Development of peer competence in preschool : preservice early childhood teachers' beliefs about influence and importance

117 Pages·2002·4.4 MB·English

by  Batey, Jacqueline J.

DEVELOPMENTOFPEERCOMPETENCEINPRESCHOOL:
PRESERVICEEARLYCHILDHOODTEACHERS'BELIEFSABOUT
INFLUENCEANDIMPORTANCE
By
JACQUELINEJ.BATEY
\ i
ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL
OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF
DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY
UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA,
2002
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
—
Iwouldliketothankmycommitteemembers KristenKemple,BuffyBondy,
—
RandyPenfield,andHazelJones fortheirunderstandingandsupportthroughoutmy
doctoralprogramandfortheircontributionsofpatience,humor,andadviceduringthe
dissertationprocess.Extraappreciationisextendedtomypublishingpartnerand
committeechairperson,KristenKemple,whoseencouragement,guidance,andgood
humorhaveguidedmethroughteaching,presenting,andwritingforthepastthreeyears.
AspecialthankyoualsogoestoRandyPenfield,withoutwhosehelpandadviceinthe
datacollectionandanalyzingphaseIwouldnothavefinished.Iwillrememberthe
examplesallofthemsetformeofprofessionalcommitmentandpersonalconcernfor
theirstudents.Iwasfortunatetohavebeenoneofthem.
IwouldalsoliketothankmyfamilymembersfortheirsupportasIpursuedthis
degree.Specialappreciationgoestomymother,whospentmanyhourshelpingand
listening,andtomydelightfulson,Carter,whomakesitallworthwhile.
11
TABLEOFCONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ii
LISTOFTABLES v
ABSTRACT vii
CHAPTERS
INTRODUCTION
1 1
PurposeoftheStudy 3
ResearchQuestions 5
DefinitionofTerms 6
LimitationsoftheStudy 8
SummaryandOverview 8
2 LITERATUREREVIEW 10
IntroductiontoSocialCompetence 10
DevelopmentalInfluencesonSocialCompetence 13
TheRoleofNature 13
TheRoleofParents 15
TheRoleofPeers 17
TheTeacher'sRole 25
TeacherBeliefs 27
TeacherBeliefsandSelf-Efficacy 29
TeacherPreparationandBeliefs 32
TeacherBeliefsAboutSocialCompetence 33
ResearchonTeachers'Beliefs 34
Conclusion 35
3 METHODSANDPROCEDURES 37
DataCollection 37
Participants 37
SamplingProceduresandSetting 38
111
Instrumentation 40
PeerRelationsScale 40
TeacherEfficacyScale 42
GoalsforYoungChildren 45
StatisticalAnalysis 47
Results 50
4 RESULTSANDDISCUSSION 52
ResearchQuestionNumberOne 52
ResearchQuestionNumberTwo 53
ResearchQuestionNumberThree 57
ResearchQuestionNumberFour 59
ResearchQuestionNumberFive 61
ResearchQuestionNumberSix 61
ResearchQuestionNumberOne 63
Summary 67
5 SUMMARYANDCONCLUSIONS 71
ReviewofPurpose,Literature,andMethods 71
ReviewofPurpose 71
ReviewofLiterature 72
ReviewofMethods 76
DiscussionofResults 77
LimitationsinthePresentStudy 80
DiscussionandImplicationsforTeacherEducation 81
FutureResearch 83
APPENDICES
A PEERRELATIONSSCALE 85
B TEACHEREFFICACYSCALE 92
C GOALSFORYOUNGCHILDREN 94
D PERMISSIONFORMS 95
REFERENCES
98
BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 108
IV
64231
LISTOFTABLES
Table Page
1 Participants'Demographics,Major,andCurrentYearofStudy 39
2 SumsforGoalsforYoungChildrenSurvey 54
3 FrequencyTableforGoalsforYoungChildrenSurvey 54
4 FrequencyTableforPeerRelationsScaleRankingQuestion 55
5 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleRankingQuestion....55
6 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleItem1 56
7 ComparisonTableforRankingandRatingScoresforPeerRelationsScale....56
8 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleItem2 57
9 FrequencyTableforPeerRelationsScaleItem2 57
1 MeanandStandardDeviationsforTeacherEfficacyScale
(GeneralEfficacyitems) 58
1 CorrelationbetweenGeneralandPersonalEfficacyandPreservice
TeacherBeliefs 59
1 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleItem3 60
1 MeanandStandardDeviationsforTeacherEfficacyScale
(PersonalEfficacyItems) 60
1 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleItem4 62
15 FrequencyTableforPeerRelationsScaleItem4 62
1 MeanandStandardDeviationsforPeerRelationsScaleItem5 62
17 FrequencyTableforPeerRelationsScaleItem5 63
18 MeanandStandardDeviationsforFourFactors:PeerRelationsScale
Item6 64
19 FrequencyTablesforInfluenceofFourFactors:PeerRelationsScale
Item6 65
20 SumsforTwoMostImportantReasons(Good)PRSItem7 67
21 SumsforTwoMostImportantReasons(Havedifficulty)PRSItem8 67
VI
AbstractofDissertationpresentedtotheGraduateSchool
oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe
RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy
DEVELOPMENTOFPEERCOMPETENCEINPRESCHOOL:
PRESERVICEEARLYCHILDHOODTEACHERS'BELIEFSABOUT
