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Enhancing School Crisis Prevention Immunity through Moral Education: Insights from the Framework of Social and Emotional Learning

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Title: Enhancing School Crisis Prevention Immunity through Moral Education: Insights from the Framework of Social and Emotional Learning
Language: English
Authors: Yayoi Watanabe (ORCID 0000-0001-8447-0242)
Source: Journal of Moral Education. 2025 54(3):389-406.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 18
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Ethical Instruction, Crisis Management, Prevention, Social Emotional Learning, Moral Development, Well Being, Foreign Countries, Student Development, Prosocial Behavior, Academic Achievement, Holistic Approach, Evidence Based Practice, Decision Making, Interpersonal Competence, Emotional Intelligence
Geographic Terms: Japan
DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2024.2437198
ISSN: 0305-7240
1465-3877
Abstract: This article introduces current initiatives in moral education and discusses the future direction of its practice. Moral education has recently been designated in the Japanese curriculum as a 'special subject,' prompted by increasing school crises such as bullying. However, practices in moral education instruction lack an evidence-based approach. One key to achieving true effectiveness lies in the new framework of Social and Emotional Learning, with multiple evidence-based approaches proposed. The aim has shifted toward helping students not only become 'more prosocial' and 'moral' but also achieve a 'healthier' state of well-being. To nurture students' abilities, a moral approach that contributes to each student's personal development, academic success, and social impact is required. In this context, considering the development of both the individual and the ever-influential environment, this article proposes a direction for moral education in the future, highlighting the importance of holistic approaches to foster healthy development in students.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1488888
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0187843125;moe01sep.25;2025Sep11.06:13;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0187843125-1">Enhancing school crisis prevention immunity through moral education: Insights from the framework of social and emotional learning </title> <p>This article introduces current initiatives in moral education and discusses the future direction of its practice. Moral education has recently been designated in the Japanese curriculum as a 'special subject,' prompted by increasing school crises such as bullying. However, practices in moral education instruction lack an evidence-based approach. One key to achieving true effectiveness lies in the new framework of Social and Emotional Learning, with multiple evidence-based approaches proposed. The aim has shifted toward helping students not only become 'more prosocial' and 'moral' but also achieve a 'healthier' state of well-being. To nurture students' abilities, a moral approach that contributes to each student's personal development, academic success, and social impact is required. In this context, considering the development of both the individual and the ever-influential environment, this article proposes a direction for moral education in the future, highlighting the importance of holistic approaches to foster healthy development in students.</p> <p>Keywords: Moral education; social and emotional learning; development; well-being</p> <p>Drawing from the field of psychology, this article introduces current practices in moral education and discusses which practices should be implemented in the future. Amid a sense of crisis about problems in schools, including bullying, recent editions of Japan's curriculum course guidelines have specified moral education as a 'special' subject. However, there remains a lack of evidence-based practices for moral education instruction. To meaningfully advance 'moral education involving thinking and discussion,' I argue that it is crucial to simultaneously foster social-emotional competencies while also cultivating cognitive perspectives such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Given that moral development is essential for well-being, educators must convert theory into practical knowledge to prevent everyday threats to students' well-being and equip them with the skills to overcome the challenges they face. A key to achieving these outcomes is a new framework, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), which has inspired numerous practical and evidence-based approaches. Students must acquire more than just the competences for a more prosocial and moral life; they also need the competences for a healthier life, contributing to well-being for themselves and society. What skills will students require to meet the challenges of a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous future? To nurture healthy skills in students, there is a need for an approach that helps them develop into well-rounded individuals, succeed academically and contribute to their communities. As learners do not develop in a vacuum but are always influenced by environmental factors, this article introduces relevant theoretical frameworks, provides examples of evidence-based practices and offers suggestions on how to promote moral education in the future.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-2">The state of students today, the global educational outlook</hd> <p>The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released the OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030 which comprises a vision for education and a set of principles aligned with this vision. The vision includes a learning framework that sets out a direction for education systems worldwide and emphasizes the goal of well-being. Students today face a future characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. According to Gratton and Scott ([<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref1">8</reflink>]), people's lifecycles and approaches to life will change in unimaginable ways because of prolonged lifespans. In Japan, life expectancy in 1955 was 67.75 years for women and 63.60 years for men. This life expectancy had increased by 20 years in 2019, when it was an average of 87.45 years for women and 81.41 years for men (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare [MHLW], [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref2">27</reflink>]). In this context, the traditionally envisaged three-stage lifecycle of education, work and retirement may no longer be feasible as a life strategy.</p> <p>Meanwhile, we have seen strides in technological innovation in medicine and other sectors, and we stand on the cusp of the rise of a new era of advanced and transformative technologies. Such technology has raised hopes of new opportunities, but concerns abound regarding the moral issues associated with advanced technologies, including its role in proliferating deepfakes and other malicious content. It is, therefore, essential to offer a form of moral education that provides students with guiding principles for life. It is also critical to go beyond idealistic and abstract discourse and consider, in practical terms, what content should be taught and how. In a 7 January 2024, article in the Japanese newspaper <emph>Yomiuri Shimbun</emph>, philosopher Markus Gabriel argued that as we enter the age of digital capitalism, we should identify new norms for human society, find solutions to moral problems and enact them in practice (Gabriel, [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref3">7</reflink>]). Thus, this seems an opportune juncture to consider what education to provide and how it should be provided.