Importance of Psychosocial Skills among Youth in the West Bank, Palestine

Abstract

This study examines youth perceptions on competencies relevant to their well-being and socioemotional learning in private schools in major cities across the Palestinian occupied territories of the West Bank. The uniqueness of this study stems from its focus on life skills within a challenging sociopolitical context of occupation and instability. Differences between girls’ and boys’ ratings of skills such as empathy, relatedness, and school belonging are investigated. Structural
equation modeling is used to examine correlations and prediction pathways among variables. The results indicate that school belonging is predicted directly by empathy and social support and indirectly through mediation of relatedness among both male and female secondary education students. Despite the similarities in responses, the analysis suggests differences between males and females on social support and ways it impacts their sense of efficacy. The results of this study, especially gender differences, have implications for education and development in Palestine and in similar contexts. It adds to the literature examining gaps in academic achievement between boys and girls where girls have been excelling and boys dropping out of school. It highlights youth and adds to the knowledge of their attitudes toward social institutions, especially schools.