Developing the social and emotional competence of adolescents through implementation of the STEPS-A curriculum.

This article examines the implementation and impact of the STEPS-A curriculum, a school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program derived from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training, designed for adolescents in secondary schools. Using a mixed-methods case study in two UK secondary schools, six STEPS-A sessions were delivered by trained school staff, with data collected via focus groups and standardized measures of mindfulness (CAMM) and emotion regulation difficulties (DERS-SF). Findings indicate that effective implementation depends on factors such as leadership support, staff openness to new learning, facilitator competence, and ongoing coaching, conceptualized as developing a "social and emotional learning organisation." Quantitative results showed promising improvements in mindfulness and emotional regulation among intervention groups, though limited by small sample size and short duration. The study suggests that STEPS-A can be feasibly delivered by school personnel to enhance adolescents' social and emotional competence, contingent on quality implementation supported by educational psychologists, and calls for further research to validate and expand these findings.