The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a life skills-centered teacher professional development program on students’ perceptions of the learning climate and life skills transfer. Data were collected through a survey of 294 secondary school students (n = 183, experimental group; n = 111, control group) by administering the Learning Climate Questionnaire (LCQ) and the Korean Life Skill Transfer Survey (KLSTS) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results showed that there were significant differences in perceptions of the learning climate and life skills transfer between students in the experimental group and those in the control group (p < .05). Findings of the study indicated that a teacher professional development program can influence students’ perceptions of the learning climate, especially regarding autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thus promoting life skills development and transfer.

Key words: professional development, learning climate, life skills, positive youth development