The development and validation of a social emotional school readiness scale
Abstract
English: The first year at school is a major life transition. School readiness assessments do not
always assess social-emotional competence although it is considered to be a key aspect of
successful school adjustment. This omission is compounded by the absence of an appropriate
measure of social-emotional school readiness. Subsequently, this research aimed at the
identification of behaviours that underpin the major social-emotional school readiness
constructs, namely Self Awareness and Regulation, Social Relationships, Empathy and
Coping Skills. A scale, in the form of a questionnaire (BUSSE-SR), was developed for such
assessment.
A convenience sample of 338 Grade R children in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, were evaluated
by their parents and Grade R teachers according to these scales. The same cohort was
assessed the following year by their Grade One teachers in terms of their adjustment to
school and academic performance in Life Skills, Literacy and Numeracy. The results
indicated that the predictive validity of the scales was greater for Grade R teachers than
Grade R parents. Through factor analysis, 28 behaviours of the most valid items were
identified for the final version of the scales. The correlation coefficient for social-emotional
competence and school adjustment, and social-emotional competence and academic
performance, indicated a significant relationship between Self Awareness, Self Regulation,
Social Relationships, Coping Skills and school adjustment and performance in Grade One. Afrikaans: Die eerste skooljaar verg geweldige aanpassing van the skooltoetreder.
Skoolgereedheidstoetse meet nie altyd sosial
- en emosionelevlakke nie, alhoewel dit n
deurslaggewerde factor is vir suksesvolle aanpas
sing op skool. Omdat daar so n groot leemte
in die meting van sosiale- en emosionele skoolgereedheid in bestaande skoolgereedheidstoete
is, is daar besluit om hierdie navorsing te
rig op die identifisering van n gedragspatrone wat
sosiale- en emosionelevlakke sal meet. Die volgende gedragsatrone is in hierdie studie
gemeet:- Bewustheid van self,Selfbeheer van
emosies en gedrag, Sosiale verhoudings,Empatie
en Lewensvaardighede.
338 Graad R leerders in Durban KZN is geevalueer deur hul ouers en graad R onderwysers
deurmiddel van n vraelys (BUSSE-SR). Dieselfd
e groep leerders is in die daaropvolgende
jaar deur hul Graad 1 onderwysers geevalueer in terme van hul skoolaanpassing en
akademies prestasie.
Van die vytig items in die vraelys, is bevind
dat 28 gedragspatrone n
betekenisvolle verband
getoon het met suksesvolle aanpassing and academies prestasie. Die resultate ook dui
daarop dat die voorspellingsgeldigheid van die
skale vir Graad R onderwysers hoër was as
dié vir Graad R ouers. Daar is gevind dat sosi
ale- en emosionele skoolgereedheid is met
Self-Bewustheid, Self-beheer, Sosiale Verhoudings,Lewensvaardighede en skool
aanpasbaarheid en prestasie in Graad 1.