</p> <p>The OECD ([<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref4">31</reflink>]) envisions children as active agents with a 'learning compass' that empowers them to navigate the challenges they encounter throughout their lives and fosters the ability to solve problems independently. As shown in Figure 1, the center of the compass consists of competencies, with the four directions as psychological variables, including values, knowledge, attitudes and skills. The outer ring of the compass comprises the transformative competencies of creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas and taking responsibility. The compass rotates clockwise, creating a cycle of reflection, anticipation and action.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. OECD learning compass 2030. Source: OECD ([<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref5">30</reflink>]).</p> <p>If well-being is the destination, then living is the pathway up the hill. A real-life compass is, in fact, indispensable for preempting many of the dangers associated with climbing a hill. As such, we must consider the kind of compass students need to guide them in their development. The compass must not end up just as a theoretical concept with no practical effect. Though not shown in Figure 1, it is now understood that students require not only competences for a more prosocial and moral life but also those that lead to a healthier life. This article asserts the need to build a body of evidence-based practices for prevention education, a universal approach that seeks to deter problems by fostering a healthy learning environment (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref6">44</reflink>]).</p> <p>SEL is a key method for building this body of evidence-based practices. It was developed in the late 1990s and aims to develop well-rounded individuals and prevent threats to well-being in schools. Invoking Bronfenbrenner's ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref7">1</reflink>]) ecological systems theory, SEL casts human society as a macro system. The development of information science has led to increasingly granular taxonomical approaches that subdivide human activity into different objectives. Digitalization has also made evaluations and appraisals increasingly rational, systematic and timely. In this digital society, fatigue has become widespread, possibly as a result of people over-emphasizing the cognitive components of life strategies. People tend to prioritize thinking skills such as reason, contemplation and willpower. However, when an individual suppresses or rejects their feelings and pursues a goal based on reason and willpower alone, they tend to become stressed, as if they are constantly battling against themselves. Thus, it now seems clear that over-emphasizing cognitive skills can threaten well-being. Heckman ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref8">12</reflink>]) and Schoon et al. ([<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref9">35</reflink>]) emphasize the importance of developing social and emotional skills in early childhood as a critical factor for long-term success. These authors illustrate a growing consensus that greater priority should be placed on non-cognitive skills and social and emotional skills such as inner security, gratitude, pride, resilience and empathy. Crucially, students require social and emotional skills to obtain the values, language, attitudes and norms required to navigate the social and cultural forces in their immediate home environment and in the mesosystem of the school (Watanabe & Koizumi, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref10">49</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-3">From character education to social and emotional learning</hd> <p>SEL has already been introduced at the foundations of learning in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. It is promoted by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL; https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/), a non-profit founded in Chicago in 1994. In 1997, CASEL partnered with the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) to publish clear guidelines on SEL. CASEL defines SEL as the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. According to this definition, rather than being a single program, SEL is a holistic system for continuously supporting character development in students, and one that can be considered a grand educational project. The SEL advocated by CASEL aims to equip students with the five areas of competence (the 'CASEL 5'): self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management and relationship skills. Elias et al. ([<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref11">6</reflink>]) argued that practices based on character education (Lickona, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref12">18</reflink>]) and moral—cognitive development (Kohlberg & Hersh, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref13">16</reflink>]; Lapsley, [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref14">17</reflink>]) are fused with the principles of SEL.</p> <p>CASEL (https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/) advocates a coordinated educational practice that spans different subjects, programs and curricula and aims to eventually equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This approach also emphasizes increasingly broad social contexts extending from the individual to the classroom, school, family, community and nation. CASEL specifies strategies to establish a learning environment and learning experiences that feature 'trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation.' The coordinated educational practices should always promote 'educational equity and excellence' and 'address various forms of inequity.' They are also meant to 'empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities.' In Japan, the National Institute for Educational Policy Research ([<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref15">29</reflink>]) now shares SEL best practices from around the world, including vast volumes of data regarding the development of social and emotional skills, with a report published in 2024. In addition, several Japanese organizations, including the Japanese Group of Social and Emotional Learning (https://j-sel.org/) and SEL Japan (https://seljapan.org/english/), have been formed to disseminate SEL principles.</p> <p>However, though schools in some local authorities in Japan have shown interest in SEL and started engaging in moral education, they are still a minority (Watanabe & Koizumi, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref16">49</reflink>]). While the trends seen in moral education in Japan suggest that SEL concepts like empathy are being given greater weight in the country, Japan's educational climate remains risk-averse, with educators relying on precedent and fearing the risk of failure from trying something new. Thus, although many may express interest in SEL, this interest seldom leads to implementation. Further, as long as the government calls on schools to comply with its workstyle reform agenda (which aims to curb excessive working hours), it must avoid placing even greater burden on teachers, who tend to work long hours in schools. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provides e-learning content on SEL as part of an effort to build infrastructure for informing interested teachers about SEL. This approach enables busy teachers to learn about moral education whenever and wherever they wish. MEXT plans to verify the outcomes of these efforts.