The Life Skills Education Program's Effectiveness among students from CBSE and State Boards: An Exploratory Study

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a person's life skills are their "abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to cope effectively with the posing challenges of life." In other words, life skills are not the same thing as life skills. Reflective abilities, along with problem-solving and interpersonal skills, are characteristics that are included in the psychosocial qualities that describe the behaviour that is wanted. A consistent practice of a skill may result in a number of positive consequences, including the development of characteristics such as self-esteem, kindness, and tolerance, as well as the ability to take initiative and bring about change, and the capacity to exercise human agency. Students are encouraged to take an active role in their own education via the implementation of life skills education, which enables them to not only overcome challenges but also fill in knowledge gaps. In order to foster this degree of active engagement, some of the tactics that are used include brainstorming, role playing, dramatisation, debates, and the establishment of peer groups and pairs.

The first thing that a teacher may do in order to get pupils interested in learning life skills is to ask them to discuss a situation in which they believe the skill might be beneficial. There is the possibility of inviting the children to bring up and discuss the issues in their partner groups, small groups, or even simply between themselves. Providing students with chances to put what they have acquired into action in the actual world is an essential component of life skills education. For example, students might take part in a role play or other activities that simulate situations that they would encounter in the real world. After the activity, the teacher assigns homework to the students to do in order to motivate and encourage them to discuss and practice the skills with the people who are closest to them.

The need of teaching life skills

Some examples of psychological push factors that could inspire dangerous behaviour include an inability to deal with emotional pain, disagreements, disappointments, and fear about the future. Training in life skills, which entails having the power to attain a desired goal, especially an improvement, may be used to empower teenagers to conduct responsibly, take initiative, and take control. This can be accomplished by their participation in life skills training. It is the hypothesis of this theory that young people are less likely to participate in anti-social or dangerous behaviours when they are able to resolve emotional impasses brought on by daily conflicts, difficult relationships, and peer pressure.

Figure 1 Key Elements of Life Skills

In order for children and adolescents to lead lives that are both healthy and happy, it is crucial for them to possess the following key life skills:

Self-awareness: - Our likes and dislikes, our strengths and shortcomings, and our general identity are all things that we are conscious of when we have a good dose of self-awareness. The more self-aware we become, the more likely it is that we will acquire the ability to identify times of stress and strain. The development of empathy, the improvement of communication skills, and the cultivation of healthy connections with other people are all significantly aided by the possession of this trait.

Problem solving: - After taking into account all of the potential outcomes, selecting the most favourable option, persevering through the process in spite of obstacles, and continuing to do so until the problem is resolved to one's complete level of contentment.

Coping with stress: - To be able to effectively manage stress, one must first become aware of the factors that contribute to it, then of the ways in which it impacts one's life, and finally, of the actions that can be taken to lessen or get rid of it. To lessen the things that are causing us stress, this may include making alterations to our physical environment or our way of life in order to find a solution. There is little doubt that cultural and social factors will have an effect on the specific nature of life skills. When attempting to establish what sorts of life skills contribute to psychosocial competence, there will be gender variances. For instance, some cultures may encourage men to make eye contact when conversing, while other cultures may not train them to do so.

Interpersonal relationships: - Being able to connect with the individuals we often engage with in a good manner is a key component of interpersonal connection skills. Being able to form and maintain friendly connections is crucial to our emotional and social health. Maintaining cordial relationships with loved ones is also part of this, because they provide invaluable emotional and practical support.

Decision making - The approach of analysing an issue that involves considering every possible option and analysing how each one could have an impact on the problematic situation.

Creative thinking: - In order to find solutions to issues, we need to be able to take a step back from our immediate surroundings and think about things from alternative points of view. Not only does it assist us in making choices, but it also assists us in finding solutions to issues by enabling us to study the multiple possibilities that are available to us and the various consequences that may emerge from our actions or inactions. In addition to supporting us in reaching beyond our immediate experiences, creative thinking may also assist us in reacting in a way that is adaptive and flexible to the situations that we meet in our day-to-day lives, even if there is no problem to be addressed or a decision to be made. This is because creative thinking allows us to see beyond our immediate experiences.

