Course Information
SemesterCourse Unit CodeCourse Unit TitleT+P+LCreditNumber of ECTS CreditsLast Updated Date
7EEC060Social Skills Training for Children3+0+03401.11.2026
Course Details
Language of Instruction Turkish
Level of Course Unit Bachelor's Degree
Department / Program Pre-School Teaching
Type of Program Formal Education
Type of Course Unit Elective
Course Delivery Method Face To Face
Objectives of the Course The aim of this course is to enable prospective preschool teachers to comprehend—from a holistic perspective—the fundamental concepts, theoretical approaches, and developmental processes regarding social skills; to explain the development of social skills during early childhood and the individual and environmental factors influencing this development; and to analyze the sub-domains of social skills, prosocial behaviors, and processes associated with social skills such as emotional competence, self-regulation, empathy, mindfulness, peer relationships, friendship, conflict, and social problem-solving. Furthermore, the course aims to equip prospective teachers with the ability to identify children ` s social skill needs and challenges using appropriate assessment methods; to effectively employ teaching methods and techniques used to support social skills; and to plan, implement, and evaluate social skill training processes tailored to diverse developmental characteristics and needs. The course also targets enabling prospective teachers to apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired to early childhood education settings, inclusive education practices, and the current preschool education curriculum.
Course Content This course covers the definition, scope, key characteristics, and theoretical foundations of social skills, as well as their development during early childhood; emotional competence, self-regulation, mindfulness, prosocial behaviors, empathy, peer relationships, friendship, conflict, and social problem-solving processes; factors influencing social skills, social skill difficulties, assessment and teaching methods, social skill training programs, and inclusive education practices.
Course Methods and Techniques Lecturing, question and answer, discussion, case study/case analysis, problem solving, brainstorming, group work, cooperative learning, drama, role-playing, modeling, demonstration and practice, and applied activity design.
Prerequisites and co-requisities None
Course Coordinator Asist Prof.Dr. Mihriban ÖZCAN https://profil.hku.edu.tr/akademik/mihriban-ozcan/ mihriban.ozcan@hku.edu.tr
Name of Lecturers Asist Prof.Dr. MİHRİBAN ÖZCAN
Assistants None
Work Placement(s) No

Recommended or Required Reading
Resources Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
Hyson, M. (Ed.). (2023). Spotlight on Young Children: Social and Emotional Development (Rev. ed.). NAEYC.
Course Notes No.
Documents Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Erken Çocuklukta Sosyal Beceri Eğitimi (2. bs.). Pegem Akademi. Hyson, M. (Ed.). (2023). Spotlight on Young Children: Social and Emotional Development (Rev. ed.). NAEYC.

Course Category
Social Sciences %100

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods
Activities are given in detail in the section of "Assessment Methods and Criteria" and "Workload Calculation"

Assessment Methods and Criteria
In-Term Studies Quantity Percentage
Mid-terms 1 % 30
Assignment 1 % 20
Final examination 1 % 50
Total
3
% 100

 
ECTS Allocated Based on Student Workload
Activities Quantity Duration Total Work Load
Course Duration 14 3 42
Hours for off-the-c.r.stud 14 3 42
Assignments 1 12 12
Mid-terms 1 10 10
Final examination 1 20 20
Total Work Load   Number of ECTS Credits 4 126

 
Course Learning Outcomes: Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
NoLearning Outcomes
1 Defines social skills, understands and classifies their developmental characteristics.
2 Explains the importance of social skills in the preschool period with short and long-term results.
3 Explains the factors affecting the development of social skills in the preschool period.
4 Provides examples of social skills training programs for preschool children.
5 Creates a social skills training program for preschool children.