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-4">The history of efforts to address the school crisis</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187843125-5">International background</hd> <p>The background to the rise of SEL has been discussed in the Japanese literature (Yamazaki et al., [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref17">53</reflink>]). During the 1990s, the USA experienced a severe youth crisis. Drug abuse, interpersonal violence and sexual assault had become widespread among young people, leading to calls for an approach to prevent such problems. In 1995, the country introduced a policy in which police officers would visit schools, delivering guidance to 5.5 million students in elementary and secondary education. However, the policy proved disappointing. Some years later, President Bush pursued a school reform agenda, with Congress passing the No Child Left Behind Act. This act was coupled with other measures such as a zero-tolerance policy, which involved schools strictly enforcing penalties for problematic behavior. Nevertheless, it was later reported that the policy had produced the reverse of what had been intended; by causing a mass of suspensions and expulsions, it deprived students of opportunities for moral and social development, resulting in even more delinquency. The policy's failure led to increasing attention being paid to emotional competence and emotional literacy. The educational establishment increasingly adopted a mindset that regarded social and emotional development as essential for enhancing authentic academic development and mental wellness.</p> <p>In 1997, CASEL and ASCD issued the 'Guidelines for Educators.' This document provided guidelines for comprehensive and coordinated SEL programming beginning in kindergarten and continuing through to grade 12 (age 17). Over the next 20 years, CASEL and its partners pioneered important research and initiatives, leading to a body of evidence, which CASEL then used to issue a new set of guidelines for educators. The community of researchers and teachers interested in SEL developed, culminating in a set of evidence-based standards for SEL programming that covered students from kindergarten to the end of senior high school. The startling progress in CASEL's momentum is illustrated by the <emph>Handbook of Social and Emotional Learning</emph> (Durlak et al., [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref18">4</reflink>]): Addressing all aspects of SEL and containing contributions from nearly 100 authors, this book testifies to the progress in this area.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-6">Prevention education in Japan today</hd> <p>Bullying is one of the greatest crises in schools, including those in Japan. Since 2006, Matsumoto et al. ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref19">19</reflink>]) has published the numbers of confirmed bullying cases on its website. As the statistics show, bullying cases have continued to rise since the start of Japan's Reiwa era in 2019. Alarmingly, bullying is occurring among ever younger age groups, with incidences rising in elementary schools (see Figure 2). At all tiers of education, the most prominent type of bullying is that which involves 'teasing, slander, threats, or other types of verbal abuse' (MEXT, [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref20">24</reflink>]). Online bullying is another concern, especially among high-school students. As bullying has resulted in many cases of suicide, MEXT has set aside budgets for early detection, prevention strategies and consultation support as part of its Basic Anti-bullying Strategy and Third Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education, which accord with the Act for the Promotion of Measures to Prevent Bullying (MEXT, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref21">21</reflink>]). Efforts to prevent bullying have previously been hampered by the deficiencies of a vertically structured government, in which MEXT, the MHLW and the Cabinet Office operated as silos. In 2023, the Child Welfare Act was passed to enable a more collaborative and unified approach. The government also established the Children and Families Agency to safeguard the rights and interests of children and deliver comprehensive, seamless support to children experiencing problems and stress.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 2. Trends in the recognition rate of bullying.</p> <p>MEXT ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref22">22</reflink>]) has taken several measures to address bullying. It advocates programs for character development and social development along with experiential, interactive programs for a healthy learning environment, including nature experiences, experiences in rural communities and arts and culture experiences. The Ministry also recommends digital moral education programs, delivered through digital devices provided to each student, to nurture respect for others' rights and responsible behavior in digital environments.</p> <p>MEXT notes that the success of these programs requires teachers to enhance their expertise. To this end, it provides moral education training (the title means 'moral education promotion training') for teachers and supervisors. It also provides a subsidized leveling-up program (the title means 'teacher training leveling-up promotion support program'), which consists of a training package to equip teachers with the skills necessary to engage in moral education.</p> <p>MEXT has also defined core programs linked with moral education. One program is designed to prevent bullying, or detect and address it early, and provide consultation support (the title means 'bullying countermeasures and truancy support general promotion program'). Another program promotes experiential, interactive learning and digital moral education (the title means 'program for equipping children with rich humanity and sociability'). An additional program combines the moral education training and leveling-up program (the title means 'program for leveling-up teachers' expertise').</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-7">Toward moral education</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187843125-8">Hurdles to rolling out moral education</hd> <p>Educational instruction in Japan is based on the government's curriculum course guidelines. The 2015 curriculum course guidelines classify moral education as a 'special' subject ('special subject: moral [education]'). This classification aimed to encourage a qualitative transition toward an approach that emphasizes 'moral [education] involving thinking and discussion,' in which students consider moral questions with no one correct answer and relate the questions to their own lives. Past practices in moral education were focused on reading-based tasks. These tasks went no further than requiring students to answer questions about what the characters depicted in the text may be feeling or thinking. This approach was criticized on the basis that students ended up simply parroting, in speech or in writing, anti-bullying rhetoric, without engaging mindfully with the concepts. Such criticism led to improvements that were designed to nurture students' competence to engage in real-life bullying problems. Students would now be asked to think about what they would do in the situation in order to encourage them to personally relate to the issue, consider it from multiple angles and discuss it with others.</p> <p>However, to develop 'moral education involving thinking and discussing' that is substantial, I argue that it is crucial to simultaneously develop social-emotional aspects while also drawing out cognitive perspectives such as 'thinking skills' and 'problem-solving skills.' This approach is essential from early childhood education onward, as noted in a report by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref23">28</reflink>]). This report addresses approximately 60 social-emotional abilities demonstrated in daily life, targeting children from infancy to adolescence. The report summarizes the definitions of each ability, measurement methods and the factors influencing its development and provides a review of previous related studies.