Date of Award
1995
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Bachelor of Education Honours
School
School of Education
Faculty
Faculty of Education
First Supervisor
Dr Loraine Corrie
Abstract
The primary focus of this study is to explore young children's knowledge of their social network and their social competence and the links with their social behaviour. The secondary focus is to investigate ways in which young children may be helped to articulate such knowledge. The six participants were pairs of five-year old children selected from three pre-primary classes located in a common school. Each pair comprised a socially able and a less socially able child as selected by their class teacher. Self-reports, dialogue-interviews, video-taped vignettes and dolls were used to help the participants talk about their knowledge of their social networks and their social competence. Classroom observations were made to determine the extent to which children's reports aligned with their social behaviour. Results showed that young children are able to articulate knowledge about the abstract concepts regarding their social world. The study found that the children who knew more about their social network also knew more about behaving in socially competent ways and exhibited a greater degree of those behaviours. The children who knew less about their social network also knew less about behaving in socially competent ways and exhibited a lesser degree of social competence. Resulting implications include increasing teacher awareness of the kinds of social stresses facing many pre-primary children today, and implementing strategies in the classroom for maximising children's knowledge about their social networks and social competence.
Recommended Citation
Leitao, N. C. (1995). Exploring young children's knowledge of their social network, their social competence, and links to their social behaviour. Edith Cowan University. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/675