INFLUENCEANDIMPORTANCE
By
JacquelineJenningsBatey
May2002
Chair:KristenKemple
MajorDepartment:SchoolofTeachingandLearning
Thepurposeofthisstudywastodescribeearlychildhoodpreserviceteachers'
beliefsabouttheimportanceofsocialcompetenceinearlychildhood,theirbeliefsabout
theirownroleinpromotingpeersocialcompetence,andtheirbeliefsabouttherelative
influenceofvariousagentsandfactors(parents,siblings,peers,teachers,child'sinherent
temperament,andabilities)onchildren'sdevelopingsocialcompetence.Specifically,the
studywasdesignedtoinvestigatepreserviceteachers'beliefsaboutfourareasofsocial
competencethataresupportedbyresearchandtheoryasimportantinthepreschool
years:establishingfriendshipswithpeers,resolvingconflictswithpeers,sharingwith
peers,andinitiatingplayactivitieswithpeers.Inaddition,thestudyexamined,ina
preliminaryway,therelationshipbetweenpreserviceteachers'senseofefficacyandtheir
beliefsabouttheirroleinpromotingsocialcompetence.Onehundredsixty-eight
preserviceteachersrespondedtothreesurveys:thePeerRelationsScale,Goalsfor
vn
YoungChildren,andtheTeacherEfficacyScale.Theresultsofthisstudyfoundthat
preserviceearlychildhoodteachersbelievethatdevelopingsocialcompetenceinyoung
childrenisimportantandthatallfourcomponentsofsocialcompetenceareimportant;
however,theyrankteachersashavingtheleastinfluenceoverchildren'sdeveloping
socialskillsbehindtemperament,parents,andpeers.Reliabilityscoresforpreservice
teacherefficacywerelow,sonoconclusionscouldbedrawnabouttherelationship
betweenteacherbeliefsandefficacy.
vni
CHAPTER
1
INTRODUCTION
Fromthemomentchildrenareborn,theydeveloprelationshipsthrough
interdependenceandactiveengagementwithotherpeople.Throughthesesocial
interactions,childrengainknowledgeaboutwhotheyareandwhattheycando.Rubin.
Mills,andRose-Krasnor(1989)statedthat"becausesocialrelationshipsareofsuch
centralimportanceineverydaylife,theremaywellbenoskillsmoreimportantthan
thoserequiredtosustainrelationships"(p.313).Researchprovidesevidencethatsocially
competentchildrenarehappierthantheirlesscompetentpeers(Alexander&Entwistle,
1988),andthereisadditionalevidencethatchildren'ssocialrelationsareassociatedwith
greateracademicachievement(Goleman,1995).Thus,theachievementofsocial
competencecanbeconsideredoneendpointofsuccessfuldevelopmentaswellasan
importantsupportofsuccessfuldevelopment.
Althoughdefinitionsofsocialcompetencemayvary,theygenerallyincludea
focusonanindividual'sabilitytoinitiateandmaintainsuccessfulinteractionand
satisfying,reciprocalrelationshipswithothers(Katz&McClellan,1997).Socially
competentyoungchildrenarethosewhoengageinsatisfyinginteractionsand
relationshipswithadultsandpeersandthroughsuchinteractionsfurtherimprovetheir
owncompetence.However,socialcompetencedoesnothappensuddenlyor
automatically.Muchofthisdevelopmentoccursfrominfancythroughthelater
elementaryyears.Theearlychildhoodyearsaregenerallyconsideredtobeavery
significanttimeforthedevelopmentofchildren'speercompetence(Hazen&Brownell,
1999;Ramsey,1991).
Teachers'beliefslargelyinfluencehowtheyperceive,process,andactinthe
earlychildhoodclassroom(Bloom,1992;Charlesworth,Hart,Burts,&DeWolf,1993;
Dunn&Kontos,1997;Isenberg,1990;Munby,1982;Smith,1992).Teachers'beliefs
aboutthesourcesofinfluencesoverchildren'sdevelopingsocialcompetenceisan
importantareatostudybecausesuchbeliefsmaysignificantlyinfluencetheirinclinations
tostriveconsciouslyandintentionallytonurturechildren'ssocialdevelopment.
Oneimportantwayinwhichteachersvaryisintheirviewsaboutthecausesof
theirstudents'behaviorsandcharacteristics.Someteachersattributechildren's
characteristicstotrait-likedispositionalfactorsrootedinbiologyorgeneticsortoother
internalfactorsthataremoretransitory.Otherteachersviewchildren'scharacteristicsas
externallydeterminedandinfluencedbyparentaleffortsorchildrearingpractices(Booth,
1999).Preserviceteacherbeliefsareimportanttostudybecause,totheextentthatwecan
understandwhattheybelieveabouttheunderlying"causes"ofchildren'ssocialbehavior,
wecanincreasetheeffectivenessofteachertrainingprogramsintheareasofsocial
competenceandbehaviormanagement.
Theconceptofteacherefficacy,thatis,teachers'situation-specific"perceptionof
theirownteachingabilities"(Ashton&Webb,1986,p.4),isprevalentinstudiesof
teachers'beliefs.Socialcognitivetheory(Bandura,1986)suggeststhatindividuals
pursueactivitiesandsituationsinwhichtheyfeelcompetentandavoidsituationsin
whichtheydoubttheircapabilitytoperformsuccessfully.Recentfindingssuggestthat
theseself-perceptionsinfluenceamyriadofteachers'behaviors,includingtheir