</p> <p>In recent years, curriculums that foster 'non-cognitive abilities' in addition to cognitive abilities have, thus, been incorporated into the textbooks used in moral education classes. This view does not imply that the social-emotional aspect is more important than thinking and discussing, but rather that both are inseparable. In Japanese schools, there is still a tendency for children to spend time on studies that emphasize thinking and memorization skills, such as attending cram sessions after regular school hours. For students to enjoy the fun of thinking and discover what they do not understand through discussions with peers, an educational paradigm is needed that goes beyond a sole emphasis on measurable outcomes, such as proficiency in reading textbooks or narratives, and instead integrates diverse instructional methods to cultivate a love of learning and promote emotional growth.</p> <p>In reality, upper elementary school students, for example, are expected to be at a developmental stage where they can think rationally from a third-party perspective. However, children facing school crises often have an underdeveloped sense of morality. These children are not yet fully capable of noticing, understanding, expressing or empathizing with their own and others' emotions or controlling their emotions. Owing to changes in play caused by declining birthrates and changing lifestyles, the opportunities to play with children of different ages from early childhood onward have decreased, and more time is spent on digital games and smartphones (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref24">47</reflink>]). This has led to children having fewer experiences of real-life interpersonal relationships where they will experience various conflicts and acquire social-emotional skills. Consequently, it seems difficult for children to think deeply about textbook-based readings. In a culture that overly emphasizes knowledge, it is not uncommon to observe children responding in a superficially correct but cold manner. In this sense, fostering social-emotional skills, as emphasized by the OECD and CASEL, is important.</p> <p>Therefore, while embracing the principles of SEL, it is crucial to go beyond mere implementation of specific programs. Instead, efforts should focus on fostering an environment that prioritizes face-to-face interactions, minimizes overreliance on online platforms, and encourages ample opportunities for unstructured, imaginative play—key foundations for holistic social-emotional development.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-9">Evidence-based practices for moral education</hd> <p>The next hurdle concerns the lack of evidence-based practices for moral education. The Japanese government has set out initiatives for educators to implement; however, in actual learning settings, educators lack precise guidelines on how to collaborate. Research findings that could enlighten teachers about moral education initiatives and an idea of exactly how to implement these initiatives are also scarce. Crucially, educators still lack a clear roadmap for applying the findings of research on moral education. MEXT ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref25">23</reflink>]) recognizes this problem: While acknowledging that some aspects of education cannot be easily quantified, MEXT understands the need to collect and analyze as much data as possible so that rounded, well-informed decisions can be made about education strategy. When engaging in evidence-based policymaking in this area, and considering the particularities of the education strategy, policymakers should provide educators with detailed guidelines on moral education that are informed by findings about moral development and behavioral changes. A theoretical framework and set of practices, informed by the findings of psychological research, that aims to guide moral education Japan is outlined below.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-10">Development of moral decision-making</hd> <p>The 1970s saw a boom in developmental research on moral and pro-social behavior. Much was written about the factors that determine whether people will, like Good Samaritans, intervene to help strangers. These factors include inter-individual factors, developmental factors, gender and an interplay of dispositional factors with situational factors. The topic garnered interest following the case of Kitty Genovese, who was murdered in 1964 in full view of many witnesses, none of whom had intervened to save her (Rosenthal, [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref26">33</reflink>]). The case raised questions about pro-social behavior. Developmental psychologists, in particular, became increasingly interested in children's moral development in everyday settings—how they accumulate various experiences, the process they undertake to discern right from wrong and what moral values they acquire. These psychologists became increasingly focused on decision-making for engaging in pro-social behavior (behavior that benefits others, such as giving, sharing or helping). Thus, the concept of pro-social behavior was, at this time, being used interchangeably with moral behavior.</p> <p>In Japan, pro-social behavior started attracting scholarly interest after the bullying problem sparked concerns about poor social perspective coordination, which was blamed for students' lack of a sense of justice or ability to imagine another person's perspective. Selman's ([<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref27">36</reflink>]) social perspective coordination competence and Damon's ([<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref28">3</reflink>]) conception of positive justice gained attention in Japan. Previous research (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref29">42</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref30">43</reflink>]) has identified similar developmental stages and introduced these concepts in the context of moral education in Japan. With the literature suggesting that the acquisition of social perspective coordination competence was essential in preventing bullying, a program for this purpose was rolled out in Japan at all levels of education from kindergarten to high school. The program, known as 'Voices of Love and Freedom,' incorporates various forms of active learning to help students imagine another person's perspective, instead of just thinking of themselves. Voices of Love and Freedom has been described in the literature as education for nurturing empathy (Kobayashi et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref31">15</reflink>]; Selman & Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref32">37</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-11">Social skills training for encouraging moral behavior</hd> <p>No matter how much moral decision-making is improved, the problem of bullying can never be resolved unless moral behavior is enacted in reality. Accordingly, educators have started developing teaching practices that focus on training students to enact specific pro-social behaviors. One such intervention, which was guided by cognitive behavioral theory, applied social skills training (SST) in moral education (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref33">45</reflink>]). The purpose was to help students acquire the behavioral skills for effective interpersonal interactions. Instead of just focusing on an intrapersonal perspective, STT emphasizes the acquisition of interpersonal modules. Rather than attributing youth problems to personality, it views the problems as stemming from underdeveloped social skills because it is focused on encouraging a positive mindset, in which the person believes they can change with training. SST was initially introduced in clinical settings like hospitals and rehabilitation facilities; however, it is currently applied in general schools and incorporated into student guidance and moral education in Japan. Digital tools have been developed for assessment in moral education (Craig et al., [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref34">2</reflink>]), and SST-based practices have been introduced in textbooks used in moral education classes.