Dimensions of social behaviours: five-year-olds and education goals

Abstract

Formal schooling is usually seen to be about desired social outcomes as well as about academic outcomes. Moreover, with increased emphasis on outcomes, there is an increased need, where possible, to define social outcomes for schooling. The literature review for this research considered the importance of social behaviours in formal schooling, both overseas and in New Zealand, and examined the parameters and "working definitions" of social behaviours in a variety of educational contexts. The research study examined the level of consensus for the dimensions of social behaviour considered important at various points of curriculum delivery for five-year-old children: Official, Intended, Transmitted, and Actual. The methodology used was designed to examine the transition from Official to Actual in a structured manner, which allowed replication at other levels of the school. National curriculum documents were examined by the author, and eight judges, using a formal content analysis approach. Fourteen teachers were then interviewed about their views regarding social behaviours at school, and asked to describe the actual social behaviours of a range of children in their class. A further twelve teachers were then asked to act as judges, and, using the list of dimensions extracted from national curriculum documents, they undertook a comparison of official desired social behaviours and those in the descriptions of actual children's behaviours at school. Official curriculum documents, schools, and teachers affirmed the centrality of the school's role in the development of desired social behaviours, and there was agreement as to the definition of a core set of social behaviours when comparing aspects of the Official and Actual. There were however, a few official dimensions that were not strongly reflected in descriptions of actual student behaviour, and some about which teacher-judges showed less agreement. There were also some dimensions reflected in actual descriptions that were not part of official curriculum documents.