Classwide Social Skills Training for Maladjusted Junior High School Students: Motivation, Self-Reports, and Teachers’ and Classmates’ Rating Skills Scale

The present study examined effects of classwide social skills training (CSST) for maladjusted junior high school students. Participants were 228 students in 6 classes. To select the target skills, we assessed needs of the teachers and the students. Focusing on 2 of the skills, good listening and saying warm words, we oriented the students by presenting the classwide social skills training and the target skills. In order to assess effects of the training, the participants completed a questionnaire that included self-reports, teacher ratings, and classmate ratings on the target skills before and after the training. The results were as follows : The maladjusted students’ scores on classmate ratings skills and acceptance by classmates increased. The 9th grade students’ classmate-rating scores and some of the self-rating skills increased, although some of the teacher-rating skill scores decreased. Discussion dealt with the effectiveness of considering students’ needs when selecting target skills, the effects and limits of classwide social skills training for maladjusted students, and differences among the results from the self-reports, teacher ratings, and classmate ratings.