SOCIAL SKILLS AS PREDICTORS OF MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG MARRIED SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the extent to which social skills predict marital satisfaction of married secondary school teachers in Rivers State. Eleven research questions were answered and eleven corresponding hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design. All the 2,071 married teachers in Etche, Obio-Akpor and Port-Harcourt local government areas made up the population. A sample of 1000 married teachers was drawn from the 96 public secondary schools in the three local government areas under study using proportional stratified random sampling. Two instruments were used to collect data from the married teachers. They included the social skills questionnaire (SSQ) and the marital satisfaction assessment questionnaire (MSAQ). The (SSQ) was used to predict the extent of marital satisfaction of married teachers from: love and expressiveness, communication, companionship and cooperation, intimacy, mutual respect, understanding, appreciation and reverence, tolerance and forgiveness and self-control. The (MSAQ) was used to determine the level of marital satisfaction of married teachers. The instruments were validated by experts in measurements and evaluation. The reliability of the instruments was determined using Cronbach Alpha technique and the coefficients were 0.76 and 0.83 respectively. The research questions were answered using simple and multiple linear regression analysis, as well as beta value method of analysis where applicable. The Hypotheses were tested with t-test associated with simple linear regression, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) associated with multiple regression and t-test associated with multiple regression. Result revealed that there is a positive relationship between love and expressiveness, communication, companionship and cooperation, mutual respect, appreciation and reverence, tolerance and forgiveness and understanding, all at (p=0.0005) of marital satisfaction among married teachers. It is also noted that these social skills jointly predict marital satisfaction of married teachers significantly and relatively contributed to the marital satisfaction of the married teachers in Rivers State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that intending couples should base their choice of marriage partners on love/expressiveness, appreciation and reverence and on other lasting virtues other than on illusive patterns. Moreso, couples should continuously employ the use of social skills in their inter-personal relationships to accomplish their expected marital satisfaction.
Keywords: Social Sills, Marital Satisfaction, among Married School Teachers.