Social-emotional competence and development of social self-concept: a longitudinal study of multiple mediation effects in higher education students

Purpose This study will conduct an in-depth investigation into the development paths and factors influencing the patterns of social-emotional competence enhancement and social self-concept construction among higher education students. Design/methodology/approach This study used a longitudinal research methodology to perform a one-year follow-up study with the Class of 2022 freshmen from College C of the University of Macau to investigate the causal mechanisms and mediating pathways involved. Findings This study revealed that students’ open-mindedness was a full mediator between self-cognition and engagement in Residential College system’s activities, that engagement was a complementary mediator between an open-mindedness and social-emotional competence, and that social-emotional competence was a competitive mediator between the engagement and social self-concept. The variety of activities offered in Residential College system fosters social behavior acquisition, which supports the growth of social-emotional competence and the development of social self-concept through emotional competence. Originality/value This study enriches the theoretical connotation of whole-person education in the Residential College system and emphasizes the significance of social emotional learning and social self-concept in higher education.