eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Innovations in Teaching and Learning 2945-4638 2026-06-26 6 1 52 60 10.12691/jitl-6-1-8 JITL2026618 article Ngo Vu Thu Hang 1 Le Ngoc Diem 1 Do Nhu Huong nhuhuong2105@gmail.com 1 Faculty of Primary Education, Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam In the context of Vietnam¡¯s educational reform shifting from content-based to competency-based approaches under the General Education Curriculum 2018, developing life skills for primary students has become a crucial objective. This study aims to develop a Life Skills Competency Framework tailored to the cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics of Vietnamese primary students. Guided by social constructivist theory and the competency-based education approach, the study employs a developmental research design combining document analysis, conceptual generalization, and curriculum content analysis. Domestic and international documents were systematically reviewed, including frameworks by WHO (1993), UNESCO - UNICEF (2003), CASEL (2013), P21 (2015), and OECD (2021). The findings propose an integrated Life Skills Competency Framework consisting of seven core competency domains: communication, collaboration, self-management, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and financial literacy. These domains are structured along three foundational dimensions - cognitive, social, and emotional - reflecting the dialectical relationship between knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The proposed framework aligns with and extends the Vietnamese General Education Curriculum 2018, providing measurable indicators for assessing students¡¯ life skills. It not only bridges theoretical gaps in life skills education at the primary level but also modernizes traditional Confucian values of self-control, empathy, and community responsibility within the context of global citizenship and digital transformation. The framework serves as a scientific and practical foundation for designing life skills education curricula in Vietnamese primary schools. https://pubs.sciepub.com/jitl/6/1/8/jitl-6-1-8.pdf Life skills education Competency-based education Life Skills Competency Framework Primary education Vietnamese education reform Social constructivist theory Confucian Heritage Culture