Comparative Analysis of Social Skills in a Rural and Urban Context in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: The following article aims to compare social skills in 6th-grade students from two schools, one located in the rural area and another in the urban area of Santander, Colombia, in order to identify the impact of the context on the development of social competencies; Objective: To compare social skills within institutions in two rural and urban contexts in the Santander region; Methodology: The method employed was quantitative with a comparative design. The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Socialization Battery BAS-3, which allows profiling social behavior based on five dimensions (social anxiety/shyness, leadership, sincerity, consideration for others, self-control in social relations, social withdrawal). The sample consisted of a total of 93 participants from two educational institutions, one located in Mesa de los Santos (Rural) and the other in Bucaramanga (Urban). Results: Significant differences were found in the dimensions of self-control, consideration for others, and social withdrawal. Students from the rural school showed greater empathy and understanding of others' needs, as well as better self-regulation and less social withdrawal. Conclusions: It is concluded that there are significant differences in some social skills between the two schools, highlighting the need to enhance the development of these competencies in the urban educational context. Further exploration is required to understand which factors in the contexts affect the development of these skills.