Social Competence at School: Relation Between Social Responsibility and Academic Achievement

This article reviews the literature on social responsibility and academic achievement. Both theoretical and empirical work suggest that student social responsibility is not only a valued outcome in and of itself but that it can be instrumental in the acquisition of knowledge and the development of cognitive abilities. This review describes research on the value of social responsibility for parents and teachers and on how it is promoted within the classroom. It is proposed that social responsibility can facilitate learning and performance outcomes by promoting positive interactions with teachers and peers and, from a motivational perspective, by providing students with additional incentives to achieve.