Teachers view about teaching social skills and issues faced in teaching social skills

With this descriptive study, it is aimed to determine definition of social skill based on 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers' perspective and experiences and to determine the social skills that should be given to the primary school students, the methods and techniques used in the teaching process and the difficulties they have encountered. The sample of the study consisted of 50 primary school teachers in 11 institutions that were chosen by random sampling method among the primary schools in Elazığ city center during the 2018 - 2019 academic year. Structured interviews were conducted with the participants. The data was analyzed with content analysis technique. As a result of the research, it is determined that the concept of social skills is defined mostly in terms of interpersonal communication and adaptation to society. Self-expression, communication, problem solving, social responsibility and assistance are the most emphasized and targeted skills by teachers. In the process of teaching those skills, participants stated that verbal expression, drama, being a model, learning by doing, and questioning were employed in the classrooms more. Moreover, teachers mentioned that family and environment, teachers, students, the physical structure of the school, time, and the physical structure of the school caused problems in teaching those skills. Keywords: elementary school, social skills, methods and techniques.