School-based interventions promoting social capabilities among students: A scoping review of literature

This paper presents a scoping review of existing literature published between 2010 and 2022 on the role of schools in promoting social capabilities among students. It aims to map the evidence regarding the school programmes or interventions that are practised across the globe to promote psycho-socio-emotional skills among students. The review indicates a broad scope of social interventions with limited evidence on interventions promoting social capabilities. Notably, both formal and non-formal programmes are being offered in schools to foster social–emotional learning, self-awareness (e.g., self-regulation, resilience and forgiveness in attitude, and mental health awareness), and pro-social behaviour development (e.g., positive behaviour, mindfulness, management and support, parental involvement, mentorship, sports and animal protection). This review highlights substantially encouraging effect of interventions for promoting social capabilities among students. However, the short-term nature of programmes hardly allows the sustainability of acquired skills and behaviours among students. Additionally, the review identified a contextual gap in developing countries, including Pakistan. Therefore, it suggests the integration of such programmes in school policies and curricula, after contextualising, to ensure their regularity and sustaining psycho-socio-emotional skills. This recommends the development, and execution of an intervention that encompasses all the components of social capabilities collectively, along with examining its efficacy