The Relationship between Social Competence and Quality of School Life

The aim of the research was to explore the relationship between adolescents' self-perceived social competence and the quality of school life, as well as to examine potential gender and age differences in these perceptions. The research sample consisted of 1,009 students from 14 primary schools in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, the Republic of Croatia. The findings revealed that there is a positive relationship between the social competence dimensions and some dimensions of the quality of school life. Gender and age differences were determined in the assessment of social competence and the quality of school life and the findings indicate that female adolescents tend to be more competent in regulating their emotions. However, at the same time they are less integrated, they express more negative feelings about school and believe that their prosocial communication skills are poorer than those of male adolescents. The findings also indicate that sixth-graders assess better their own social competence and positive dimensions of the quality of school life than seventh- and eighth-graders. The final part of the paper presents considerations about theoretical and practical implications.