Teaching Strategies in Socio-Emotional Education: A Systematic Review of Studies

Abstract

This article presents a systematic literature review of Latin American scientific production published between 2020 and 2025 on didactic strategies for the development of socio-emotional competencies in primary and secondary education. The search was conducted in Redalyc, SciELO, and Google Scholar using the SALSA protocol, retrieving 223 articles and selecting 47 after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study addresses two research questions: what didactic strategies have been documented and what factors condition their effective implementation, and how is regional scientific production distributed according to geographic context, educational level, and methodological approach. Results identify twelve categories of strategies, with play-based and creative expression activities predominating in early childhood education, and structured social-emotional learning programs gaining prominence at higher levels. Emotional regulation is the most widely documented competency, followed by empathy, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills. Evidence suggests that these strategies create favorable conditions for socio-emotional development when implemented with explicit pedagogical intentionality and institutional support. Specialized teacher training emerges as the most critical implementation factor. Scientific production shows an upward trend, with concentration in Ecuador and Colombia, a predominance of qualitative approaches, and limited representation of secondary education research. It is concluded that the Latin American field is in a phase of conceptual consolidation, with a pressing need for longitudinal studies, strategies specifically designed for adolescence, and cultural adaptation frameworks for international programs.