Social competence education for pre-service teachers

Project (M.A., Child Development (Theory and Research))--California State University, Sacramento, 2012.Social competence is indicative of both social functioning and academic success (Buhs & Ladd, 2001; Roman, Babchishin, Pagani, & Kohn, 2010). Training in children???s social development and social competence is not universally required in teacher preparation programs. However, Pre-service teachers would benefit from understanding social competence skills and factors that facilitate its development in children.\ud For the current project, a handbook was created based on research in social competence to address this issue. The handbook was developed by consulting the research in social competence. It defined key social competencies such as peer acceptance and rejection, friendship skills, physical and relational aggression, and emotion regulation. Resources were identified that can assist teachers in implementing social competence curriculum in their classrooms. The author interviewed professors who teach in the credential program and solicited feedback on the handbooks to further develop the material. A powerpoint was created to accompany the handbook and offer evidence-based examples of ways to develop social competence in early elementary-aged\ud vi\ud children. The handbook and powerpoint were then presented in two sections of Child Development students enrolled in a course on social and emotional development. These students as well as the instructor provided evaluative feedback to further develop this project. It is recommended that this handbook be used within teacher credentialing programs to share the importance and implications of social competence.Child Development (Theory and Research