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-12">Recent research trends that create momentum for moral education</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187843125-13">From cognitive to non-cognitive competence</hd> <p>Although attention shifted from cognitive competence toward an emphasis on the acquisition of pro-social behavior, bullying remained as rife as ever. The focus then shifted to emotion. Concerns arose about children's lack of basic emotional awareness and their poor emotional vocabulary. Subsequently, the idea that children have underdeveloped emotional literacy attracted interest. A factor related to this trend was a change in the theory of intelligence. With social intelligence garnering attention, scientists and economists became increasingly interested in the development of psychological aspects such as social and emotional competences. Although scholars had once shown interest in intelligence quotient (IQ) in terms of verbal intelligence and logical-mathematical intelligence, they were now increasingly interested in interpersonal and emotional competence. This trend can also be seen in the research on human-like robots. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have greatly improved verbal intelligence, but robots still lack the ability to read non-verbal cues such as emotions and gestures, or express or control emotions themselves. In the future, this trend may yield insights for understanding the mechanisms underlying emotions (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref35">46</reflink>]).</p> <p>A key publication in the literature on emotions is that of Mayer and Salovey ([<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref36">20</reflink>]), who developed their own theory on emotional intelligence (often abbreviated as 'EI'). In the field of developmental psychology, Saarni ([<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref37">34</reflink>]) underscored the importance of emotional competence and argued that emotions play a critical role in problem solving and moral education. She proposed a holistic concept of emotional competence that encompasses self, ego-identity, morality and developmental perspectives. She also identified eight skills that lead to such emotional competence: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref38">1</reflink>) being aware of one's own emotions, (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref39">2</reflink>) being able to discern others' emotions, (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref40">3</reflink>) using the vocabulary of emotion and expression, (<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref41">4</reflink>) having the capacity for empathic involvement, (<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref42">5</reflink>) being able to differentiate internal emotional experience from external emotional expression, (<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref43">6</reflink>) being able to cope adaptively with aversive emotions and distressing circumstances, (<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref44">7</reflink>) being aware of emotional communication within relationships, and (<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref45">8</reflink>) having the capacity for emotional self-efficacy.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-14">Acquisition of emotional literacy as the foundation for moral emotion</hd> <p>The term 'competence' often connotes a potential ability. However, the concept has been defined a little too abstractly and ambiguously to be of use in the context of education and learner support, and practitioners now prefer the term 'emotional literacy.' Hein ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref46">13</reflink>]) suggested that emotional literacy could be defined as the ability to express feelings in a three-word sentence: 'I feel [adjective].' As children develop, they are expected to gain greater awareness of the world that exists around them and to deal with the everyday problems they face. A particular situation may elicit several kinds of emotion in a child, contributing to the child's experience: The child gains experience in identifying what kinds of emotion they feel and learns that communicating these feelings to others helps resolve the situation. Simultaneously, when children begin to understand the verbalized emotions of others ('I feel angry,' 'I feel sad'), they start to verbalize their own emotions to others. In turn, the child learns to understand another person's psychological state when that person verbalizes their feelings, leading to the child gaining a better understanding about interpersonal mechanisms and the ability to change them. In this way, the child acquires a theory of the mind. Rather than being acquired naturally, emotional literacy is acquired through interactions with parents and friends and in acts of play with various participants in play times and spaces. With an accumulation of interactive exchanges involving the communication of messages such as 'don't be a crybaby' or 'you have a right to say "no,"' children are likely to acquire the emotional literacy necessary to solve problems. Only once children have acquired this foundation of emotional literacy and understood the relationship between the self and others can they understand and express moral emotions such as feeling guilty, achieving mutual understanding and feeling ashamed at failing to do the right thing (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref47">46</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-15">The impact of emotional intelligence on other variables</hd> <p>The interest in emotional intelligence was addressed in a major project by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research, which focused on emotional intelligence prior to 2024. The Institute released a report in 2024 that indicated that among the social-emotional abilities, 'emotional intelligence' was strongly related to class adaptation and physical and mental health, suggesting the importance of nurturing emotional intelligence during this period. This report used children's self-assessments, thus investigating how children subjectively evaluate themselves. However, even when recording subjective awareness, children who rated themselves high in emotional intelligence were also well-adapted to their classes and had higher well-being. The results are highly suggestive when considering content and methods for future moral education. This report also presents the findings of a longitudinal study conducted on students from sixth grade in elementary school to first grade in junior high school. Fascinatingly, the collected knowledge from longitudinal studies revealed how social-emotional abilities and academic performance are predictively interconnected with children's school life and physical and mental health both simultaneously and at different times. Overall, a high level of emotional intelligence showed a positive correlation with class adaptation, achievement-related emotions and well-being. The promotive effect of emotional intelligence on various psychosocial adaptations has been clearly demonstrated by numerous previous studies both in Japan and internationally (Hakoda & Endo, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref48">9</reflink>]). The fact that this trend was almost entirely consistent is noteworthy.