Psychological indicators of safe social behavior of preschool children in an inclusive educational environment

Abstract

The purpose of the research presented in the article is to identify and empirically substantiate the psychological indicators of safe social behavior of preschool children in an inclusive educational environment. The relevance of the study is connected with the need to prevent the risks of inclusive education associated with the manifestations of various forms of mental and physical violence against children with developmental disabilities from their peers. Presumably, the safe social behavior of children is determined by the following personal constructs: need-motivational, emotional-volitional, cognitive-cognitive, interpersonal-social ones. To confirm the theoretical model, an empirical study was conducted on the basis of an inclusive preschool educational organization in Shuya (N = 46, from 5 to 7 years old, girls-56%) using a set of psychodiagnostic tools: “Diagnostics of tolerance in preschool children in relation to peers with disabilities” (A. S. Sirotyuk, in the author’s modification); to fix the parameters of anxiety of a preschool child, the projective test of R. Temml, M. Dorka, V. Amen was used; the method of drawing frustration of S. Rosenzweig (modification of T. D. Marcinkovskaya, in the author’s interpretation); “The degree of involvement of older preschoolers in the game interaction with their peers” (S. G. Elizarov, modification of S. S. Zhuravleva); the drawing projective method “I am in kindergarten” (M. Bykova, in the author’s interpretation). It is established that the formation of psychological indicators of safe social behavior of preschool children is mainly at low or medium levels. It is shown that predictors of psychological well-being of preschool children in an inclusive educational environment, which is an integral indicator of safe social behavior, are indicators of social tolerance towards peers with developmental disabilities, empathy, readiness for mutual assistance, non-conflict, low anxiety, and involvement in game interaction. The obtained data should be taken into account when implementing inclusive education programs in preschool organizations.

Keywords

• safe behavior
• social interaction
• inclusive environment
• preschool children
• psychological well-being
• social tolerance