The Role of Life Skills in Adolescents’ Religious Orientation: Emphasizing Communication and Critical Thinking

Document Type : Scientific-Research Article

Authors
Zahedeh Rahmanian 1
Abazar KafiMousavi 2
1 Ph.D. in sports psychology, assistant professor, Fatemeh Al-Zahra Campus, Department of Psychology and Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran, I.R.Iran
2 Department of Islamic Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.
10.30497/rc.2025.248777.2132
Abstract
According to the Glock and Stark model, adolescents’ religiosity consists of belief, ritual, experiential, and consequential/experiential practice,, is shaped by social institutions; nevertheless, globalization and digital media have contributed to a widening gap between religious belief and practice. This study aimed to develop a culturally grounded model for the religious education of adolescents in Isfahan, with a focus on life skills. A mixed-methods design was employed: the quantitative sample consisted of 382 high school students selected through cluster random sampling, while the qualitative sample comprised 84 students chosen through purposive sampling for semi-structured interviews, representing the adolescent age group. Research instruments included questionnaires on life skills, religiosity, adherence to religious beliefs, and religious orientation. Qualitative findings indicated that the religious orientation of adolescents in Isfahan is the result of the interaction between family, school, and society, as well as the development of life skills. These life skills, while mediating between educational institutions and religiosity, contribute to the reproduction of local religious values and symbols. Quantitative findings, supporting the qualitative results, showed that life skills—particularly communication skills—have a significant but limited relationship with various dimensions of religiosity. Variables such as gender, grade, and age were also influential in certain aspects of religiosity (p<.01). The combined results suggest that life skills play a mediating role between educational institutions and adolescents’ religious orientation, although the explained variance was limited (R²=.12–.04;p<.01). Consequently, the religious orientation of Isfahan’s adolescents emerges from the interaction of educational institutions within a local context, where life skills serve as an intermediary that facilitates the internalization of beliefs and their translation into religious practice. Furthermore, in the local model of religious education in Isfahan, the emphasis is on indirect teaching of life skills, fostering critical thinking, enhancing media literacy, and promoting religious role modeling within the family, school, and community.
Keywords
Adolescents’ religiosity
life skills
Isfahan localized model
Glock and Stark model
Subjects
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Religion & Communication
Volume 33, Issue 1 - Serial Number 69
religion and communication
September 2026
Pages 213-242