Social and Emotional Competences of Technical and Vocational Education and Training students

The aim of this study was to understand the current state of emotional and social skills of vocational students. We collected preliminary data of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students. The sample consisted of 136 vocational students at the vocational certificate level and higher vocational certificate level. The study used Non-probability Sampling Methods. The data collection tool is a social and emotional competency assessment questionnaire that measures five characteristics as follows: 1) self-awareness, 2) understanding or social awareness. 3) emotional management, 4) relationship skills, and 5) taking responsibility for decisions. The data is analyzed using the mean and standard deviation. The study found that students had the highest level of social and emotional competency in relationship skills ( = 5.1, S.D. = 1.1), followed by self-awareness ( = 4.9, S.D. = 1.1), responsible decision-making ( = 4.9, S.D. = 1.1), emotional management ( = 4.5, S.D. = 1.3), and social awareness ( = 4.4, S.D. = 1.2), respectively. When compared to studies conducted abroad, Thai students tend to rate themselves higher in social and emotional skills. However, both in Thailand and other counties, the trend is similar—students generally score higher on awareness of their own emotions than on understanding the emotions of others.