Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh: Investigating Educators' Beliefs

Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review Vol. 5 No. 4 | November, 2025 | 557 - 567 ISSN (p): 2790-8348 | ISSN (e): 2789-6781 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17774103 Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh: Investigating Educators’ Beliefs Kainat Buriro1 Department of Education Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan Najmunnisa Khan Aneel2 (Ph.D) Department of Education Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan Dr Yusra Ayaz Kazi Department of Physical Health Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Karachi, Pakistan How to Cite: Buriro, K., Aneel, N. K., & Kazi, Y. A. (2025). Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh: nvestigating Educators’ Beliefs. Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review, 5(4), 557–567. https:// doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17774103 Publisher’s Note: International Research and Publishing Academy (iRAPA) stands neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in the published maps and institutional affiliations. Copyright: ©2025 | Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review published by International Research and Publishing Academy (iRAPA) This is an Open Access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): lets others distribute and copy the article, to create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation), to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), to text or data mine the article, even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article, and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honour or reputation. 08-48-AESSR-6318-1179 Published online: 30 November 2025 View related articles Submit your article to this journal Buriro, Khan & Kazi Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 558 INTRODUCTION Human development is incomplete without Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Social skills are most often thought of as a set of skills that allow us to communicate, relate, and socialize with others (Hoffman, 2009). The five elements regarded as the essential SEL competencies, according to the CASEL framework, consist of relationship skills, self-management, social awareness, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making. Meta-analytic research of over 2 decades of SEL interventions has documented productive results for academic performance, behavioural functioning and attitudes (Cipriano et al., 2023; Durlak et al., 2011). Social-emotional interventions, such as classroom-based SEL programs, have further revealed positive effects on communication, decision-making, resilience and problem-solving skills of middle school students, as found by Green et al. (2021) in their research. While the importance of SEL is widely acknowledged in Western contexts, with many American principals believing that SEL should be the top developmental priority, whereas educators emphasize its positive impacts on school culture and student outcomes (Hamilton et al., 2019). Pakistan’s education system faces multiple challenges which directly affect SEL implementation in public schools. The urgency for the development of SEL skills as a solution to reduce behavioural problems has also been highlighted by experts from Pakistan (Najmussaqib & Mushtaq, 2023). Public education sector in Pakistan faces numerous problems including a lack of planning, unaligned curriculum, nonlearner-friendly textbooks, and poor or unsafe infrastructure, resulting in low levels of SEL implementation (Memon, 2007). Teachers are the key change-makers as well as the primary implementers of SEL inside the classrooms (Brackett et al., 2012). Jennings and Greenberg (2009) emphasize that SEL-competent teachers set the classroom tone and encourage healthy student-teacher relationships. Brackett et al. (2012) further emphasize that teachers’ perspectives influence the delivery of SEL programs and their outcomes, making teacher perspectives pivotal for SEL development in students. This study aims to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding SEL. It will further examine the implementation of SEL principles in the classrooms of the public schools of Sindh. The findings of this study will contribute to the research on SEL in Sindh and highlight its importance for teacher training and policy making. Objectives • To explore the perceptions of the public sector school teachers about SEL. Abstract Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is a systematic approach through which individuals, particularly pupils, develop and apply the understanding, abilities, and attitudes necessary for creating healthy identities. Both adults and students can benefit from SEL as it helps empower them and reduce inequalities. According to research, teachers are vital for developing social and emotional competencies in students. Through semi-structured interviews with government school teachers in the districts of Shaheed Benazirabad and Matiari in Sindh province, this qualitative study seeks to explore how instructors in public sector schools perceive and comprehend SEL and how it is implemented in their classrooms. The findings reveal that while the teachers demonstrated adequate awareness of SEL, they significantly lacked its deeper understanding (SEL facets outlined in the CASEL framework). The participants cited several barriers, including the socio-cultural factors and institutional barriers, all contributing towards the lack of implementation of SEL. They further highlighted the inefficient role of the government in aiding teachers to implement SEL for students. The study contributes to understanding how teachers