Defining and Assessing Social Skills in Primary Education in China: Toward an Integrated Conceptual and Empirical Framework

Background and Aim: Social skills are essential for children’s holistic development, influencing not only their academic performance but also their emotional well-being and ability to build healthy interpersonal relationships. In China, many primary school students face challenges in social communication, highlighting an urgent need to better understand and support their social skill development within the local educational context. This study explores the definition and components of social skills among Chinese primary school students and evaluates their skill levels. Materials and Methods: The study employs a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative phase involves five senior experts holding doctoral degrees or associate professorships in education, psychology, or educational psychology, who provide valuable insights into the conceptualization of social skills. The quantitative phase uses cluster sampling to select a total of 92 fourth-grade students (46 students per class) from Jiangxia District Experimental Primary School in Wuhan, China, to assess their social skill levels. Results: The results reveal that social skills are defined as a set of learned behaviors and abilities that enable primary school students to interact effectively with others, navigate various social situations, and build positive relationships. It includes five dimensions, which are cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. The evaluation demonstrates that students exhibit moderate levels of these skills, with no significant differences between the two classes, indicating that social skills among primary school students are generally at a moderate level. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of social skills by providing a clear definition and identifying key dimensions crucial for primary school students' social skills. It offers a foundation for future interventions aimed at enhancing social skills.