Exploring Social Skills in Students of Diverse Cultural Identities in Primary Education

Abstract

Social skills are crucial to the personal development and academic success of elementary school students. Through competencies such as empathy, conflict resolution, leadership, and self-esteem, students learn to interact effectively and adapt to diverse social situations. However, the manifestation of these skills can be conditioned by factors such as race, ethnicity, or religion of the students, as well as by the environment in which they live. Therefore, it is vitally important to actively promote these skills within the school environment to ensure healthy growth and a successful future in society. In this context, the research focuses on the analysis of the social skills of intercultural students in Andalusia. Specifically, we investigated whether the White race, Castilian ethnicity, and Christian religion have any influence on these skills. To meet this objective, a quasi-experimental design was used with a non-probabilistic purposive sampling that included a sample of N = 803 intercultural students aged 6 to 12 years from schools in all Andalusian provinces. The results indicate that students of predominantly White, Castilian ethnicity, and Christian religion exhibit greater social skills compared to those of Gypsy ethnicity, Islamic religion, or no religious affiliation. These findings underscore the significant influence that culture and social environment exert on the development of social skills, which are fundamental for facilitating integration and promoting peaceful coexistence among different cultural groups.

1. Introduction

In the academic and scientific fields, social skills refer to the essential behaviors that allow a person to function effectively in individual and collective interactions [1]. These skills include the appropriate expression of feelings, attitudes, desires, opinions, or rights and adjusting to the specific social and cultural context [2]. According to some authors [3], aspects such as self-esteem, role adoption, and self-regulation of behavior are crucial for the development of these skills, which are correlated with significant cognitive and behavioral differences [4,5]. Social skills are fundamental for personal development, providing social reinforcements that facilitate effective adaptation to the environment [6]. Learning and cultivating these skills is crucial to establishing optimal interpersonal relationships, especially in the school context, where educational institutions play a growing role in solving complex social and personal problems [7]. According to studies by some authors [8], it is essential to promote these competencies from primary education to improve students’ ability to relate effectively with their peers, teachers, and other individuals in their educational environment [9]. Furthermore, these skills are fundamental for healthy development and academic success [10], preparing students for proper integration into future society [11]. During the school stage, social skills facilitate the creation of positive relationships, teamwork, effective communication, and adaptation to various situations [6].

Essential skills for primary school students include active listening, sharing, taking turns, problem-solving and conflict resolution, effective communication, expressing empathy, and cooperating. [8]. Empathy, for example, teaches children to put themselves in the shoes of others, understand their needs and feelings, and act in a compassionate and supportive manner [12]. This skill also helps students interpret non-verbal cues and communicate effectively with the people around them. Educational activities and games are key tools to teach children to read body language and express themselves clearly and accurately [13,14]. Conflict resolution, on the other hand, focuses on finding fair and equitable solutions that involve all parties, encouraging teamwork and collaboration [15]. By acquiring this skill, students learn to work together to achieve common goals, to trust and support each other [16,17], as well as to communicate effectively and respect the ideas and abilities of others [18].

The primary education stage is considered crucial for the development of leadership skills, where boys and girls learn to assume responsibilities, make informed decisions, and be responsible for their actions, among others [19]. These skills are linked to self-esteem and self-confidence as students learn to value their own abilities and achievements and maintain a positive self-image through recognition and feedback from their teachers and peers [20]. Lacking these social skills during school age can result in negative consequences such as isolation and loneliness, significantly affecting the mental health and general well-being of students [21]. It is important to highlight that these skills can vary between students depending on their race, ethnicity, religion, and the environment in which they develop [22]. Although these characteristics do not directly determine social skills, they do influence them through contextual factors such as the education received, the socio-cultural environment, and the lived experiences. For example, immigrant students may face additional difficulties in developing social skills due to experiences of racism or intolerance [23], as well as adapting to a new host culture [24].

Different studies indicate that African students tend to have a strong community orientation, valuing cooperation and teamwork due to cultural influences that promote a sense of community and collaboration among its members [25]. On the other hand, research also indicates that White students often exhibit outstanding social skills, such as being extroverted and sociable, which translates into developed interpersonal skills and empathy [26]. However, they may face challenges in situations that require intense collaboration [27,28].