Effective communication: - One of the most important aspects of good communication is the capacity to formulate our ideas and emotions in a manner that is appropriate for the situation and the culture in which we find ourselves. Having the capacity to explain one's desires, requirements, concerns, and perspectives is a crucial skill. In addition to this, it is essential to have the ability to seek direction and support if such things are required.

Empathy: - The ability to empathise with another person is the capacity to envision what it is like to live in their shoes, even in circumstances that we may not be acquainted with. It is possible for empathy to assist us in understanding and accepting others who may be quite unlike to ourselves. This may lead to an improvement in social relations, particularly in circumstances when there is a variety of ethnicities or cultures. As is the case with persons who suffer from AIDS or mental problems, who may be stigmatised and ostracised by the same people they rely upon for support, empathy may also serve to inspire behaviour that is nurturing and helpful towards those who are in need of care and aid, or tolerance.

Imparting ‘Life Skills Education’ In Classroom

Teaching Skills Necessary for Daily Life Educating students in the classroom has been the subject of much study. Taking into consideration the literature study that was presented earlier, it is now a well-established fact that the inclusion of this topic in the curriculum results in favourable outcomes.

Classroom Discussions: A challenging activity that provides students with the opportunity to learn and practice working together to find solutions to problems. Gives students the opportunity to develop their own personal connections to the subject matter and get a more comprehensive understanding of it. Empathy, assertiveness, and active listening are all aspects that are fostered via this activity.

Brainstorming: Students are encouraged to come up with ideas on the moment due to this. encourages students to think creatively and laterally by providing assistance. Because it pushes kids to think creatively and think beyond the box, it is an excellent discussion starter. The importance of prioritising ideas according to certain criteria or considering the benefits and downsides of each suggestion cannot be overstated.

Role Plays: In addition to being an excellent method for getting everyone in the class moving and active, it is also an excellent method for practicing skills, gaining insight into one's own feelings, developing empathy for others, and experiencing how one could respond to a situation that might occur in real life.

Groups: The practice of assigning students to work in groups provides for increased student engagement in situations when class time is limited. It is possible for students to speak with one another and to get more familiar with one another, which contributes to the development of teams and the improvement of teamwork.

Debates: enables one to think creatively and thoroughly about a particular issue that is being encountered. Topics that connect to health are great for classroom debate; for instance, students could weigh in on the subject of whether or not smoking should be prohibited in public locations that are shared by a group of people. There are some children who see this as an opportunity to advocate for something that is really important to them. Your capacity for critical thinking may be improved by taking advantage of this chance.

1.                 To comprehend the background of school-based life skills education programs' effectiveness.

2.                 To investigate the comprehension and efficacy of teaching life skills to State curriculum 10th grade pupils.

The researcher was able to become well-versed in the theory and practice of life skills education as well as be aware of relevant prior findings by examining previous research. This allowed the researcher to become aware of relevant prior results. In addition to building upon the findings of earlier studies, research also establishes the framework for more in-depth assessments in the future. It is proportional to the number of likes that a study can create between itself and other studies or a body of thought that the likelihood of a study contributing to the researcher's understanding of life skills education research is. The present investigation is constructed on the basis of the review of other works that are comparable to it, as well as the research gap that was discovered by the review.

Design of the study:

The study was conducted with the participation of students from both state and CBSE schools in Bangalore East. The standardised questionnaire that was used to administer the research was created with the intention of covering both the state board curriculum and the CBSE curriculum. The study was conducted with the participation of a total of 160 students, 60 of whom were female and 100 of whom were male, ranging in age from 14 to 16 and attending State and CBSE schools in Bangalore East. 20.68 is the mean, and 3.207 is the standard deviation of the observations. Individual data collection was place after receiving prior approval and consent from the administrations of the schools that were pertinent to the study. Each piece of information was evaluated and arranged in a tabular format. Our team has conducted an analysis of the scores and developed a graphical representation of them.

Sampling procedure:

For the purpose of this investigation, data was collected via the use of a standardised questionnaire and a random sample method. The sample for this research is comprised of 160 students who were selected from the student population of Tenth Grade Sexually Transmitted Diseases; the ages of the students range from 14 to 16 years old.

Statistical Analysis:

The researcher was able to construct a comparison statement for the purposes of analysis and interpretation by making use of fundamental percentile analysis (t-test), the mean, and the standard deviation techniques.

