The effect of scamper technique-based life skills training program on behaviors and life skills of children between 60-72 months

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the Scamper technique-based life skills training program on behaviors and life skills of children aged 60-72 months. Experimental design with pretest-posttest control group, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. The study group consists of 20 experimental group and 20 control group children aged 60-72 months who attend official independent kindergartens and official kindergartens affiliated to the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) in the city center of Konya in the 2022-2023 academic year and determined by simple random sampling method. To collect data in the study, "Personal Information form" containing questions including demographic information, "Preschool Life Skills Scale" to determine children's life skills levels, and "Child Behavior Assessment Scale" to evaluate children's behaviors were applied. Within the scope of the study, the literature on life skills and scamper technique were examined and life skills and scamper technique applications were determined for children aged 60-72 months. The Scamper Technique-Based Life Skills Training Program was prepared, based on the determined life skills, the achievements and indicators in the 2013 Preschool Education Program of the MoNE and integrating them with the scamper technique. The prepared training program was presented to the expert opinion and necessary corrections were made in line with the feedback of the experts. The Scamper Technique-Based Life Skills Training Program, which aims to develop children's life skills, consists of 24 activities. All of the activities implemented by the researcher were carried out in the classroom and were applied 2 days a week for 12 weeks, one activity hour. Classroom environment was arranged and preparations were made by the researcher according to the activity implemented. Some activities were repeated in line with the wishes of the children and the necessary time was given for the children to express their feelings and thoughts about the activities. As a result of the study, the pre-test results applied to the experimental and control groups showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups. It was found that the Preschool Life Skills Scale sub-dimensions, social life, responsibility, gender awareness, decision-making, survival, self-care post-test scores of the experimental group, in which the Scamper technique-based life skills training program was applied, were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. It was determined that the sub-dimensions of the Pre-School Life Skills Scale, which was applied to determine the life skills and behavior levels of the control group aged 60-72 months attending a pre-school education institution, differed significantly from the pre-test scores of the sub-dimensions of social life, gender awareness, and decision-making sub-dimensions. Social life, responsibility, self-awareness, gender awareness, decision-making, survival and self-care monitoring scores according to the scores of the Preschool Life Skills Scale sub-dimensions, which were applied to scale the life skills of children aged 60-72 months attending pre-school education institutions, post-test were found to differ significantly according to the scores. Keywords: scamper, life skills, child, preschool education