In the case of Roma students, who are historically stigmatized, they may face barriers that affect the development of their social skills [29]. However, life in large family units can promote collaboration and teamwork skills, while the oral transmission of knowledge encourages effective communication and persuasive expression [30]. For their part, students who practice Islam usually base their relationships on principles of community, service, and respect, reflecting these practices in their social skills [31]. The Christian religion also emphasizes solidarity and mutual support, cultivating positive social skills among its practitioners [32].

This article aims to define the profile of primary school pupils in culturally diverse contexts in terms of the social skills presented. In this sense, the study poses the following research problem: What is the influence of socio-cultural and religious contexts on the development of social skills of primary school pupils?

2. Materials and Methods

With the review of the scientific literature, the underlying hypothesis of this research is formulated, which suggests that White, Spanish-speaking, Christian students exhibit a variety of social skills, possibly due to their demographic predominance that may have limited their experiences of social segregation.

2.1. Participants

To address the aim of the study, a quasi-experimental design with non-probabilistic purposive sampling was used, involving N = 803 intercultural pupils aged 6–12 years enrolled in Primary Education schools in the academic year 2022/2023. The participating pupils are located in the different provinces of Andalusia (Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva, Almeria, Granada, Malaga, and Jaen) (mean = 9.65; standard deviation = 1.365). The socio-demographic variables are presented in detail in the specific descriptive tables for each Andalusian province (Appendix A, Appendix B and Appendix C), which facilitates an exhaustive analysis of the selected sample and allows us to explore the key socio-demographic characteristics that could influence the assessment of social skills at this school stage.

2.2. Instrument

The instrument used to obtain the results of the study was the previously validated ‘Social skills scale for intercultural primary school pupils’ [33]. This questionnaire consists of two parts: the first part collects sociodemographic information, including age, gender, religion, ethnicity, race, city, place of birth, school, grade, and length of residence in Spain. The second part consists of a Likert-type scale composed of 33 items with five response options where 1 (never) and 4 (always) are grouped into five dimensions.

This instrument was selected because it meets the psychometric requirements of validity and reliability. In terms of reliability, the questionnaire shows a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.70, which is considered acceptable for the diagnosis of social skills in primary school students in diverse contexts, according to established standards (Laurencelle, 2021). The specific reliability factors with respect to the dimensions are characterized as follows: for the first dimension α = 0.667, for the second dimension α = 0.613, the third dimension α = 0.663, fourth dimension α = 0.638 and finally an α = 0.668 for the last dimension. These values indicate an acceptable reliability of the scale.

The instrument also has an acceptable fit according to the following fit indices: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of 0.772, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.737, and Root Mean Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0.042. In short, this instrument meets all the psychometric and reliability characteristics necessary to analyze the research problem raised.

2.3. Procedure

The diagnosis of social skills in primary school students in intercultural contexts was carried out using a validated questionnaire [33]. This questionnaire was administered individually to the students of the educational centers that decided to participate in the study. Prior to its application, informed consent was obtained from the directors of each educational institution and from the parents or legal guardians of the minors.

The administration of the questionnaire was carried out in the classrooms, with the presence of the teachers, and the estimated time for completion was approximately 12 to 20 min. The entire research procedure was aligned with the ethical standards established in the Declaration of Helsinki (2013) and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Granada (reference number: 3726/CEIH/2023).

2.4. Validity and Reliability Test

Before performing the statistical testing of the hypothesis, the necessary calculations were carried out to determine the type of tests to be used. Given the nature of the variables and the models analyzed, it was decided to use nonparametric tests. This decision was based on the results obtained in the Kolmogo-rov-Smirnov test, which indicated significance values below 0.05 for all dimensions assessed (Appendix D).

3. Results

To analyze the relationship between social skills and socio-demographic variables, such as religion, ethnicity and race, Spearman’s linear correlation was used. This method was selected due to the ordinal nature of the variables involved [34], as detailed in the previous section. The analysis was conducted at a 95% confidence level and a significance level set at p < 0.05 (Appendix E). In the ‘saying no or cutting off interactions’ skills dimension, students of Christianity, Spanish ethnicity, and White ethnicity showed a high level of significance in all items tested (p = 0.000). In contrast, students of Islamic religion and African ethnicity showed significance only on items 22 and 25 and were in agreement with the students of Ghanaian ethnicity on item 18.

