Development and psychometric validation of the soft skills scale for primary school students

This study aimed to develop a Soft Skills Scale for primary school students and to determine its psychometric properties. A total of 2,418 primary school students participated in the scale development process. Principal component analysis revealed a six-factor, 19-item structure explaining 41.37% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis provided additional evidence supporting the proposed six-factor structure, with acceptable model fit indices. Criterion-related validity was supported by a moderate positive correlation. Test-retest reliability, assessed over a four-week period, yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.83, indicating strong temporal stability. Internal consistency coefficients are Cronbach's alpha of 0.79 and McDonald's omega of 0.80 for the overall scale. The findings provide evidence supporting the reliability and construct validity of the SSS-S for assessing soft skills among primary school students within the context of the current sample. The Soft Skills Scale for primary school students address a significant gap in literature by providing one of the first scale designed to comprehensively assess interpersonal, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components of soft skills in primary school students. The developed scale is expected to contribute to classroom-based interventions and school counseling practices. Additionally, the SSS-S has the potential to contribute to future international comparative studies. However, additional evidence regarding cross-cultural validity and measurement invariance is needed before such applications can be supported.