Investigation of pre-school students' self-perception and social adaptation according to some varieties

This research is made to investigate the relationship between self-perception and social adaptation of the children who continue to pre-school education institutions. In this research, it is also aimed to investigate whether the self-perception and social adaptation levels of the 5 year-old children differentiate or not according to demographic varieties (gender of the children, parents' education level, mother's working circumstances, socio-economical position of the family, having siblings or not, birth sequence, duration of pre-school education, people who look after children before pre-school education). This research is made by related type surveillance which is formed to determine the relationship between two or more varieties with each other. The research group is formed by 5 year-old children; 97 girls and 103 boys who live in Altınordu/ORDU and continue to pre-school education institutions. In this research Demoulin Self Perception Test for Children (DSPT), the adapted form by Işık B. (2006) for pre-school students of "Marmara Social-Emotional Adaptation Measure" developed by Önder and Others (2004) and demographic information form by the researcher are used as data collecting vehicles. For analyzing the gathered data, Cronbach's Alpha Interior Consistency coefficient is calculated for the study of reliability according to the answers given by the children to the questions. Besides, according to the test results of Kolmogrov-Smirnov (n for 50) and Shapiro Wilk (n< for 50) which are practiced into the points taken from Self-Perception and Marmara Social-Emotional Adaptation Measure and their each sub-level, it is determined that the term error doesn't show a normal distribution. The differences between the total points gathered from the scales and sub-dimensions according to gender and mother's working circumstances are measured by Mann-Whitney U Test; differences between all other socio- demographic qualities such as parents' education level, income level and etc. are measured by Kruskall Wallis H Test. Regretion Analysis which depends on Generalised Estimate Equation is used to estimate the equation of the relationship between the total points of Self-perception gathered by Marmara Social-Emotional Adaptation Measure and its sub-dimensions. In conclusion of the research, according to Mann Whitney U and Kruskall Wallis H Test which are made about the differences of Self-perception of Preschool children, it is investigated that Self-perception is differentiated statistically according to father's education level. It is determined that children whose fathers are illiterate have the lowest level of self-perception. As the result of Mann Whitney U and Kruskall Wallis H Test made according to the differences of self-perception levels of children in some socio-demographic varieties; gender and father's education level shows meaningful differences statistically. It is also determined that girls have higher self-respect level than boys, children of illiterate or postgraduate educated fathers have the lowest level of self-respect; however it isn't determined a meaningful difference in children's self sufficiency level according to investigated socio-demographic qualities. When children's social adaptation and various demographic qualities are investigated; it is concluded that the income level of the family and the duration of pre-school education effect children's social–emotional adaptation. It is found that children whose family income is 2501 TL and higher and who have 3 or more years pre-school education have higher points in Social-Emotional Adaptation Measure. When the relationship between children's self-perception and social adaptation is investigated, there couldn't be found any meaningful relationship. Findings were discussed according to the literature and suggestions were made such as; the thought that self-perception and social adaptation should be the outcome of a good education and family love and could be improved during character developing ages of the children; preparing educational programmes in pre-school education curriculum which can increase children's self-perception with social adaptations and abilities, increasing the activities related to this subject; experimental studies can be made for informing families by family education seminars made at Preschool Institutions about development of parents' and children's self-perception and social adaptation and about factors which effect this development.