A Confirmation Factor Analysis of the Life Skills of Underprivileged Children in the Welfare Schools under the Office of Special Education Administration

Abstract

The objective of this research was to conduct the confirmatory factor analysis of life skills of underprivileged children in the welfare school under the Special Education Bureau. The subjects of this research were 520 underprivileged children (extremely poor children) in Grade 9 in the first semester, academic year 2020 in the welfare schools under Special Education Bureau, obtained by multi-stage random sampling. The data were collected by using a life skill assessment scale developed by the researcher based on the Life Skills Assessment Scale of the Office of the Basic Education Commission. The instrument’s reliability was .951. The data were analyzed by using basic statistics (frequency and percentage) and confirmatory factor analysis. The results of this research indicated that life skills of underprivileged children in the welfare schools under the Special Education Bureau consisted of four components, namely, self-awareness and self-esteem, critical thinking, decision-making and creative problem-solving skills, emotional and stress management skills, and  building good relationships with others. Furthermore, there were a total of 27 indicators, and life skills of underprivileged children in the welfare schools under the Special Education Bureau model has shown that the model conformed to empirical data. As Chi-square test has a value of  X² = 504.38,  df. = 263, CFI = 0.963, TLI = 0.950 and RMSEA = 0.041. This means the indicators are suitable for life skills of underprivileged children model found that all the standardized factor weights of 27 indicators were positive ranging from 0.534 - 0.761, reliability in the rang  0.285 – 0.579. Finally the standardized factor weights of second order for the 4 life skills indicators  in the ranging 0.816 – 0.939.