Factors Influencing Development Of Life Skills In Children: A Narrative Review

Life skills are widely recognized as essential competencies that enable individuals to effectively navigate the complex demands of everyday life. The World Health Organization, defines life skills as a group of psychosocial abilities, including critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, interpersonal skills, self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation, which contribute to adaptive and positive behaviour (WHO,1977). In the context of childhood, these skills are particularly significant, as early developmental experiences shape not only cognitive growth but also social adjustment, emotional stability, and long-term well-being (Ravindra et al.,2017; Vranda & Rao, 2011).

In today's discussion around education, the significance of life skills has grown to include not just individual growth but also wider societal and developmental objectives. Organizations on a global scale, like UNESCO and UNICEF, have repeatedly highlighted the need to incorporate life skills education into official educational frameworks to prepare children with the abilities required for the 21st century. According to empirical data, life skills are strongly linked to better mental health, higher academic achievement, and a decrease in risky conduct (Roodbari et al., 2013). Despite this acknowledgment, children's life skills development is still unequal, especially when it comes to different socioeconomic and cultural circumstances. Children's life skill development is a complicated, multifaceted process that is impacted by the interplay of social, environmental, and individual factors. The current paper is based on two main theoretical stances in order to fully comprehend these factors: Social Learning Theory and Ecological Systems Theory. These theories offer a comprehensive framework for analysing how life skills are learned, developed, and impacted in various settings.

The Ecological Systems Theory explains that children’s life skills are shaped by multiple environmental contexts such as family, school, peers, and society. These interconnected systems influence children’s behaviours, emotional development, and social competencies (Bronfenbrenner, 1979).

According to the Social Learning Theory, children pick up life skills through social contact, imitation, and observation. Peers, instructors, and parents serve as role models for the development of coping, communication, and decision-making abilities (Bandura,1977).

REVIEW GUIDING RESEARCH QUESTION:

What are the key factors influencing the development of life skills among children?

METHODOLOGY

The current study uses narrative review technique to investigate the factors that influence children's life skills. Several scholarly databases, such as Google Scholar, Scopus, and ResearchGate, were used to gather pertinent material. A thematic review methodology was used for Synthesizing the exiting literature. To ensure both fundamental and contemporary viewpoints, the evaluation primarily covered academic publications, reports, and policy documents published between 2010 and 2025.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

EDUCATIONAL FACTORS: In recent years, life skills education has become more important in schools (Munsi & Guha, 2014; UNICEF, 2019). Because it aids students in overcoming obstacles in real life, it is now regarded as a crucial component of education. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003; WHO, 1994) states that life skills education encompasses three primary skill types: (a) interpersonal and communication skills, which enable students to interact with others effectively; (b) critical thinking and decision-making skills, which enable them to think critically and make wise decisions; and (c) coping and self-management skills, which enable them to control their behaviours and manage stress. In order to teach students how to apply these abilities in their everyday lives, life skills education is grounded in real-world scenarios. Instead, then only listening to lecturers, students participate in activities, conversations, and group projects as part of its interactive and participatory teaching methods (Pellegrino et al., 2012; Nasheeda et al., 2019). Learning becomes more efficient and significant as a result. Education in life skills also promotes emotional and physical well-being. It supports kids' development of positive connections, self-awareness, and emotional fortitude. Additionally, it fosters social, psychological, and physical development as well as general well-being (UNICEF, 2012; Sancassiani et al., 2015; O’ Connor et al., 2018; Singla et al., 2020).

SPORTS FACTORS: Playing sports, especially in a peer-driven setting, is important for children's life skill development (Yabunaka et al.,2023; Kendellen & Camire,2017; Trottier & Robitaille,2014; Camiré & Trudel,2013; Camiré et al.,2013; Forneris et al., 2012). Sports environments give kids valuable chances to learn a variety of vital life skills, such as social responsibility, self-control, interpersonal communication, and stress management, according to numerous studies. In organized athletic settings, these abilities are developed via active participation, peer interaction, and experience learning processes. Additionally, this kind of involvement helps children's basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—be met, which promotes holistic development and makes it easier for these skills to be applied in many contexts (Kendellen & Camire, 2017).

SOCIAL FACTOR: Parenting practices have both direct and indirect effects on children's life skills. Parents play a very important role in shaping how children think, feel, and behave. When parenting is negative—such as being harsh, neglectful, or unsupportive it can harm a child’s overall development and limit the growth of important life skills, in contrast, positive parenting where parents are supportive, caring, and understanding helps children grow better by fulfilling their basic psychological needs, such as the need for love, security, and independence (Kim et al., 2025). Peers have a significant impact on the development of life skills in addition to family influence. According to research, a peer-created mastery environment fosters the development of several critical life skills, including cooperation, goal-setting, social competence, emotional regulation, problem-solving, decision-making, leadership, time management, and interpersonal communication (Mossman et al., 2021). Children learn in these kinds of settings by cooperating, exchanging ideas, and encouraging one another. They get the chance to work as a team, overcome obstacles, and develop better social skills. This kind of setting promotes experiential learning, which increases the efficacy and significance of life skill development.

