological counseling, psycho-educations, group guidance activities and intervention programs can be carried out to increase students' school engagement, taking into account the school culture and the effect of social and emotional learning. In order to increase school engagement, interventions to strengthen school culture can be carried out in cooperation with school management, teachers and parents.