Gendered and Territorial Patterns of Socio-Emotional Skills among Italian Students

Abstract

Social and emotional competencies are a fundamental aspect of human development and an increasingly recognized factor in contemporary educational processes. These competencies significantly contribute to academic success, psychological well-being, social participation and the capacity to navigate an ever-changing job market. Their dynamic and malleable nature also makes them particularly responsive to educational interventions, especially in the early stages of schooling.
In this context, an analysis of the social-emotional skills of students around the age of eleven, inspired by the Big Five theoretical model and the OECD-SSES framework, examined nine dimensions: curiosity, creativity, persistence, responsibility, sociability, assertiveness, empathy, resilience to stress, and optimism. These competencies were measured alongside information on students’ cognitive abilities and socioeconomic backgrounds to better understand the relationships among personal development, family context, and educational outcomes.
The results revealed notable differences related to gender, region, and socioeconomic status. On average, girls demonstrate higher levels of responsibility and empathy, whereas boys tend to score higher in assertiveness, sociability, and stress resilience. From a regional perspective, a distinctive pattern emerges: while Southern Italy traditionally records weaker cognitive learning outcomes, it shows higher average levels of certain socio-emotional skills. This 'reversed geography' suggests the presence of socio-emotional capital that does not always align with traditional maps of educational inequalities