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-16">Specific interventions for SEL</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0187843125-17">Growing interest</hd> <p>In addition to bullying, children's mental health is a topic of great interest for Japanese educators and parents. Mental health has been shown to predict various long-term outcomes such as academic performance, physical health and socioeconomic status in adulthood. Emotional issues like depression and anxiety are cited as the most common mental health problems among Japanese children (MEXT, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref49">25</reflink>]; MHLW, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref50">26</reflink>]). Statistically, there has been an increase in incidents of violence against other students, teachers and others reported by schools, as well as problem behaviors characterized by violence and aggression. Additionally, the number of children in elementary and junior high schools in Japan who refuse to attend school is also increasing (MEXT, [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref51">25</reflink>]; MHLW, [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref52">26</reflink>]). These statistics highlight the urgency for early intervention measures to promote the mental health of school-age children in Japan and reduce related issues, such as suicide, truancy and bullying.</p> <p>Nevertheless, universal SEL programs targeting all students are not as common in early interventions in Japan as in Western societies. Academic reports on the prevention of school crises mainly focus on SST (Harada & Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref53">10</reflink>]) and stress management (Tanaka et al., [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref54">41</reflink>]). However, the importance of emotional literacy and emotional education for mental health has been repeatedly noted (Watanabe & Koizumi, [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref55">49</reflink>]). Programs that include multiple emotional elements, for example, activities to help children recognize their own and others' emotions and improve emotional regulation, are being implemented within the framework of SEL.</p> <p>Although empirical research in Japan remains limited, H. Takizawa et al. ([<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref56">38</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref57">39</reflink>]) conducted a meta-analysis of the effects of universal SEL programs, using the framework established by Durlak et al. ([<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref58">5</reflink>]) in their US-based meta-analysis. The results suggested that universal SEL programs have small but significant immediate effects on improving the social-emotional abilities of Japanese children. The analysis included studies targeting children aged 5 to 18, from early childhood to adolescence. Despite socio-cultural differences, the observed effect sizes in this meta-analysis were comparable to those reported in meta-analyses conducted in Western contexts, emphasizing that SEL programs are effective in promoting positive social behaviors and reducing emotional problems. As such, expanding the implementation of SEL programs could potentially have an indirect impact on these important long-term outcomes, leading to improved academic performance, better physical health and higher socioeconomic status in adulthood.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-18">Advanced SEL initiatives</hd> <p>It has been pointed out that SEL can also improve students' social and emotional abilities in Japan (Osher et al., [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref59">32</reflink>]). In recent years, practices implemented within the SEL framework have been observed in Japan, although there is variation in the target age groups. Y. Yamada and Koizumi's ([<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref60">52</reflink>]) study, which targeted kindergarten children, examined the effects of the 'Social and Emotional Learning of Eight Abilities in Kindergarten' (K. Yamada & Koizumi, [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref61">51</reflink>]) intervention program on the social behavior of kindergarten children. Participating children (<emph>n</emph> = 265) received 13 sessions (15–20 minutes each) over eight months. The results indicated improvements in the children's peer relationships and prosociality according to their scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. This intervention is considered potentially useful in preventing 'first-grade problems,' that is, the issues children face when transitioning to elementary school.</p> <p>Another study by Kimura and Koizumi ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref62">14</reflink>]) evaluated the impact of SEL on bullying prevention among junior high school students. A total of 151 eighth graders from five classes were divided into an SEL group (88 students, three classes) and a control group (63 students, two classes) to compare the effects of the intervention. The sessions were 50 minutes each and were delivered by schoolteachers. The first session taught children problem-solving skills to help bullying victims, and the second session used role-play to teach the necessary skills to protect these victims. The results showed an increase in self-efficacy to stop bullying among bystanders and observers after the second session. This increase in self-efficacy was maintained during the follow-up. Students with higher social skills were shown to be more resistant to bullying than those with lower social skills. These results suggest that training delivered by teachers can be effective in bullying prevention.</p> <p>In Matsumoto et al.'s ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref63">19</reflink>]) study, teachers were asked to implement a program of eight 20-minute sessions after school for a group of first graders (6–7 years old). The results indicated that the program was effective in promoting psychological health, enhancing awareness of social support and increasing prosocial behavior.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Watanabe et al. ([<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref64">48</reflink>]) assessed the effects of SEL on prosocial behavior as part of moral education, targeting 131 second and third graders. SEL was implemented in three Japanese elementary school classrooms for two weeks, and perceptions of the classroom atmosphere were surveyed before and after implementation. The target skill was teaching students to say warm and kind words to their friends. The same process was implemented in the three classrooms at staggered times to determine the effects of SEL implementation. As a reinforcement method, the 'visualization of feelings' approach was introduced. In one classroom, children were encouraged to put stickers on the wall when they received kind words, whereas in the other two classrooms, a method using fluffy balls to fill a jar was employed. As a result, the motivation for children to say kind words to each other increased, and the percentage of students who perceived the classroom atmosphere as warm also increased at the two-week follow-up. The SEL lessons using the fluffy ball reinforcement system were particularly associated with improvements in classroom atmosphere, especially in the sense of order in the classroom.</p> <p>The above review indicates that several studies demonstrating the effectiveness of SEL were conducted simultaneously around 2020 and that statistically significant effects have been reported.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-19">Future challenges</hd> <p>In the preceding sections, I have discussed the current practice of moral education in Japan. To conclude, I will review the challenges related to integrating psychological education into Japan's moral education and suggest directions for further research in this area.