iice 2013 colombini_life skills development_id_307

Life Skills Development in Early Childhood:

The Role of Emotions and Relationships

Dott.ssa Sabina COLOMBINI, PhD

Doctoral School in Human and Social Sciences Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences

[email protected]

University of Torino – Italy

IICE-2013International Conference on Education

Dublin, Ireland – 21/23 October 2013

Introduction


University of Torino - ITALYDoctoral School in Human and Social Sciences

Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences

This research highlights the role of educational relationships in the development of emotional competencies, as well as the role of emotions in the development and strengthening of those life skills that allow individuals to pursue their life goals and to function within a social context (WHO, 1997).

We focus on competencies involving the emotional sphere: by developing through interactions with adults within educational contexts (Brazelton, 2000), these skills directly influence the cognitive sphere, emerging as fundamental to cope with everyday situations (Hawkins et al., 2005).

?Dott.ssa Sabina COLOMBINI, PhD



What about teachers

and educators’ role?

We know a great deal about the parents’ role in the development of these competencies in children (Denham et al., 2012; 2007).

Context




Children develop multiple instances of attachment (Goossens & Van Ijzendoorn, 1990), therefore a number of attachment relationships, parents aside, contribute to the development of their emotional competencies (Schutz et al., 2006).

The quality of the educational relationship that teachers and educators establish is fundamental, and it varies significantly based on their individual sensitivity (Pianta et al., 2005).




Some of them, but not all, are intuitively aware of the importance of their emotions in conditioning those of other individuals and their well-being (Zembylas, 2007), as well as the role of emotional communication within relationships (Saarni, 1999).

Their emotional states induce corresponding reactions in preschoolers, offering – often unconsciously and through a process of emotional socialization – clues on when and which emotions should be felt, as well as how and to whom these might be expressed (Saarni, 1999).

Teachers and educators’ training could be aimed at increasing their awareness of this aspect of education

Our training proposal




The Methodology Parents’Pedagogy (Zucchi et al. 2013) allows for a comparison of the participants’ life experiences based on empathy through the involvement of parents and teachers/educators, to highlight and collect their respective narratives and educational paths.

Increase in the awareness of one’s own educational and emotional skills via a process of conscientization (Freire, 1970). The development of a relationship based on trust among caregivers (parents and educators) influences the approach they will adopt, consciously or unconsciously, as they relate with children.

Main Aim




Verifying the relationship between the awareness of one’s own emotional competencies and the ability to recognize emotions in children.

Defining which characteristics of the educational relationship influence the development of emotional competencies and thus, indirectly, life skills in children.

Verifying how the Methodology Parents’Pedagogy can improve the awareness of one’s own emotional competencies and of their role in an educational relationship.

Methodology




The research will involve a sample of about 40 early childhood teachers and educators working in Turin (Piedmont Region, North-Western Italy) during the course of a full school year (2013-14).

Sampling will be aimed at having sufficient variation in social status and urban typology; moreover, educators will be chosen so as to have as homogeneous a sample as possible in terms of years of experience, academic qualifications and age.




The research will include, at the beginning and conclusion of the school year, an evaluation of all educators through:

TAS-20 test, used to assess the alexithymia in adults (Tylor, 1994; Bagby et al., 1994), i.e. the cognitive-affective disorder characterized by a marked difficulty in identifying and expressing one’s emotions.

ERQ, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Balzarotti et al., 2010; Gross & John, 2003), used to assess the emotion regulation in adults




TEC, Test of Emotion Comprehension for children (3-11 years old) (Pons & Harris, 2000; Albanese & Molina, 2008). We will ask the participants (adults): “how would you answer these questions if you were a child (3 or 5 years old)?”. The TEC will be used to assess Adults' knowledge on Children's emotional competencies.

Semi-structured interviews aimed at investigating both the educators’ awareness of their educational practices, as well as the connection between their actions and the development of emotional skills in children (Ahn, 2005).




During the school year, 50% of these educators and teachers will take part in Narrative Groups based on the Methodology Parents’Pedagogy.

The same educators and teachers will be suggested to keep an emotional diary to combine the two practices – observation of the child and self-observation – thus highlighting emotional representations and expectations that constitute the basis of one’s personal relationship with their own and others’ emotions (Scarzello, 2012).

!Results




This research will allow us to observe how programs building upon empathic

interactions between caregivers, such as the one suggested within the

Methodology Parents’Pedagogy framework, can heighten the awareness of the role they play,

through educational relationship, in the development of emotional competencies

and life skills in early childhood.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!




For further questions, please contact me at [email protected]

iice 2013 colombini_life skills development_id_307

Education

italy doctoral school

ssa sabina colombini

social sciences department

school year

educational sciences

colombini unito

methodology parentspedagogy

emotional skills