Social-emotional ability serves as a critical human foundation for sustainable societal development. While researchers have focused on enhancing primary and secondary school students' social-emotional skills, the development of university students' social-emotional ability has been overlooked. This study examines the current state of college students' social-emotional abilities. It identifies that these skills are significantly influenced by various factors, including education level, gender, university type, geographic origin, family background, and teacher–student relationships, which are found to significantly affect college students' social-emotional ability.
In a study published online on January 2, 2025, in the ECNU Review of Education , a research team led by Yingshuang Gao from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Tao Wang at the Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, explored the adaptation of a social-emotional questionnaire. Originally designed for primary and secondary school students, the questionnaire was modified for use with college students through a process of planning, action, inspection, and reflection. The study involved students from all 31 provinces of China, with a total of 4,720 valid questionnaires collected.
It was found that the social-emotional ability of college students is closely related to their career history. Explaining the basis behind this study, Gao and Wang say "College students at different stages face different tasks and experience different focus events, which will have a significant impact on college students' social emotions."
After college entrance examinations, college students have generally improved in terms of social-emotional abilities, including tenacity, self-management, growth mentality, and self-efficacy. It is obvious that the main function of the college entrance examination is to select talent, but such selection is accompanied by the improvement of the overall emotional ability of college students, which proves the unity of emotional education and intellectual education. Emotional education and intellectual education are not antagonistic and can promote each other. During the sophomore year, college students' social emotions were at a low ebb. This was because they ended the high-pressure study of the college entrance examination, entered a free university, were faced with new environments, experienced new learning modes and social customs, and needed a short adaptation period. "If the transition is successful, the junior and senior stages can be outstanding. If the transition is not successful, a series of problems can result," claim Gao and Wang . The fourth stage of college and the third stage of graduate school are the "export" of colleges and universities in general. Regardless of whether one chooses to become employed, enter a higher school, live abroad, or take a civil service examination, a plan in advance is required. Planning requires a clear understanding of oneself, strong self-management, and enhanced social awareness. As a result, social-emotional ability has once again increased, taking the form of a "W"-shaped trend overall.