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-20">Enhancing teachers' SEL awareness</hd> <p>To improve students' social and emotional skills, it is first necessary to improve teachers' competences (Talvio & Lonka, [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref65">40</reflink>]). SEL was mentioned in the updated set of guidelines on student instruction published by MEXT in 2022. However, most teachers had few opportunities to learn what SEL means and how to incorporate it into their teaching practice. Consequently, MEXT began to provide an e-learning module that busy teachers could engage in at their own convenience. This module covers the principles of SEL, the role it plays in curricula in Japan, organizational matters (such as who teaches it), approaches for assessing SEL outcomes and examples of teaching plans used in actual classes. MEXT has also created a video describing the five areas of competence in SEL, as defined by CASEL. The Ministry is currently assessing the outcomes of this training content (Watanabe, [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref66">47</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-21">Using SEL-based digital media in moral education classes</hd> <p>The 2020 edition of Japan's curriculum course guidelines mentioned concepts such as active learning, that is, learning that involves engaged and reflective interactions and dialogue. With an awareness of such concepts, educators have been developing SEL-oriented programs to equip students with the basic, thinking and practical skills required for well-being. One example is Mirai Growth, a program for nurturing mindfulness, SEL and academic skills. Mirai Growth is currently being monitored in several schools (Watanabe et al., [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref67">50</reflink>]). To identify the effects of the program, intervention groups are compared at pre-training and post-training with a control group to determine changes in the quality of learning. The psychometric results thus far indicate that learners in the intervention groups had more developed social and emotional skills (e.g., being aware of their own strengths).</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-22">Using evidence</hd> <p>Finally, it is necessary to clarify whether such interventions are effective in reducing school problems such as bullying. We would fail to advance the discussion on the hurdles facing moral education unless we do away with the notion that hard data are alien to the educational field. We should instead focus on whether actual results can be presented as objective data and then persuade practitioners and researchers that data-based evidence is vital for sustainable improvements in education. This will lead to better quality education (Watanabe et al., [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref68">48</reflink>]). We need to verify research designs for enabling changes in emotions, thinking and behavior and create guidelines for practice and research.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-23">Introduction of culturally respectful SEL</hd> <p>In practice, it has been pointed out that there are challenges in directly introducing SEL, which was developed in North America, into Japan (Hayashi et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref69">11</reflink>]). This is because there are differences in non-verbal expressions and the behaviors required in specific contexts. As such, the necessity of an emic approach, which emphasizes how people within a culture perceive and give meaning to the world, has been highlighted (Hayashi et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref70">11</reflink>]). This approach aims to explain phenomena from the unique perspective of a particular culture, considering its specific values, beliefs and customs, rather than through external generalizations or comparisons. Japan has a unique culture that is difficult to articulate clearly due to its long history. Some of its cultural practices, such as removing shoes when entering a room, eating with chopsticks and bowing, are not mere formalities but can be seen as changes in behavior that include self-management in different situations. Consequently, Japanese schools often try to teach children various temporal, spatial and situational contexts, along with different linguistic registers and physical movements. In these changing spatial, temporal and relational contexts, it is necessary to cultivate social and emotional skills that enable the understanding of social expectations, including the adjustment of non-verbal body movements and the choice of words.</p> <p>Even as certain behaviors disappear and new cultures emerge over time, a certain level of understanding remains essential. Although the specific examples may differ, this is not limited to Japan; the same understanding is required in the cultures and traditions of various countries. Accordingly, the SEL curricula and programs developed and implemented as part of moral education in the future must focus not only on what should be shared among humans beyond cultural boundaries but also the attitudes, skills and practices that constitute social and emotional competencies, while respecting specific sociocultural contexts. With the advent of the Internet, human beings can share necessary matters across countries and cultures, but conflicts are increasing owing to insufficient mutual understanding. In this context, moral practices that deepen an understanding from a bird's-eye view of time, space and relationships are required.</p> <hd id="AN0187843125-24">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <ref id="AN0187843125-25"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref7" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Harvard University Press.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref34" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Craig, A., DeRosier, M., & Watanabe, Y. (2015). Differences between Japanese and U.S. children's performance on "Zoo U": A game-based social skills assessment. 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International Congress of Psychology, Prague, Czech Republic.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Watanabe, Y., Ikeda, M., Saeki, E., & Higashida, M. (2022). Social-emotional learning and class climate among elementary-aged students in Japan. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 11 (2), 207 – 217. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683603.2022.2075997</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Watanabe, Y., & Koizumi, R. (2022). Sosharu emoshonaru raningu (SEL): Hininchi noryoku o sodateru kyoiku furēmuwaaku [Social emotional learning: An educational framework for nurturing non-cognitive skills]. Fukumura Shuppan.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Watanabe, Y., Nishiyama, H., Tanaka, J., Harada, E., Sugimoto, K., Oshio, K., Shinohara, I., & Koizumi, R. (2023). Development of social and emotional (non-cognitive) skills and practices of social and emotional learning (SEL): Contribution to learning support and mental health. The Annual Report of Educational Psychology in Japan, 62, 228 – 237. https://doi.org/10.5926/arepj.62.228</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yamada, K., & Koizumi, R. (2014). Curriculum of a pilot program of social and emotional learning at the nursery school (SEL-8N). Bulletin of Fukuoka University of Education-Part IV, Education and Psychology, 63, 139 – 147.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yamada, Y., & Koizumi, R. (2020). Effects of the "social and emotional learning of 8 abilities at the nursery school" (SEL-8N) program on preschool children's social behavior. Japanese Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 216 – 229. https://doi.org/10.5926/jjep.68.216</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibtext> Yamazaki, K., Watanabe, Y., & Toda, Y. (2013). World's prevention education: Countries' frameworks for safeguarding mental and physical health and adaptation. Kaneko Shobo.