Validating Tools to Measure Life Skills Among Adolescents in India

Abstract

Life skill education is critical for developing various competencies among the adolescent population, especially in India, given the recent shift in policy focus. This article examines the reliability, factor structure, and the validity of scales measuring gender attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, resilience, and problem-solving developed to assess the effectiveness of a life skill program among Indian adolescents. Baseline data, before a life skill intervention program by Magic Bus India Foundation, were collected from over 16000 Indian adolescents between 11 and 15 years on different measures. Results from principal component analyses with promax rotation indicated a one-factor solution for all the scales. Further, confirmatory factor analyses indicated an excellent model fit using the diagonally weighted least squares method of estimation for the above-mentioned scales. The models for each scale were gender invariant, indicating that gender attitudes, perceived self-efficacy, resilience, and problem solving were assessed similarly between boys and girls. Additionally, correlation analysis indicated a positive relationship between gender attitudes and self-efficacy, a negative relation between gender attitudes and resilience, and a negative association between self-efficacy and resilience. Implications are discussed.