International Conference on Lifelong Leaning ICLLL 2011 The Effect of a Proposed Training Program in Developing the Life Skills of Primary Students Khaled A. Al-Awadh Saudi Arabia International Conference on Lifelong Leaning ICLLL 2011 Nov 14,2011 - Nov 15,2011 Seri Pacific Hotel, Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Introduction This study comes in response to the life skills crisis students face nowadays. There is a shortage in the supply of life skills training programs or curricula while the demand for such programs is greater than ever. The purpose of this study is to implement a life skills training program to the sixth grade students and determine its effectiveness in three main skills: initiative, tolerance and responsibility

Defining Life Skills Those skills that build the needed competencies for human development and adopt positive behaviors that enable students to deal effectively with the challenges of every day life.

Life Skills Approach Life Skills fall into three basic categories which complement and reinforce each other: 1) Social or interpersonal skills including assertiveness, citizenship, responsibility, peer pressure. 2) Cognitive skills including decision making, initiative. 3) Emotional coping skills including conflict resolution, tolerance, anger control and confronting racism. (Mangrulkar et al, 20011)

Life skills approach Social learning theory Problem- behaviour Social influence theory Cognitive problem solving Multiple intelligences Emotional intelligence Resilience and risk behaviour Constructivist Psychology Theory

Research Questions The proposed study intends to answer the following main question: What is the effect of the proposed training program in developing the life skills of the sixth primary students? 1- What is the effect of the proposed program in developing the initiative skills of the sixth graders? 2- What is the effect of the proposed program in developing the tolerance skill of the sixth graders? 3- What is the effect of the proposed program in developing the responsibility skill of the sixth graders?

Research hypotheses The implementation of a life skills training program will develop the life skills of the sixth grade students. 1- There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the post test for the experimental and control group in the initiative skill. 2- There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the post test for the experimental and control group in the tolerance skill. 3- There is no statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the post test for the experimental and control group in the responsibility skill.

Methodology A quasi-experimental design was employed with one experimental group of the sixth grade students receiving instruction in the lifeskills. The instruction occurred over a five week period. One other control group of the sixth grade students received no training during the same period. A life skill scale prepared by the researcher was administered for both experimental and control groups as pretests and posttests. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive statistics, Man-Whitney, Kuder-Richardson formula 20, and Pearson’s correlations.

Methodology Content validity of the instrument was determined by several means, including examination of scale items by experts, teachers and students and correlations between individual items and scale totals to assess how well each item fits in its designated domain. Results showed strong correlations of the items of the life skills scale with a score of 0.69 for both section 1 & 2 and 0.85 for section 3. Results also showed high reliability of the scale with the Kuder-Richardson formula 20 scoring 0.74. A total of 38746 students enrolling in 279 schools comprised the population of the study. The final sample consisted of 32 students assigned for both experimental and control groups of 16 students each.

Results Results of the main study indicated a statistically significant difference after students' participation in the life skills training program in all the three skills of the study. These findings suggested that the life skills training program has had a positive effect on the students participating in the study. Results showed that all the three hypotheses were rejected: a statistically significant difference was found with the students of the experimental group scoring significantly higher than the students of the control group on the posttest.

Results a statistically significant difference was found with the experimental group scoring significantly higher than the control group on the posttest. ( Mean: T=21.69, C=11.31; U=45 at 0.01) Responsibility Tolerance Initiative Life skills

First Hypothesis a statistically significant difference was found with the experimental group scoring significantly higher than the control group on the posttest. ( Mean: T=20.63, C=12.38; U=62 at 0.01) Initiative Decision making Initiative

Second Hypothesis a statistically significant difference was found with the experimental group scoring significantly higher than the control group on the posttest. ( Mean: T=21.44, C=11.56; U=49 at 0.01) Confronting racism anger control conflict resolution tolerance tolerance

Third Hypothesis a statistically significant difference was found with the experimental group scoring significantly higher than the control group on the posttest. ( Mean: T=21.69, C=11.31; U=45 at 0.01) citizenship Peer pressure assertiveness responsibility responsibility

Recommendations The researcher recommends designing a new curriculum on the life skills to be presented to students in the primary stage in Saudi schools. The researcher also calls for uncovering the negative hidden curriculum students might learn by adopting life skills training program which help counter the negative aspects of the hidden curriculum. The study also suggests that implementing such life skills program decreases some of the negative behaviors of students such as smoking and the use of drugs.

Recommendations Recommendations for future research include replication of the current study with female students for comparison purposes and with a larger randomized sample. Longitudinal studies will help evaluate the same students through different stages which include the Middle and high schools. Also, the researcher recommends studying the effects of life skills training program based on the hidden curriculum on the behaviors of the elementary stage students. Finally, the study suggests investigating the effects of a life skills program integrated within the curriculum of the school and in all school subjects and by all school staff and students.

Thank you