Life skills development in students at secondary level in Punjab: a need analysis

This work assesses students' life skills development levels and compares the life skills development among students based on gender at the secondary level. The model of social skills development and behaviour (SSDBC), which was given by Kadesjo et al. (2017), was chosen as a theoretical framework. The social skill development and behaviour model consisted of multiple attributes, i.e. empathy, teamwork, emotions, communication, physical appearance, relationships and confidence. The quantitative research paradigm is employed with a descriptive research design, utilising a survey method for data collection. The population of this work consisted of male and female teachers at Punjab government schools. A stratified random sampling technique was applied to select the sample. A 20% sample was taken from each stratum. The Social Skills Development and Behaviour Checklist (SSDBC) was adapted for data collection. Results revealed that the majority of students (62%) possessed above-average life skills. It was also revealed that female students possessed higher life skills than male students, so based on these findings, it was suggested that teachers create a friendly environment in the classes so that all can participate and be interested in activities. Schools may arrange workshops for students on life skills development.