Table 1. Disparities between the state and CBSE syllabuses' life skills scores

In contrast to the values of 1.960 and 1.982 that were found in the table, the t-value that was achieved was higher at 1.982. The p-value that is used is.024601. Therefore, the result is statistically significant at a level of p <.05, The alternative hypothesis, which claims that there is a substantial difference in the life skill scores of students in the tenth grade between those from the state and those from the CBSE, indicates that the null hypothesis is not true and that the alternative hypothesis is correct. Due to the fact that the mean score for life skills is 165.3125, which is much higher than the mean score of 160.5500 for students who are enrolled in the state curriculum, we are able to assert that students who are enrolled in CBSE are significantly different from those who are enrolled in state syllabi.

Table 2. Disparity between boys' and girls' life skills scores on the State curriculum

Based on the findings shown above, the null hypothesis is rejected, and the alternative hypothesis is accepted. The alternative hypothesis asserts that there is a significant difference in the scores that boys and girls get in the assessment of their life skills while they are studying the state curriculum for the tenth grade. The fact that the t-value is 3.257, which is higher than the table value of 1.982, lends credence to this assertion. According to the data, there is a statistically significant difference in the mean scores of life skills for men and girls, which are 165.3184 and 159.3209 respectively. Consequently, the state curriculum lays a far larger emphasis on the life skills of females than it does on the life skills of boys.

We are now living at a period when our society is in dire need of education programs that teach life skills and are both effective and relevant. It assists in motivating children, and it gives practical, cognitive, emotional, social, and self-management skills for life adjustments. This is due to the fact that it directly addresses the needs of children. It is possible that each of these items will prove to be beneficial when it comes to teaching children about life skills. The benefits of giving students with training on life skills and bringing about a shift in the attitudes, ideas, and behaviours of teenagers by providing them with an environment that is supportive as a means of bringing about this transition. Life skills education has been found to be an effective tool for primary prevention due to the fact that it is centred on activities, takes a problem-solving approach, and promotes involvement.

As a result, the teacher and the students are both actively engaged in the learning process while simultaneously enjoying themselves. Life skills education is a powerful psychosocial intervention method that has been shown to be helpful in enhancing the social and mental health of teenagers, as shown by the research that have been described above. This tactic has a number of beneficial impacts, such as the development of more robust coping mechanisms, a rise in self-confidence and emotional intelligence, and enhanced capabilities in the areas of problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. There is significance and importance in life skills education being incorporated into the regular school curriculum and being given on a daily basis by a life skills trainer, teacher, or counsellor. This is because it has the potential to improve the mental health of students, provide them with better adapted skills to face the challenges of changing life situations, and grant them the ability to become fully functioning contributors to the host society in particular and the world in general. The purpose of this is to contribute to the improvement of the pupils' mental health. Taking into consideration the information presented above, it is acceptable to believe that imparting significant life skills to students is essential to their development as individuals and as professionals.

Future Implications: In spite of the fact that a great deal of progress has been made in the past ten years, as well as in this study, to reflect on life skills education as an effective mode of education, which does improve students' social, emotional, and cognitive abilities and helps them succeed in the modern world, additional empirical research is required to show strong results from future generations of scholars, professionals, and students working in the field.

According to the paper, the intervention on life skill education is beneficial to adolescents since it assists them in improving their problem-solving skills and the methods that they use to cope with stress. In order to live a life that is healthy, meaningful, and productive, it is necessary to acquire basic life skills, which serve as the basis for any conduct. It is important to make an effort to appreciate the difficulties that adolescents are confronted with and to provide assistance to them in the process of gaining life skills. The community-based intervention that emphasises on the development of life skills may be something that adolescents may benefit from to a significant degree. nevertheless, during this time period, antisocial behaviour and activities begin to leech these strengths, and adolescents ultimately become a burden on society. Lessons instructing students on essential life skills should be included in every school curriculum. despite the fact that assessments were carried out on the children in both the classroom and the research laboratory. After doing an examination of the data, the researchers came to the conclusion that CBSE students exhibited a high degree of competency in the subject of Life Skills Education. Researchers discovered that kids benefited from life skills programs that were implemented in schools. As a result, they urged for the program's complete incorporation into the curriculum, including the curriculum of the state, with the proper level of concentration, depth, and seriousness.