Enhancing Irish students’ academic and social learning through encouraging engagement with emotional and social skills development.

Abstract

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) details the specific learning outcomes that must be achieved by all Irish academic syllabi.  However, this framework makes scant reference to the development of social and emotional skills.  Recent Irish research confirmed that many students do not engage with the opportunity to avail of emotional intelligence coaching as it is not a mandatory aspect of their curricula.  A revised version of the NFQ is therefore proposed, which incorporates learning outcomes related to emotional and social development at all levels of academic attainment.