In the dimension of ‘skills to make suggestions’, students of the Christian religion, Spanish ethnicity, and the White race showed high significance in all the items evaluated (p < 0.05), indicating that they have acquired all the skills corresponding to this dimension. On the other hand, students of Islamic religion only showed significance in item 2, while atheist students reached significance in items 2 and 9. Roma students obtained significant results in items 8 and 9 (Appendix F).

In the dimension ‘no opinion’, students of the Christian religion, Spanish ethnicity, and the White race obtained a high level of significance in items 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17 (p = 0.000). In contrast, Roma students only showed significance in items 11, 13 and 17. Islamic and African students did not show significant skills in any of the items of this dimension (Appendix G).

In terms of ‘skills to express emotions’, students of the Christian religion, Spanish ethnicity, and the White race reached high significance values in all items (p = 0.000). Students of Islamic religion showed significant levels only in items 1, 3, and 4. Roma students reached significance only in item 4, while African students showed significance in items 3, 4, and 5 (Appendix H). These results show how different cultural and religious backgrounds influence students’ ability to express emotions.

Finally, in the dimension ‘skills to relate to peers or third parties’, students of the Christian religion, Spanish ethnicity, and the White race obtained significantly high values in all the skills assessed (p = 0.000). In comparison, Islamic and atheist students showed significance on items 30 and 27, respectively. Roma students were significant on items 26, 27, and 28, while Afro-Caribbean students were significant on item 30 (Appendix I).

To better understand these significant differences, detailed analyses were carried out considering the variables of religion, ethnicity, and race. These analyses revealed that 82% of White, Castilian, and Christian students possess all the social skills described in the items of the dimension analyzed. In contrast, only 10% of Roma students developed the skills corresponding to items 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17, 17, 18, 20, 23, 26, 27 and 28.

However, only 3.4% of Islamic and African students show social skills in items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 22, 25 and 30. Finally, only 2.3% of atheist students show social skills reflected in items 2, 9, 11, 13, 17, 17, 19, 20, 23, 25 and 27. These results highlight the variability in the development of social skills among the different groups studied, underlining the influence of religion, ethnicity, and race on the acquisition of these skills.

4. Discussion

The objective of this study was to define the profile of primary education students in diverse contexts who present a greater number of social skills. The analysis of the data revealed that the students from the host country, mostly of the White race, Christian religion, and Castilian ethnicity, are the ones who exhibit a wide range of social skills. This phenomenon may be due to the fact that most students develop in a cultural and social environment that facilitates the acquisition of these skills from an early age [35]. From childhood, they learn to interact with people of the same culture, respect social norms, and adapt to various situations. This allows them to better understand the rules and customs, facilitating interaction with individuals from their own environment [36]. Furthermore, in family contexts, they can express their emotions more clearly and precisely [37]. The social support network that includes family, classmates, and other community members provides these students with more opportunities to practice and refine their social skills, as well as to receive guidance in difficult situations [38,39]. The findings of this research are consistent with previous studies [40,41] that indicate that majority culture tends to significantly influence society, allowing its members to develop advanced social skills such as communication, adaptation, and teamwork [42], while minority groups develop social skills that are deterministic within their ethnicity, race or religion [43]. There are several reasons why minority ethnicities often develop defining soft skills, as the challenges and obstacles they encounter create the need to develop strong skills to integrate, communicate, and navigate in a cultural environment different from their own [44]. Also, by being exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking, people from minority groups learn to value diversity and develop greater flexibility and open-mindedness in their social interactions, deal with discrimination and prejudice, and develop negotiation, assertiveness, and problem-solving skills [45]. The findings of this research coincide with previous studies that indicate that the majority culture tends to significantly influence society, allowing its members to develop advanced social skills such as communication, adaptation, and teamwork [46,47,48].

In contrast, Roma students show a specific set of social skills. They can easily express their preferences and emotions in various everyday situations, such as rejecting something they do not like or requesting the return of borrowed money. This ability may be influenced by the strong oral tradition and the importance of emotional expression in Gypsy culture [49]. Valuing family and close ties within this community fosters greater sensitivity to other people’s emotions and caring interaction [50]. Gypsy students who stand out for their assertive communication skills also show an influence of learning acquired in response to discriminatory situations, as has been observed in other studies [51,52]. This ability to establish clear limits and protect their autonomy is reflected in their social behavior [53].

