The aim of this study is to examine the social skill levels of secondary school students according to various variables. In this quantitative study, screening model was adopted. The study group consists of students continuing their education in secondary education institutions affiliated to the Ministry of National Education. The sampling group determined by convenient sampling method consists of 285 females and 245 males, totalling 530 participants. The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) developed by Matson, Ratatory and Helsel (1983) and adapted into Turkish by Erdoğan (2002) was used as the measurement tool. Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was applied to the obtained data and although the results of the test did not show normal distribution, it was accepted that the data had a normal distribution because the skewness and kurtosis values were between -3 and +3. In the light of these results, independent sample test (T-test) and one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA) were applied to the data obtained. According to the results of the data analysis, Welch values were taken into consideration depending on the homogeneity assumption of the data and Games-Howell test, one of the Post Hoc tests, was applied as a second level test. The findings were evaluated according to p<0.05 significance value. Depending on the gender variable, a statistically significant difference was found in the sub-dimensions of social adjustment, overconfidence, and inappropriate assertiveness. Statistically significant differences were found in social adjustment, positive social behaviour, social communication, overconfidence sub-dimensions and social skills total scores depending on the variable of doing sports. Statistically significant differences were found in social adjustment, overconfidence, inappropriate assertiveness sub-dimensions depending on the class variable. As a result, the social skill levels of students continuing their education in secondary education institutions vary according to various variables.

Learning, secondary education, social skills, sport.