Abstract:
The objectives of this research were to (1) develop rating scales of undergraduate students social skills, (2) survey undergraduate students social skills, and (3) propose a model of developing undergraduate students social skills. The research procedures included three main stages: (1) developing rating scales of undergraduate students social skills by studying related theories and principles, analyzed content validity by gathering data from 10 experts, analyzed its criterion-related validity by using the data from 43 students and 1 instructor, and analyzed the reliability of the rating scales by using Cronbachs alpha, (2) surveying levels of undergraduate students social skills: sampling groups were 1,120 undergraduate students from Chulalongkorn University and Khonkhaen University. The research tool was rating scales of social skills developed by the researcher. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the mean score, the standard deviation (SD), and norms of the social skill scores. 2-way ANOVA was also used to compare the means of social skills scores, and (3) proposing a model of developing undergraduate students social skills in reference to the survey results. 17 experts were, then, selected to examine the designed model, and the norms of the social skill scores were analyzed.
The research findings were as follows: (1) the rating scale of social skills were semantic differential rating scale developed based on the principals proposed by Osgood and et al. The scale consisted of 22 questions asking the students to choose pairs of adjectives that have opposite meanings. The answers were divided into seven levels. The questions reflected 5 aspects of indicative behaviours of social skills, namely the verbal skills used among students, the verbal skills used between students and instructors, the gestures used to communicate with students and instructors, teamwork skills, as well as responsibility to oneself and others. The content validity, the criterion-related validity, and the reliability were 0.8-1.0, 0.981, and 0.867, respectively. (2) According to the survey of students social skills, it was found that the national norms of social skills scores were115. If classified by means of the 5 indicative behaviours, the scores were 27, 36, 11, 34 and 12, respectively. The norms of students social skills scores at Bangkok level were 115 whereas scores that were classified by the aspects were 28, 24, 11, 32 and 11, respectively. In addition, the regional norms of students social skills scores were 123. If classified by the aspects, the scores were 36, 11, 34 and 12 respectively. (3) Two social development models were 1) principles of social skills development of students which refer to the five aspects of behaviours indicating social skills, the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education by Chickering and Gamson, and the best practice in activities/projects management ; 2) seven approaches of implications for students development, namely higher education institute policy, principles and purposes, goals of development, responsible units, stages of social skills process development, activities/ projects, and evaluation.