Adopting self-efficacy theory to enhance teachers' capacities to develop students' social and emotional competencies

School-based programs that develop emotional intelligence (EI) and other social and emotional competencies have proliferated as part of population health and ecological approaches to addressing concerns about the declining mental health and wellbeing of young people. Evidence indicates these programs can improve student mental health and wellbeing and academic achievement, but such programs do rely heavily for success on teachers’ willingness and capacities to develop students’ social and emotional skills. This purpose of this chapter is to argue that teacher self-efficacy theory may assist in understanding teacher attitudes and capacities for this aspect of their work, and also has practical implications for enhancing the capacities of teachers’ to develop students’ social and emotional competencies.