perceive SEL and underscores the need for the Government of Sindh to implement interventions that foster SEL into educational practices for the holistic development of students in schools. Keywords Implementation barriers Rural school context SEL implementation Social-emotional learning Teachers’ perceptions 559 Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) • To investigate teachers’ familiarity with SEL facets of social awareness, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management and relationship skills. • Teachers’ perceptions about the role of the Sindh government in fostering SEL in schools. Research Questions • What are the perceptions of the public sector school teachers about SEL? • What is the teachers’ familiarity with SEL facets of social awareness, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management and relationship skills in their teaching practices? • What are the teachers’ perceptions about the role of the Sindh government in fostering SEL in schools? LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction to SEL: Definitions and Frameworks Green et al, (2021) identified five core competencies of SEL, including (1) self-management - regulating emotions and thoughts effectively, (2) self-awareness - recognizing thoughts and emotions, and their effect on the behaviours, (3) social awareness - understanding social norms and ethical behaviours, (4) responsible decision making - making positive decisions, and taking into account the well-being of self as well as others, (5) relationship skills - establishing and keeping healthy relations as well as communications with others. These competencies form the basis of the foundation for comprehensively developed students and their emotional intelligence. When SEL is systematically embedded in the practices carried out in school, student-teacher relationships improve, classroom management challenges decrease, instruction thrives, and teacher burnout diminishes strengthening teacher well-being (Durlak et al., 2011, Gimbert et al., 2023). As a result, SEL as a framework, integrates social, intellectual and emotional development, positioning teachers as the primary facilitators for overall development, rather than just as an add-on to student growth. Teachers’ Perceptions Teachers play an important role in formulating classroom and school environments focused on social and emotional growth development. Collie and Perry (2019) highlighted the importance of teachers’ social and emotional competence as the main motivating factor behind the successful SEL implementation in classrooms and schools, in their study. However, teachers may form opinions and show readiness to adopt SEL significantly based on their training, skillset, and contextual parameters. When teachers do not receive SEL guidance, they go through emotional and social stress. Excessive emotional stress can impact their ability to work and manage the classroom negatively, leading to burnout. In addition to endangering the classroom atmosphere, teacher burnout also leads to strained teacher-student relationships (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Conclusively, understanding teachers’ perceptions about SEL are crucial because they serve not only as facilitators but also the gatekeepers of SEL. Their confidence and the willingness to adopt SEL practices actively in their classrooms highly impacts the implementation and sustainability of SEL programs. Hence, for successful implementation of SEL programs in schools in contexts like Pakistan, addressing barriers such as cultural factors, trainings and institutional constraints becomes highly essential. Global Perspective on SEL Since the 1990s, SEL has accumulated global attention. SEL skills are those concealed skills that form the building blocks of our society. Jones and Doolittle (2017) emphasized that the effective field of SEL faces difficulties due to the lack of harmony in the defining skills of SEL. It goes by multiple names such character and personality education, soft skills, 21st-century skills, non-cognitive skills and life skills development. The findings highlight that SEL skills facilitate the prospects in every education system. Jones and Dolittle (2017) further highlighted the difficulty of implementation of SEL because of various Buriro, Khan & Kazi Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 560 frameworks, emphasizing the need for an amalgamated framework for effective implementation of SEL programs worldwide. SEL in Pakistan’s and Sindh’s Context In Pakistan’s context, SEL implementation has become a necessity, as highlighted by the findings of Farooq et al. (2023), that behavioural and emotional issues are faced by three-tenth of school going adolescents. Lasi et al. (2023) in their study stated that adolescents in Pakistan experience multiple problems as they grow up including a weak emotional state leading to the prevalence of negative thinking and habit of blaming others (Farooq et al., 2023). Najmussaqib and Mushtaq (2023) in their study mention that the prevalence of mental health problems in 34.4% of school-going students in Pakistan. Lasi et al. (2023) have highlighted in their study the lack of SEL teaching in Pakistan’s schools and at home. Lasi et al., (2023) in their study underscored a disparity of SEL understanding between rural and urban teachers of Sindh. With regards to the SEL practice in rural Sindh, and found a wide gap in SEL implementation in primary schools. Khoso et al., (2019) conducted a study to highlight the Sindh School Education System and the problems associated, findings of their study uncovered various reasons for low educational standards including induction of untrained teachers, and ineffective learning processes. While existing research provides