The Effects of a Life Skills Development Program Using 3D Cartoon Animation Videos on Disadvantaged Children of Northern Thailand

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study with a two-group pretest-posttest design aimed to examine the effects of a life skills development program with 3D cartoon animation videos on life skills of elementary education disadvantaged children from the boarding schools under the royal patronage in Northern Thailand (Sueksa Songkhro and Rajaprajanugroh schools). Based on Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB), the program was implemented with 3D cartoon animations and storytelling images. Its content covered ten skills, including: 1) self-esteem, 2) critical thinking and media consumption, 3) decision-making and problem-solving, 4) emotion management, 5) honesty,             6) generosity, 7) sufficiency, 8) self-responsibility, 9) family responsibility, and 10) social responsibility. The participants, aged 9-12 y-o, were firstly selected with multi-stage sampling and subsequently divided into experimental and control groups. While members of the experimental group (N=72) were exposed to the life skills development program with 3D cartoon animations, those in the control group (N=72) received regular instructional routines. General demographic data were collected using questionnaires, whereas life skills data were evaluated using a life skills assessment for elementary school students. The life skills assessment was validated for internal consistency and resulted in a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .87.  The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and t-test.

Results revealed that the participants in the experimental group, who participated in the life skills development program with 3D cartoon animations, had a posttest mean in life skills significantly higher than their pretest mean (p<.05). Furthermore, this posttest mean was also significantly higher than that of the control group (p<.05).

Per findings, this life skills development program, combined with regular instructional routines, is applicable as a life-skills training approach for disadvantaged children.