An exploratory study of teachers' perceptions of prosocial behaviors in preschool children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the occurrences of prosocial behaviors in preschool children according to the perceptions of their teachers, examine if variations of prosocial behaviors exist among boys and girls, and analyze whether variations of prosocial behaviors exist among children. Independent schools teachers rated their perceptions of prosocial behavior of each child in their classes. Findings revealed that prosocial behaviors occurred at moderate levels irrespective of gender and school level. Girls displayed relatively more prosocial behaviors than their boy counterparts. Implications are discussed in the context of curriculum practices, pre-service teacher training, and professional development.