What you'll learn:
- Student research using library databases supports responsible decision-making, a core component of social emotional learning.
- Evaluating perspectives, scientific evidence, and health information through student research strengthens critical thinking skills.
- School librarians can intentionally connect library databases to social emotional learning outcomes and real-world decision-making.
Social emotional learning helps students understand themselves, relate to others, and make sense of the world around them — especially when topics are sensitive, sources disagree, or the “right” answer isn’t obvious. The fifth SEL competency, responsible decision-making, centers on making thoughtful, ethical, and informed choices related to personal behavior and societal issues.
Research experiences grounded in library databases give students a natural way to practice these skills. Databases such as EBSCO’s Ultimate Databases for Schools provide access to articles, essays, e-books, primary sources and balanced perspectives. Together, these resources encourage students to evaluate evidence, consider consequences, and reflect on how information influences their thinking. In this way, research becomes more than an academic task — it becomes a rehearsal for real-world decision-making.
Evaluating Points of View
Responsible decision-making depends on the ability to examine multiple perspectives before forming an opinion. When students are confronted with a constant stream of information — often conflicting or unreliable — they need guidance that helps them slow down, question assumptions, and weigh evidence rather than react emotionally or accept claims at face value.
Points of View Ultimate, a full-text database designed for high school students, supports this process by presenting overview essays alongside point and counterpoint arguments on a variety of timely issues. As students engage with contrasting viewpoints, they practice identifying bias, distinguishing opinion from evidence, and considering how their values influence the conclusions they draw. Guides to Critical Analysis, available for many topics, help learners to evaluate the controversy, read more closely, and express their own informed views. These experiences help students learn that good decisions rarely come from a single source — they emerge from thoughtful comparison and reflection.
Conducting Scientific Inquiry
Scientific research offers another powerful pathway to responsible decision-making, particularly when students explore topics with ethical, environmental or social implications. Science Reference Ultimate allows students to investigate issues such as climate change, renewable energy, genetic engineering, or public health through peer-reviewed research and accessible reference content.
Citizen science projects and inquiry-based lessons further reinforce this connection by inviting students to examine how evidence informs action. When students investigate local environmental issues — such as air quality, water safety or biodiversity loss — they must evaluate source credibility, interpret data sets and consider how scientific findings inform community decisions or policies. These research skills prepare students for the evidence-based decisions they’ll face as voters, consumers and digital citizens.
Making Healthy Choices
Health-related decisions are among the most personal and immediate choices students encounter. Consumer Health Ultimate supports responsible decision-making by providing evidence-based, age-appropriate reports and articles on topics relevant to teens, including smoking and vaping, substance use, nutrition, mental health, relationships and online behavior.
When students use credible health information to explore these topics, they learn to separate myths from facts and recognize the long-term consequences of their choices. Structured lesson plans tied to Consumer Health Ultimate help students analyze scenarios, weigh risks and benefits, and apply information to realistic situations. This approach empowers students to make informed health decisions while reinforcing self-management and personal responsibility.
Conclusion: Bringing the SEL Series Full Circle
Across this SEL series, one theme remains consistent: Research is not separate from social emotional learning — it is a powerful vehicle for it. From self-awareness and self-management to social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, library databases support the full spectrum of SEL competencies through meaningful inquiry.
Points of View Ultimate, Science Reference Ultimate, and Consumer Health Ultimate help students practice ethical, critical and reflective thinking in authentic contexts. School librarians play a central role in sustaining this work by curating resources, collaborating with teachers, and framing research as both an academic and human skill.
By positioning the library as a space for thoughtful inquiry and informed choice, librarians help students develop habits of mind that extend far beyond the classroom — preparing them not only for academic success, but for responsible participation in a world shaped by competing ideas and information.
