SEL4@ll program for social and emotional development among European adolescents: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Rapid global, social, economic, and technological changes are exposing children and adolescents to unprecedented pressures during a critical developmental stage. To help them adapt to the complexities of the modern world, education must extend beyond academic achievement and intentionally foster key competencies such as social and emotional skills. Grounded in the frameworks of Social and Emotional Education (SEE), character development, and positive youth development, the SEL4@ll programme introduces an innovative school-based intervention delivered through a serious game. This digital approach integrates pedagogical theory with motivational game design to promote socio-emotional learning in an engaging and inclusive format. The present study aims to design, implement, and evaluate the SEL4@ll intervention across European schools to enhance students’ socialemotional competencies, scholastic well-being, and social inclusion. Methods This randomised controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of the SEL4@ll programme among approximately 1,000 students aged 10–16 years from schools in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Finland. The intervention combines six weeks of individual gameplay with teacher-facilitated classroom sessions. Quantitative data will be collected at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and two-month follow-up (T3) to assess primary outcomes (socialemotional competence) and secondary outcomes (student well-being and social inclusion). Qualitative data from students and teachers will complement these findings to explore user experiences and contextual factors. Analyses will employ linear mixed-effects models to account for clustering and intercultural variability. Discussion The SEL4@ll program represents an innovative effort to integrate digital serious gaming with social and emotional education across European. The cross-national design allows for the assessment of cultural adaptability and generalisability of a shared SEE framework, contributing valuable evidence on how digital interventions can support well-being and social inclusion in diverse educational contexts.