The effect of social skills-based blended education on social adjustment, self-esteem and social skills among new nursing students: An experimental study

Introduction: Social adjustment, self-esteem and social skills may influence students' professionalization and academic success. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a social skills-based blended education on the social adjustment, self-esteem and social skills of new nursing students. Methods: First-year undergraduate nursing students in Tehran, Iran, participated in this experimental study in 2023. Participants were selected from two classrooms, one as a control group (26 people) and the other as an intervention group (26 people). The study instruments included the California Personality Test, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills. The social skills-based blended education was delivered in 10 sessions of blended education (traditional and virtual education). Data were collected at three stages including baseline, immediately and one month after the intervention. A significance level of 0.05 was used. Results: According to the results, the average score of social adjustment and social skills of the students in the intervention group increased significantly from baseline to one month after the intervention (P < 0.001). In the control group, this variable did not increase significantly. The results of the two-way repeated measures ANOVA (comparing the effect of time and group) showed that social skills-based blended education can improve the overall average score of students' social adjustment and social skills (P < 0.001 and P = 0.01 respectively), but it had no significant effect on their self-esteem. Conclusion: The findings can be used by managers and educational planners to design and implement social skillsbased blended education in order to improve the social adjustment and social skills of new nursing students.