On the other hand, students of the Islamic religion and African race, although in smaller numbers, demonstrate certain social skills. These include the ability to reject something they do not like, to express opinions freely, and to meet with others without fear of ridicule. This is consistent with Islamic philosophy, which values mutual respect, compassion, and kindness [54]. Furthermore, Islamic traditions that emphasize communication and listening can help these students express their emotions effectively [55,56]. Despite this, it is observed that those who possess developed social skills show notable assertiveness, especially in contexts where they need to defend their rights and dignity, which is consistent with Islamic teaching on the importance of self-respect and respect for others [57,58]. In Islam, it is considered essential to protect personal integrity, which can empower these students to stand firm in challenging situations and safeguard their well-being [59]. Assertiveness, in this case, becomes a key tool to successfully face difficulties and actively participate in society [60].

Finally, the group with the fewest students who demonstrate social skills corresponds to those who do not profess any religion. Atheist students who present social skills tend to show autonomy in decision-making and opinion formation, which may be a result of not being influenced by religious dogmas [59]. These students are able to formulate suggestions in an objective and logical manner and interrupt interactions that they consider inappropriate or contrary to their ethical principles without the conditioning of pre-established religious beliefs [60]. By expressing opinions impartially and freely, they can offer fresh and novel perspectives in academic and social contexts [61]. This ability to contribute critically and objectively makes their skills valuable in decision-making and problem-solving [58]. This study highlights how diverse cultural, social, and religious contexts influence the development of social skills in Primary Education students, highlighting the importance of these differences in their integration and participation in society.

5. Conclusions

This scientific study on social skills in primary school students in intercultural contexts provides several significant findings. First, it highlights the crucial importance of social skills, such as empathy, effective communication, and conflict resolution, in the holistic development of students. These skills not only facilitate positive interpersonal relationships but are also critical for students’ academic success and emotional well-being. This indicates that the results obtained are valid within the design developed and the instrument ‘Social skills scale for intercultural primary school pupils’ [33], which is specifically adjusted for the context under analysis with primary school participants.

The study shows how demographic factors such as race, ethnicity, and religion can influence the acquisition and practice of these skills, underlining the need for educational programs that consider cultural diversity and promote an inclusive school environment. This is fundamental to enhancing social integration and intercultural understanding among students, strengthening cohesion, and collaborative learning in the classroom. It identifies specific challenges faced by groups of students, such as immigrants or ethnic minorities, due to social and cultural barriers that may negatively affect their ability to develop social skills. This understanding provides a basis for designing culturally sensitive and effective educational interventions aimed at improving these skills from an early age. This research not only contributes to the scientific literature by providing new perspectives on the development of social skills in intercultural contexts but also offers practical guidelines for the educational community. Its findings can guide the implementation of more inclusive and effective school programs, promoting the comprehensive development of social skills in all students, regardless of their cultural or ethnic background.

It is important to note that the results obtained in this study are valid within the quasi-experimental design and tool used and apply specifically to the southern region of Spain and to primary school pupils from that region. Arguably, most of them could have some kind of bias that derives directly from the existence of such a clear majority of cases by the same race, ethnicity, and religion (White, Castilian, and Catholic). This specificity underlines the need to take into account the context and the particular characteristics of the sample when interpreting and generating these results. Future studies should extend the sample and consider other regions in order to obtain more generalizable and representative data.

6. Limitations and Suggestions

The valuable contributions of this study to scientific knowledge about the social skills of primary school students in different culturally diverse contexts should be viewed with some caution. Further data collection using qualitative or mixed methodologies is needed to complement the data obtained in this study in order to extrapolate it to broader contexts and obtain more generalizable data.

Furthermore, given that the study focuses on students from southern Spain, caution should be exercised when generalizing the results. It is suggested that future research should expand the sample to include students from different regions of the country. Despite these limitations, the study enriches the existing body of knowledge on the social skills of primary school students in diverse contexts, providing a profile of students who could benefit from more focused educational attention on the learning and development of social skills.

Consequently, education specialists are urged to consider these findings in order to improve targeted educational interventions, which, in turn, would promote stronger intercultural relations among primary school students in today’s schools. This improvement is of utmost relevance, given the increasing diversity and multiculturalism of contemporary society.