ISSN: 2222-6990
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This study delves into the crucial topic of preschool teachers’ approaches and knowledge regarding social skills and their direct impact on school readiness. It addresses the misconception that preschool teaching requires minimal education, emphasizing the pivotal role of preschool teachers in fostering children's school readiness through effective social skills instruction. Employing a qualitative methodology, the study utilized one-on-one semi-structured interviews to collect data. Ten preschool teachers from two Malaysian preschools were interviewed to explore approaches to teaching social skills and understand the relationship between social skills and school readiness. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that respondents have varied knowledge levels on social skills, highlighting the need for updated curriculum and innovative teaching approaches. Respondents also acknowledged the pivotal role teachers play in bridging gaps in social skills instruction and agreed on the necessity of prioritizing these skills in early education.The study concludes by promoting interventions that nurture well-rounded individuals, blending social competence with academic achievement for holistic student development. As a precursor to further research, the study suggests exploring and implementing strategies to enhance teacher education in the realm of social skills instruction and encourages ongoing efforts to refine and update preschool curricula.
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(Kassim et al., 2024)
Kassim, R., Radzi, F. A. M., & Mustafa, S. M. S. (2024). Delving into Preschool Teachers’ Approches and Knowledge on Social Skills and its Relationship to School Readiness. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(1), 2546–2555.
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