Effect of preschool teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs on 3-6 year-old children's social skills: A longitudinal study

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of preschool teachers' developmentally appropriate beliefs on 3-6 year-old children's social skills longitudinally. The participants of the survey consisted of 350 preschool teachers and 350 preschool children. The data of the study were collected through "Demographic Information Forms-for teachers and children, the Developmentally Appropriate Practice Teacher Beliefs Scale (DAP-TBS) and Preschool Social Skills Evaluation Scale (OSBED)". Independent Samples t-test and One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA were used for data analysis. The results of the study revealed that the means of preschool teachers' beliefs about DAP were at the middle range level but very close to high level. It was found that preschool teachers' ages, experiences, education level, working status (regular-hourly paid) and institutions where they worked have no statistically significant effects on their beliefs related to DAP. It was also reported that means of teachers' beliefs working in private schools were higher than means of teachers in public schools. It was reported that at the beginning of the academic year, no statistically significant difference in social skills of children attending a preschool institution were found in the sub-scales of their initial skills, academic support skills, friendship skills, and managing emotions skills according to their teachers' beliefs related to DAP. It was found that in the middle of the academic year, the social skills of the children whose teachers had higher beliefs level related to DAP were better than skills of children whose teachers had lower beliefs level in the sub-scales of initial skills and academic support skills. However, there was no statistically significant difference in their social skills in terms of friendship and managing emotions skills. It was reported that at the end of the academic year, the social skills of the children whose teachers had higher beliefs level related to DAP were better than skills of children whose teachers had lower beliefs level in all sub-scales. When the findings of the study are considered, some seminars can be organized for especially teachers whose level of developmentally appropriate beliefs are low in order to explain them developmentally appropriate philosophy. Also, through in-service trainings, some activities which are parallel with principles of developmentally appropriateness and consider children's age groups, individual differences and the characteristics of the society where they lived can be prepared. Keywords: developmentally appropriate practice, social skills, teachers' beliefs, preschool education, longitudinal study