Preparation for Adulthood: A Teacher Inquiry Study for Facilitating Life Skills in Secondary Education in the United States

Abstract

Life skills preparation for adulthood is a crucial, yet often overlooked concept in education. In schools across the United States, young adults graduate from high school with limited knowledge regarding how to navigate through the expectations of the real world. Although many educators feel teaching life skills in the classroom is necessary, the frustration of needing to adhere to state standards and lack of time often interferes with their implementation. This is unfortunate, as research indicates, “life skills education bridges the gap between basic functioning and capabilities. It strengthens the ability of an individual to meet the needs and demands of the present society, and helps in dealing with issues in a practical manner” (Prajapati, B. Sharma, & D. Sharma, 2017, p. 1). This action research study investigates ways two teachers implemented realistic life skill lessons, while adhering to district standards. Strategies investigated include: interest surveys, goal setting and social skills instruction.

Foundation phase pre-service teachers’ experiences of teaching life skills during teaching practice

“…This may jeopardise the goal of including LS as one of the three subject areas of CAPS. Cassidy (2018) has claimed that imparting LS to learners at an early age will help them to grow into healthy young adults with a good knowledge of how to deal with real-world issues and expectations. Thus, negligence of the appropriate and effective teaching of LS by well-prepared pre-service teachers could lead to an increase in juvenile delinquency and moral decadence in South African society.…”

Social Values and Life Skills as Predictors of Organizational Culture: A Study on Teachers

“…Thus, education is not just for academic achievement. As students grow, they are expected to acquire concepts, such as communication skills, goal setting, meal preparation, budgeting, and time management (Cassidy et al, 2018). For this purpose, life skills tasks should be prepared according to each development period.…”

Sinif Öğretmenleri̇ni̇n Yaşam Beceri̇leri̇ İle İlgi̇li̇ Bi̇lgi̇ Ve Deneyi̇mleri̇

“…Bu temel yaşam becerileri, potansiyellerinin farkında olan insanlar için çok önemlidir ve bu nedenle eğitim sisteminin kalbinde olması doğaldır. Cassidy (2018), yaşam becerileri kazandırmakla ilgili hazırlığın, eğitimde çok önemli olduğunu ancak genellikle gözden kaçan bir kavram olduğunu ifade etmiştir. Ona göre birçok eğitimci sınıfta yaşam becerileri öğretmenin gerekli olduğunu düşünse de devlet standartlarına uyma zorunluluğu ve zaman eksikliği uygulamalarını engellemektedir.…”