Comparative analysis of social skills in a rural and urban context in Colombia

Introduction: This article compares the social skills of 6th grade students from two schools, one in a rural area and the other in an urban area in Santander (Colombia), to identify how context influences the development of social competencies. Objective: To compare social skills in rural and urban contexts in Santander. Methodology: A quantitative approach with a descriptive-comparative design was used. The instruments used were a sociodemographic questionnaire and the BAS-3 Socialization Battery, which evaluated five dimensions: social anxiety/timidity, leadership, sincerity, consideration for others, self-control in relationships and social withdrawal. The sample consisted of 93 participants from two educational institutions, one in Mesa de los Santos (rural) and the other in Bucaramanga (urban). Results: Significant differences were found in self-control, consideration for others and social withdrawal. Students in the rural school showed greater empathy, reading the needs of others and self-regulation. Urban students excelled in leadership and sincerity. Conclusions: Rural students possess greater socioemotional skills compared to urban students, highlighting the need to strengthen these competencies in the urban context. The research emphasizes the importance of designing contextualized educational programs for the development of social skills in adolescents, thus contributing to education in the country.