in-depth knowledge about SEL implementation and challenges faced by the Sindh Education System, teacher perceptions of SEL stayed highly untouched. Theoretical Background This study calls into play two theories - Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory - to understand the implementation and perceptions connected to SEL in the school’s context. Bronfenbrenner proposed his Ecological Systems Theory (1979) which emphasized the interconnectedness and the impact that environmental factors have on the psychological growth of a human (Crawford, 2020). Bronfenbrenner and Morris in 1998 then gave the Bioecological Model of human development which stated that human development is a process of reciprocal but complex interaction between an evolving biopsychological human being and the people, things, and symbols in its proximal external environment (Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000). The proximal external environment consists of layers of systems, from which the microsystem builds the immediate environment and consists of people with daily, face-to-face interactions, such as family and teachers (Crawford, 2020). Crawford further elaborates in his research that Bronfenbrenner and Evans considered microsystems to influence an individual’s behavioural changes and psychological development, which reflects the importance of teachers and the implementation of SEL. Consequently, SEL initiatives do not only depend on the curriculum and its implementation, but highly on the teacher-student relationship along with the broader support from the school and the community around. Bandura (1989) in his Social Cognitive theory emphasized that the role of teachers’ confidence, and their ability to model desired behaviour during SEL implementation highly affects success. He explains that learning is the result of a 3-fold interaction between behavioural patterns, social environment and the unique characteristics owned by individuals (Recker, 2023). Self-efficacy, or the conviction that one can affect events and results, is fundamental to SCT. The success of implementation in the context of SEL is directly impacted by instructors’ self-efficacy and confidence in their ability to set an example of positive behaviour and emotional control. Bandura stated that the application of SCT in preventing and treating aggressive behaviour has aided in the development of classroom and schoolwide strategies to prevent violence while highlighting the role of social and emotional competencies. Working together these theories give this study a multifaceted lens. While Bandura’s Social cognitive theory addresses the internal cognitive and motivational processes for driving engagement in teachers, Bronfenbrenner’s model situates teachers in ecological systems that shape and constrain SEL practices. Combining these viewpoints, a comprehensive picture of the interaction between contextual elements and personal beliefs can be obtained, which facilitates or impedes the SEL implementation in public school of Sindh. 561 Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) Research Gap While global recognition of SEL for its benefits to promote positive social and emotional skills in schools has been done, research in Pakistan’s context especially in rural Sindh remains meagre. Studies focused on SEL implementation in private schools have been conducted majorly. The current emphasis of literature has been on the implementation and resources of teacher training on SEL, but it fails to highlight the teacher perceptions (Khoso et al., 2019). This study aims to fill the gap by investigating teachers’ perceptions of implementing SEL in the public schools of Sindh. The findings of this study will contribute towards the effective integration of SEL in Sindh’s public sector schools. METHODOLOGY A Qualitative research design was opted for this study to investigate the perceptions of public-school teachers of Sindh, regarding the implementation of SEL. The research questions focused on finding more about a phenomenon and its significance in a specific context, the study adopted a phenomenological strategy. The interpretivism-based strategy was focused, as it is essential when considering social reality and human perspectives. The ontology focuses on highlighting the gravity of SEL in secondary schools of rural Sindh, while the epistemology is focused on the perceptions of teachers regarding SEL and its importance, current practices regarding the integration of SEL into classroom practices, and the role of government in fostering SEL and its initiatives in schools. An inductive approach to explore the perceptions and generate new knowledge was implied. Sampling Strategy This study employed the purposive sampling strategy to select the participants from 4 schools in 2 districts of rural Sindh, Shaheed Benazirabad and Matiari. 3 schools from the district Shaheed Benazirabad and 1 from the district Matiari were selected as sample sites. 