CONCLUSION

The current analysis concludes that a variety of factors connected to home, school, peers, and sports influence children's development of life skills. Peers reinforce these talents through social interaction, schools and sports offer structured chances for skill development, and a supportive family environment sets the groundwork. The study highlights the importance of creating environments that are encouraging and helpful in all of these areas in order to develop critical life skills including social responsibility, communication, self-control, and problem-solving. Children's general development can also be greatly improved by incorporating life skills instruction into the classroom, encouraging sports involvement, and fostering positive peer relationships.

REFERENCES

1. Kim, D.-S., Jin, H., & Bae, J. (2025). Role of parenting attitudes and basic psychological needs in life skills development and transfer among Korean student-athletes. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 1630. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-85944-w
2. Claudel, A., & García González, A. J. (2024). Students’ assertiveness and empathy social skills and the university https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111270
3. Yabunaka, Y., Kametani, R., & Tsuchiya, H. (2023). Generalization of psychosocial skills to life skills in collegiate athletes. Sports, 11(2), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11020020
4. Zhu, Q., Pynn, S. R., Holt, N. L., Huang, Z. & Jørgensen. (2023). Life skills development and learning contexts among members of China women’s national soccer teams. Int. J. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 21, 15–32.
5. Jørgensen, H., Lemyre, P.-N., & Holt, N. (2020). Multiple learning contexts and the development of life skills among canadian junior national team biathletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 32(4), 392–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2019.1570570
6. Mossman, G. J., Rovertson, C., Williamson, B. & Cronin, L. (2021). Coaches, parents, or peers: Who has the greatest influence on sports participants’ life skills development?. J. Sports Sci. 39, 2475–2484.
7. Singla, D. R., Waqas, A., Hamdani, S. U., Suleman, N., Zafar, S. W., Zill-e-Huma, Saeed, K., Servili, C., & Rahman, A. (2020). Implementation and effectiveness of adolescent life skills programs in low- and middle-income countries: A critical review and meta-analysis. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 130, 103402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2019.04.010
8. Nasheeda, A., Abdullah, H. B., Krauss, S. E., and Ahmed, N. B. (2019). A Narrative Systematic Review of Life Skills Education: Effectiveness, Research Gaps and Priorities. Int. J. Adolescence Youth 24 (3), 362–379. doi:10.1080/ 02673843.2018.1479278
9. UNICEF (2019). Global Framework on Transferable Skills. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund.
10. O’Connor, C. A., Dyson, J., Cowdell, F., and Watson, R. (2018). Do universal School-Based Mental Health Promotion Programmes Improve the Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing of Young People? A Literature Review. J. Clin. Nurs. 27 (3-4), e412–e426. doi:10.1111/jocn.14078
11. Kendellen, K., & Camiré, M. (2017). Examining the life skill development and transfer experiences of former high school athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 15(4), 395–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2015.1114502
12. Prajapati, R. K., Sharma, B., & Sharma, D. (2017). Significance of life skills education. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 10(1), 1–6. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1126842
13. Trottier, C., & Robitaille, S. (2014). Fostering life skills development in high school and community sport: A comparative analysis of the coach's role. The Sport Psychologist, 28(1), 10–21. doi:10.1123/tsp.2012-0094
14. Munsi, K., and Guha,D.(2014). Status of Life Skill Education in Teacher Education Curriculum of SAARC Countries: A Comparative Evaluation. J. Educ. Soc. Pol. 1 (1), 93–99.
15. Camiré, M., & Trudel, P. (2013). Using high school football to promote life skills and student engagement: Perspectives from Canadian coaches and students. World Journal of Education, 3(3), 40–51. doi:10.5430/wje. v3n3p40
16. Camiré, M., Trudel, P., & Bernard, D. (2013). A case study of a high school sport program designed to teach athletes life skills and values. The Sport Psychologist, 27(2), 188–200. doi: 10.1123/tsp.27.2.188
17. Roodbari, Z., Sahdipoor, E., & Ghale, S. (2013). The Study of the Effect of Life Skill Training On Social Development, Emotional and Social Compatibility Among First- Grade Female High School in Neka City. Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences, Vol. 3(3), 382-390.
18. Forneris, T., Camiré, M., & Trudel, P. (2012). The development of life skills and values in high school sport: Is there a gap between stakeholder's expectations and perceived experiences? International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 10(1), 9–23. doi:10.1080/1612197X.2012.645128
19. Pellegrino, J. W., and Hilton, M. L.National Research Council (2012). Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. Washington, D.C.: The National Academic Press. doi:10.17226/13398
20. Vranda, M., & Rao, M. (2011). Life Skills Education for Young Adolescents and Indian Experience. Journal of The Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 37(Special Issue), 9-15.
21. World Health Organization. WHO (2003). Skills for Health Skills-Based Health Education Including Life Skills: An Important Component of a Child-Friendly/Health-Promoting School. Geneva: World Health Organization.
22. Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
23. WHO (1994). Life Skills Education for Children and Adolescents in Schools. Introduction and Guidelines to Facilitate the Development and Implementation of Life Skills Programmes. Geneva: