Abstract:

Life skills are important in individuals’ life. The researchers developed the scale to measure the life skills of individuals. However, there is no life skill scale for Thais’ students in the sports school. The objectives of the present study were to study and develop the life skills scale for Thais’ students in sports school and to determine the psychometric properties of the scale developed in this study. The research was divided into 2 phases.

Phase 1 studies and develops the life skills scale for Thais’ students in the sports school. The data were collected by interviewing 32 experts. A structured interview was used as an instrument. Data was analyzed using content analysis to summarize the major issues about life skills of Thais’ students in the sports school.

Phase 2 is to determine the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the scale developed in this study. The sample consisted of 976 students from 8 sports schools for students with special talents in sports. They were selected by cluster random analysis. The scale developed in phase 1 was used as a research instrument in this phase. All items of the life skill scale were measured on a 5-point rating scale ranging from 5(always) to 1(never). Researchers examined the reliability of the life skills scale by using the split-half method and internal consistency method (Cronbach’s alpha), and examined the construct validity of the life skills scale by confirmatory factor analysis.

The results of phase 1 showed that the components of life skills of Thais’ students in sports school are consistent with the components identified by World Health Organization, which is divided into 10 factors, including decision-making, problem-solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, effective communication, interpersonal relationship skills, self-awareness, empathy, coping with emotions and coping with stress. However, interview data from experts founded responsibility and discipline as the eleventh component of life skills of Thais’ student in the sports school. Therefore, the life skills scale for Thais’ students in sports school is composed of 11 factors. Results of phase 2 found that the result of split-half method showed the significant positive correlation between two scores on the same measure with different items of any components of life skill ranging from .445 to .744. Cronbach's alpha correlation coefficient for the life skills scale was .943. Reliability (Cronbach's alpha) of each component ranged from .549 to .814. The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the measurement model were fit to the empirical data and the values of additional fit indices were acceptable (Chi-square = 21.81, df = 22, p = 0.471, GFI = .996, AGFI = .988, RMSEA = .000). In addition, the standardized loadings of each component of life skills were all positive, significant at p<.001, ranging from.360 to .884.

Keywords:

Life skills, Thai sports school, develop the life skills scale.