2 teachers from a school in Hala City (district Matiari), 2 teachers from two schools in Daulatpur town, and one teacher from a school in Nawab Wali Muhammad village were included in the study, as this sample is a representation of a cross-section of varying educational practices and environments in rural Sindh. Since the data collection took around the time of examinations of students, the participants were selected based on willingness and availability, to ensure minimum disruptions to school routines. The inclusion criteria were set to employ those teachers in the study who have a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience in government schools and are currently employees of the schools selected as sample sites. The sample included 4 male and 1 female participants, and 3 of those participants had teaching experience of below 3 years while the other 2 had 10+ years of teaching experience. Data Analysis The data analysis was done by the widely used qualitative data analysis method, thematic analysis. The thematic analysis enabled a detailed understanding of teachers’ perception of SEL and its implementation in government sector schools of Sindh. RESULTS AND FINDINGS Theme One: Foundational understanding of SEL This theme explores how teachers perceive SEL and its social value. From the lens of teaching and learning, two categories emerged: Understanding of SEL and the Importance of SEL from the data gathered. SEL is multifaceted in terms of its value and its use. This section discusses the teachers’ knowledge regarding SEL and its importance in developing a conducive learning environment. Understanding of SEL The multidimensionality of SEL was highlighted by educators. Its association with the aspects that Buriro, Khan & Kazi Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 562 affect the learning experiences of students, such as social, emotional and academic, were highlighted. Participants assert that SEL is not limited to student behaviour, but also encompasses how students connect to their surroundings. Teacher 1 elucidated the multifaceted influence as, “They are the dimensions; one is social and the other one is emotional. Both are combined simultaneously sometimes or in some criteria both work differently in their pathways.” The apprehension of SEL as a multifaceted term and its application in various ways of utilizing social and emotional aspects separately reflects their understanding of SEL. The inquiry into the fundamental competences of SEL revealed a notable deficiency in comprehension. Upon probing to identify the specific facets of SEL, a few educators were unable to provide an answer and opted to skip the question, while one was able to identify a few areas. “If a child is able to make good decisions, if a child is able to differentiate good and bad, if a child is able to choose correctly or to make a correct choice for himself, then that means it is working.” This lack of familiarity with the comprehensiveness of SEL highlights a gap in true understanding of SEL and its implementation. Without a grasp of these concepts, those educators who try implementing SEL face may struggle to inculcate it into curricula limiting the potential benefits to students’ holistic development. In Sindh, where about half of the population (approx. 23million) lives in rural areas, students face multiple complex social as well as emotional challenges, due to the high poverty rate and other factors. In such situations, this adaptability with SEL, its clear understanding and its usage are important to meet the multifarious student needs. Importance of SEL Teachers emphasized the noteworthy role SEL plays in promoting emotional and social as well as academic success. They elaborated on how SEL is very important for teachers and students. Teacher 3 stated that it helps to strengthen student-teacher bonds and aids teachers in adopting pedagogical strategies accordingly. “It plays a very important role. I can give you an example, they can connect internally to the students so they can understand student’s minds and change their teaching style accordingly.” Teacher 2 further emphasized on its importance as a key element in understanding student needs, “For the teachers, it is very important because if the teacher knows about social-emotional learning, he will understand easily the social-emotional needs of the students, what students want, what students need, how to solve the problems of the students that are related to emotions mainly when the students are not focusing on the teachers and the class.” By understanding the needs of students and aiding them emotionally, they further highlighted that SEL plays an important role in making a conducive classroom environment, reducing corporal punishment and overall improving the student’s academic success. When emphasizing the importance of SEL for students, teachers were able to recurrently highlight the benefits, such as betterment in communication skills and increased engagement, boosting self-esteem leading to enhanced decision-making skills, and betterment in behaviour, contributing to the formation of a holistic and peaceful society. “It helps them in their self-esteem which will lead to achieving their goals it goes their dreams socially they would develop to be a good person which will be helpful for the society as they have developed their communication.” These findings are synonymous with literature, where Green et al. (2021) found students exposed SEL curriculum exhibited enhanced communication skills, resilience, decision-making and emotional regulation as well as problem-solving abilities. Further, Jones and Dolittle (2017) in their paper indicate that SEL can be cultivated in educational settings, enhancing students’ capacity to harmonize emotions and behaviour, hence fostering favourable academic and life outcomes. 