 
Weekly Detailed Course Contents
WeekTopicsStudy MaterialsMaterials
1 Course Introduction
2 Introduction to the Field of Social Skills: Definition, Scope, and Key Characteristics What does it mean for social skills to be learnable, purposeful, and sensitive to context and culture? Explain this using examples from early childhood. Is it possible for the same social behavior to be considered appropriate in one situation and inappropriate in another? Discuss this in terms of social appropriateness and context, providing examples. How can supporting social skills during early childhood impact a child ` s social, emotional, behavioral, and academic development in both the short and long term? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
3 Concepts Related to Social Skills and Conceptual Boundaries Explain the differences between the concepts of social skill, social performance, and social competence using the example of a preschool child. How do the concepts of social development, socialization, and social interaction relate to the development of social skills? A child noticed a friend was upset, went over to them, and gave them their toy. Analyze this situation in terms of social cognition, empathy, prosocial behavior, and social skills. Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
4 Theoretical Foundations of Social Skill Development I: Learning and Sociocultural Approaches Explain, in terms of Bandura ` s Social Learning/Social Cognitive Theory, why a child might begin to exhibit helping behaviors after seeing their teacher praise another child for helping a friend. In what ways are the behavioral approach and Bandura ` s approach similar and different regarding the explanation of how social skills are acquired? How would you explain a teacher supporting a child who is struggling to join a game, using Vygotsky ` s concepts of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
5 Theoretical Foundations of Social Skill Development II Explain how attachment relationships might be associated with social competence in early childhood. Analyze—based on the social information processing approach—a scenario in which a child interprets a peer accidentally bumping into them as "They pushed me on purpose" and subsequently hits the peer. How might Bronfenbrenner ` s ecological systems approach, the theory of mind, and the social information processing approach explain this same child ` s social behavior from different perspectives? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
6 Social Development and Developmental Course of Social Skills in Early Childhood Explain, in developmental sequence, the fundamental changes observed in the development of social skills from infancy through the end of the preschool period. Why is it inappropriate to expect the same behaviors—regarding sharing, cooperation, empathy, and social problem-solving—from a three-year-old child and a six-year-old child? What insights can changes in a child ` s play patterns provide regarding their social development and the evolution of their peer relationships? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
7 Classification of Social Skills and Social Skill Repertoire Explain the reasons why social skills are classified in various ways. What are the commonalities and differences among these various classifications? Consider a five-year-old child who wishes to join a group game but does not know how to do so, frequently interrupts peers, and takes desired materials without asking for permission. Classify the social skills that this child needs to develop according to specific skill domains. Using examples, explain the perspective that communication, cooperation, assertiveness, friendship, and self-control skills are not independent of one another. Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
8 Midterm exams Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
9 Library Week Library Resources
10 Emotional Competence, Self-Regulation, and Mindfulness How are emotion recognition, emotion knowledge, emotion regulation, and self-regulation interrelated? Explain why these concepts should not be used interchangeably. Why is it insufficient to characterize the behavior of a child who throws materials in anger after losing a game merely as a "lack of social skills"? Analyze this in terms of emotional competence and self-regulation. Is mindfulness a direct social skill? Explain this by discussing the potential relationships between attention, awareness, emotion regulation, self-regulation, empathy, and social competence. Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
11 Prosocial Behaviors, Empathy, and Moral-Social Development; Peer Relationships, Play, Friendship, and Social Status Distinguish between the concepts of prosocial behavior, empathy, sympathy, and altruism, and explain the relationships among them. Do a child ` s acceptance into a peer group and their ability to form a close friendship signify the same thing? What possible explanations should a teacher consider when encountering a child who constantly watches other children during free play but does not join in their games? When supporting children ` s peer relationships and friendships, in which situations should a teacher intervene, and in which situations should they allow the children the opportunity to manage their social interactions themselves? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
12 Conflict, Aggression, Assertiveness, and Social Problem Solving Why should the concepts of conflict, aggression, and bullying not be used interchangeably? Explain this using examples from early childhood. Two children want the same toy; one child forcibly takes the toy, while the other walks away without saying anything. Evaluate these behaviors in terms of passive, aggressive, and assertive conduct, and explain alternative social responses that could be taught to the children. Analyze a social conflict based on the stages of social information processing and social problem-solving, and indicate at which stages a child might experience difficulties. Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
13 Factors Affecting Social Skill Development, Risks, and Social Skill Difficulties Why is it insufficient to explain social skill development solely based on a child ` s individual characteristics? Explain the interaction among individual, familial, peer, school, and cultural factors. How can one distinguish between a child who has never learned a social skill and one who knows the skill but fails to use it? Explain this in terms of acquisition versus performance difficulties. Evaluate the situation of a child who demonstrates a specific social skill with their teacher but fails to use it with peers or in different settings, specifically in terms of fluency and generalization. Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
14 Assessment and Teaching of Social Skills; Assessment of social skills Why is it insufficient to make a judgment about a child ` s social skills based solely on a scale completed by the teacher? Explain this in the context of a multi-method and multi-source approach to information gathering. Design an appropriate assessment process for a child who struggles to join in peer play. Which methods would you use, what behaviors would you observe, and how would you determine an instructional goal based on the data obtained? Design a brief instructional sequence—incorporating modeling, role-playing/behavioral rehearsal, feedback, and reinforcement—to teach a specific social skill you have identified. How would you ensure the generalization of the skill to different settings and its long-term maintenance? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.
15 Designing Activities How are social skills addressed when preparing an effective training plan? Aslan, D. (Ed.). (2024). Social Skill Education in Early Childhood (2nd ed.). Pegem Akademi.

 
Sustainable Development Goals
Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13 P14
C1 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1
C2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1
C3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1
C4 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 3
C5 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

  Contribution: 1: Very Slight 2:Slight 3:Moderate 4:Significant 5:Very Significant