Schools Promoting Social and Life Skills among Secondary School Students in Pakistan
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In the 21st century, schools around the world are expected to focus on the holistic development of children, inclusive of non-cognitive domains, such as Social and Life Skills (SLSs), since they can enable students to demonstrate social adaptability. International large-scale assessments emphasise non-cognitive domains, globally. Similarly, Pakistan and other developing countries consider the non-cognitive domain in educational policies to be important; however, little is known about the schools developing SLSs among students. This study aims to present evidence around schools promoting SLSs. The research employs a qualitative design, with the sample being selected purposively: students (16), teachers (8), and head teachers (4). Qualitative individual and group interviews were conducted and analysed thematically. The findings reveal that schools seem not to promote SCs and LSs among students explicitly, however, schools implicitly provide certain avenues for promoting such. Particularly, teachers have the power to stimulate social and life skills as teachers are considered role models for students. Moreover, the paper highlighted the unintended contribution of students’ socioeconomic status in the development of their SCs and LSs. Finally, it presents the implications and recommendations for policy, practice, and future research.
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