563 Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) Theme Two: Effective Practices Communication as a tool for promoting SEL has been identified as the most effective strategy. Emphasis was laid on open and free communication, where almost all the respondents recalled using it to strengthen student-teacher relationships. Although few respondents reported using other interactive techniques such as gamification, and problem-solving activities to enhance critical thinking skills, these strategies were not commonly acknowledged. Teacher 3 was able to recall an incident precisely where he was able to make a significant impact using communication, “When I was teaching in class 7B there were 35 students in the class. When I entered the class some of the students were annoying me. I mean they were disturbing me during the teaching and learning process, then at the end of that day I decided that I must conduct a meeting with these students. First of all, I shared my problems and then I asked the students to tell me their problems in return some of the students responded they told me about the problems they are facing in their homes and then I came up with an idea that I must meet with their parents so that kind of problems can be solved using communication.” Teacher 1 thought implementation of SEL is a multi-step process, where teachers’ efforts in trying to understand their students play an important role in making SEL implementation practices effective. “I think it requires a lot of steps. Some of the primary steps which are to be noted include knowing your students. The teacher needs to know his or her students properly, their abilities, their body language, what they are showing and what they are hiding. This is the primary step to take as a teacher.” Theme Three: Challenges to SEL Implementation The effective implementation of SEL in government secondary schools faces a cycle of interconnected barriers. A reoccurring challenge identified by the participants was resistance by school leaders. One of the participants, T1, talked about the lack of management support for those teachers who try to implement SEL initiatives in their schools as, “The principals also say to keep the focus just on syllabus completion. I think so mainly the level of the headmasters which are currently employed here, they are not aware of SEL.” Heads of the schools were reported to depolarize SEL due to various reasons, including lack of awareness, resources and understanding. This lack of institutional support is faced by the educators, who are already burdened by large class sizes, and responsibilities to overlook management and administrative duties. In the middle of the increased workload pressure, teachers view SEL as an added burden giving birth to teacher resistance to incorporating SEL in their daily practices. While mentioning teacher resistance, most respondents talked about the resistance faced by senior teachers. Teacher 4 stated, “The mixture of old and new teachers has spoiled the system.” This opposition was mainly noted to arise from ingrained outdated pedagogical practices and a high inclination towards conventional teaching methods which exclusively emphasize academic content. A further elaboration on this issue was given by teacher 2, who stated, “New teachers are told to just leave the students. We are asked, what are you doing? This is not good. Just do your work.” The unwillingness to incorporate SEL in classroom practices, both by the teachers and the institution management, is coupled with the lack of awareness, which trickles down through the whole hierarchy of the schooling system, from the headmaster/headmistress to parents, surpassing each stakeholder. While Teacher 1 talked about the lack of awareness about SEL among heads of schools in his responses, teacher 5 highlighted the lack of parental awareness as one of the major issues faced. He highlighted the lack of parental involvement in students’ development and that they prioritize academic performance over Buriro, Khan & Kazi Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) 564 holistic growth, viewing it as a useless initiative. The lack of parental support and awareness was attributed to the socio-economic hardships and poverty faced by parents, pushing them towards being non-cooperative to teachers and such initiatives. Socio-economic conditions and lack of resources have also impacted schools, enrolling mixed-ability students in a single classroom management then becomes a challenge for teachers later on, as stated by Teacher 4 stated, “It is a difficult task, I think it will be a little bit difficult according to the different mental growths of the students from diverse backgrounds.” One of the participants stated, “These things go step by step, from primary to middle school, then secondary and so on. It needs to be assured that these things, such as social-emotional learning, should be implemented from the primary stage.” The systematic and contextual obstacles highlighted correspond with the research findings. Nichols et al., (2017) stated that compared to their peers in other communities, students in rural areas face somewhat greater rates of mental health issues. These difficulties are more pronounced in rural Sindh, where public schools face inadequate teacher strength, oversized class enrolments and lack of knowledge regarding SEL. Socio-economic disparities further elevate attention from this important aspect of child development. Theme 4: Highlighting the Role of Government The findings show a significant lack of support from the government in the implementation of SEL in schools. When enquired about the role of government in encouraging SEL implementation, participants were able to particularly express the lack of governmental focus and interest. A significant issue emphasized was the lack of SEL-centred training, leaving them insufficiently ready to integrate SEL into classroom practices. Teacher 1 referenced attending a few trainings and said, “I have been in 3 professional development trainings, 2 on mathematics, and one induction training. I have never seen anything focused on Social-emotional learning.” A notable shortcoming in SEL implementation has been caused by the fact that a mass of seasoned teachers has never received any formal training on incorporating SEL into their teaching processes. Furthermore, they also stress that the government should tackle the differences in teacher readiness for the SEL implementation in schools. This inconsistency leads to further intensifying the inequalities in