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Yayoi Watanabe</p> <p>Reported by Author</p> <p></p> <p>Yayoi Watanabe holds a Ph.D. in Education with a focus on the moral development of children and interpersonal behavior. She is currently actively implementing educational practices derived from Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in schools. She has previously worked at Tsukuba University and Shizuoka University and is currently affiliated with Hosei University. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to be a visiting researcher at Harvard University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research and teaching experiences contribute to her ongoing commitment to enhancing children's moral and social development through innovative educational approaches.</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref2"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref4"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref5"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib44" firstref="ref6"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref8"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref9"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib49" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref12"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib53" firstref="ref17"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref19"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref22"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref23"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib47" firstref="ref24"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref25"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib42" firstref="ref29"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib43" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref31"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref32"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib45" firstref="ref33"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib46" firstref="ref35"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref36"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib34" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl32" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref50"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl33" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl34" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref54"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl35" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl36" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl37" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref59"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl38" bibid="bib52" firstref="ref60"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl39" bibid="bib51" firstref="ref61"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl40" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref62"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl41" bibid="bib48" firstref="ref64"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl42" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref65"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl43" bibid="bib50" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl44" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref69"></nolink>
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Enhancing School Crisis Prevention Immunity through Moral Education: Insights from the Framework of Social and Emotional Learning
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  Data: English
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  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yayoi+Watanabe%22">Yayoi Watanabe</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8447-0242">0000-0001-8447-0242</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Moral+Education%22"><i>Journal of Moral Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 54(3):389-406.
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  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
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  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
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  Group: Src
  Data: 18
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  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethical+Instruction%22">Ethical Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Crisis+Management%22">Crisis Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention%22">Prevention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Emotional+Learning%22">Social Emotional Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moral+Development%22">Moral Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Development%22">Student Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prosocial+Behavior%22">Prosocial Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Achievement%22">Academic Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Holistic+Approach%22">Holistic Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evidence+Based+Practice%22">Evidence Based Practice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Competence%22">Interpersonal Competence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Intelligence%22">Emotional Intelligence</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
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  Data: 10.1080/03057240.2024.2437198
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  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0305-7240<br />1465-3877
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This article introduces current initiatives in moral education and discusses the future direction of its practice. Moral education has recently been designated in the Japanese curriculum as a 'special subject,' prompted by increasing school crises such as bullying. However, practices in moral education instruction lack an evidence-based approach. One key to achieving true effectiveness lies in the new framework of Social and Emotional Learning, with multiple evidence-based approaches proposed. The aim has shifted toward helping students not only become 'more prosocial' and 'moral' but also achieve a 'healthier' state of well-being. To nurture students' abilities, a moral approach that contributes to each student's personal development, academic success, and social impact is required. In this context, considering the development of both the individual and the ever-influential environment, this article proposes a direction for moral education in the future, highlighting the importance of holistic approaches to foster healthy development in students.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: EJ1488888
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        Value: 10.1080/03057240.2024.2437198
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 389
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Ethical Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Crisis Management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention
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      – SubjectFull: Student Development
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      – SubjectFull: Prosocial Behavior
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      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Holistic Approach
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      – SubjectFull: Evidence Based Practice
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      – SubjectFull: Japan
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      – TitleFull: Enhancing School Crisis Prevention Immunity through Moral Education: Insights from the Framework of Social and Emotional Learning
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Moral Education
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