Sociale Sfeer in de Kleuterklas door de Ogen van Docenten en Leerlingen

Abstract

A positive social ecology in the classroom stimulates the social development of children. The role of teachers in the development of a positive social ecology in the classroom is important. Therefore, it is necessary to know whether teachers experience the social ecology the same as students do. The attention for social ecology in the classroom in the education system and the knowledge of teachers about social relations in the classroom are limited. In this study, the following question is answered: ‘Is there a relation between isolation and cohesion in kindergarten as experienced by teachers and the heterogeneity in sociometric scores of the students?’. Relationships between students on group level were seen as indicator for the social ecology in the classroom. This was measured with the use of the rating method on a tablet. The relations on group level as experienced by teachers were measured by terms of isolation and cohesion. Teachers answered seven questions about isolation and cohesion in their class. The research included 16 classes with a total of 297 children between the age of 4 and 6. The mean age was 5.1 years old, with a standard deviation of 0.6 years. A multiple regression analysis was used with heterogeneity in sociometric scores as dependent variable and isolation and cohesion as independent variables. As expected, the relationship between these variables was not significant. Updating teachers’ knowledge about social relationships in the classroom was recommended.