student holistic growth and academic performance, as well as being an obstacle, as previously emphasised by one participant, for those situated to integrate SEL in their daily practices. Teacher 3, recalling his experience of managing teacher records, observed that, “I was updating their portfolios and they didn’t tell me that they had attended any training on SEL in 25 or 20, or 23 years of service.” Another critical gap noted by participants was the heavy reliance on outdated manuals for teacher training. One participant remarked on the obsolete nature of the resources as “The induction training, you must be thinking that it was very amazing, and a really good experience for me. But this is not the case because they gave us a manual that was outdated, and they didn’t even work on that manual.” This absence of up-to-date training manuals results in educators being left without any established instructional framework, exacerbating the issue of educator readiness and awareness. This results in the resistance being exhibited by the educators and further demonstrates the government’s lack of commitment to advancing SEL in schools. Despite the evident deficiency of SEL-centred teacher training, 565 Implementation of Social-Emotional Learning in Public Sector Schools in Sindh Vol. 5 No. 4 (November, 2025) participants managed to connect specific elements of multiple trainings, such as school welfare, institutional cleanliness, and interactions between students and educators, as indirect contributions to SEL practices and implementation. This acknowledgement by educators signifies a favourable evaluation of its enhanced potential. A limited number of respondents attributed school cleanliness as a requisite for the emotional well-being of students, which leads to a sense of security and enhances learning experiences. The importance of teacher-student relationships was also highlighted, emphasizing how cordial relationships with pupils help foster trust and support, fulfilling the foundations of SEL. Although participants have recognised several characteristics that align with SEL, the government’s role remains critical in resolving the difficulties identified by the instructors, such as the shortage of SEL-focused training and the inadequacy of resources. The literature thoroughly underscores the government’s critical role in fostering SEL programs. School-related SEL programs, such as direct guidance in SEL tactics and training for teachers in constructive behaviour management and alleviating stress, were found to significantly boost children’s social-emotional well-being and mental health (Durlak et al., 2011). Discussion In this study, we examined the perspectives of secondary school teachers on their understanding and implementation of SEL across various schools in rural settings. A detailed analysis of the study has highlighted a complex interplay of comprehensive, institutionalized, and socioeconomic barriers that cumulatively impede SEL integration. There was a comprehensive understanding of SEL, while a key limitation observed was the wide gap in the in-depth knowledge of this topic. A substantial gap in the core knowledge was identified as educators were unable to highlight the facets such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship skills, while they were able to adequately define, recognize and state various benefits SEL brings to academic, teaching and learning processes. The effective integration of SEL by the teachers in teaching, learning, and classroom practices, is hindered by the lack of its foundational understanding. The strategies frequently utilised by educators in rural areas to enhance the Social and emotional competencies among their students are also uncovered in this study. The most prevailing techniques used include communication strategies, such as one-on-one and open dialogues. In addition to this, educators also reported using gamification and problem-solving activities in their classrooms to encourage SEL. The study further discovers substantial difficulties educators face while implementing SEL practices. Resistance from school staff and senior faculty, forcing them to deprioritise SEL, a lack of awareness among all beneficiaries, from parents to management, disregarding the SEL’s benefits, and a lack of parental interest stemming from socio-economic hardships, further diminishing the impact of SEL, are some of the prominent barriers identified. The core of these challenges was identified as the absence of governmental emphasis. The inconsistent implementation of SEL, which majorly depends on educators and instructors, is a result of a lack of thorough legislation, rigorous training, and monitoring mechanisms, all of which reinforce the previously identified challenges. This highly aligns with the policy landscape of the educational system in Sindh. The comprehensive evaluation indicates that the insufficient focus on SEL considerably hampers the effective implementation. Although the Sindh Education and Literacy Department (SELD) has acknowledged SEL, the recent policies struggle to integrate SEL into the curriculum, leading to an insufficient availability of resources, frameworks and training initiatives. The urgency of integrating SEL in the pre-school policies, such as the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), has been highlighted by the participants. The holistic development of students as well as teachers is being impacted by this gap in these policies. CONCLUSION This paper examined the perception of educators about SEL and its facets, further uncovering the challenges faced and the role of supporting bodies for effective implementation of SEL-related practices in classrooms of public schools of Sindh province. The findings imply that a fundamental understanding