Strategies of Preschool Teachers in Facilitating Social Interaction of Children in Kindergarten

Children adopt social skills needed for an effective social interaction within their families from the very beginning of their lives while preschool teachers organize program activities and create a stimulating and pleasant... [ view full abstract ]

Children adopt social skills needed for an effective social interaction within their families from the very beginning of their lives while preschool teachers organize program activities and create a stimulating and pleasant atmosphere for them to learn and practice. By utilizing educational strategies the teacher encourages social interactions among kindergarteners and also provides a model for the development of their social skills by demonstrating his/her own characteristics.

The aim of this research is to determine the strategies used by the teacher to facilitate social interaction among kindergarteners. The survey will be conducted throughout February and March of 2017 on one sample, a preschool teacher in Olga Ban Kindergarten in Pazin. Two measuring instruments will be used: the non-participatory observations protocol developed for the purpose of this study which will be used to record the teacher’s strategies and also the semi structured questionnaire on the teacher’s reflections. As per the arrangement with the teacher the observer will be staying with the group approximately twenty times and in three different time points lasting for five minutes : 08:35 am (breakfast time), 09:20 am (morning circle), 10:05 am (distribution of materials and activities) and observing and noting the strategies used by the teacher. After the data from the teacher’s behaviour protocol has been processed and analysed the teacher herself will be interviewed with the focus being on her reflections on the gathered results. The interview will be noted in written form and will be available for viewing by the teacher.

The main results, conclusions and implications of the research will be presented at the conference

Key words: preschool teacher, strategy, social interaction, social skills