Investigation of the effect of partner dances on the social problem solving skills of 48-72 months-old children continuing pre-school education

Preschool dance activities greatly influence children's social skills, including cooperation, self-expression, and self-confidence. These activities are believed to have a positive impact on children's social problem-solving abilities. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of partner dances on preschoolers' social problem-solving skills. The study utilized a quantitative design with a quasi-experimental model, employing a pretest-posttest control group. Two kindergartens affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Balikesir province's Altieylul district were selected for the study, which took place during the 2022-2023 academic year. The research included 32 children between the ages of 48 and 72 months, with 16 assigned to the experimental group and 16 to the control group. The study group was selected using easily accessible case sampling, a form of purposeful sampling. Data collection involved a personal information form and the Wally Social Problem Solving Test to assess children's social problem-solving skills. For a period of 10 weeks, the researcher conducted daily 30-minute partner dance activities with the experimental group, aiming to enhance their social problem-solving skills. The control group participated in various activities aligned with the preschool curriculum. At the end of the intervention, the Wally Social Problem Solving Test was administered to both groups simultaneously to evaluate the impact of partner dances on preschoolers' social problem-solving skills. Data analysis involved using mixed design ANOVA. An independent t-test examined the influence of gender, the independent variable, on the dependent variable of social problem-solving skills. Expert opinions were sought, and reliability was ensured through the calculation of the KR-20 reliability coefficient and establishment of inter-coder reliability for the coded data. The findings revealed positive effects of partner dance activities on children's social problem-solving skills in the experimental group. Notably, both boys and girls demonstrated comparable improvements in their social problem-solving skills.