Abstract:
Purpose : The purpose of this study was to analyse the teacher-pupil interaction and pre-schoolers social behavior by observing and comparing the data from different pre-school education agencies classified as Kindergarten, Pre-primary Class and Child Development Center. In addition, the relationship between teacher-pupil interaction and pre-schoolers social behavior was investigated. Procedure : The researcher team* modified and observation guidline from Flanders Interaction Analysis Categories to be used in observing teacher-pupil interaction. The categories of interaction behavior were adapted to cover teacher-pupil interaction both verbal and nonverbal aspects. The researcher team also constructed an observation guidline to be used in observing social behaviors of pre-schoolers. This latter guidline was based on the theories of social development and social behaviors of the pre-schoolers, and on the data collected by the investigator from direct observation of pre-schoolers behavior as well. The investigator and one of the team used the two mentioned guidelines with a sample group of teachers and pre-schoolers from 6 Kindergartens, 6 Pre-primary Classes and 6 Child Development Centers in the northeastern region. There were 18 teachers, and 129 pupils, out of which are 50 pupils in Kinder-gartens, 46 in Pre-primary Classes, and 33 in Child Development Centers. The data collected was analysed by the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) program. The data processing program covered subprogram ANOVA and subprogram Crosstabulation to compare teacher-pupil interaction and pupils social behavior among the three mentioned classes, and to find out the correlation between teacher-pupil interaction and pupils social behavior respectively. *This study was part of the study of teacher-pupil interaction and pre-schoolers social behavior in Thailand in the Evaluation of Pre-school Programs in Thailand Project of the office of the National Education Commission which was performed in a team in order to study and collect throughout country data in a short period of time. Results : 1. There were no differences in teacher-pupil interactions when compared among Kindergartens, Pre-primary Classes, and child Development Centers in the northeastern region. Teaching and learning behaviors in the observed classes were found alike. Most of the observed behaviors included a teacher lecturing and initiating various activities while her pupils responding to any orders given by the teacher or to the questions needed only factual answers. Teachers acceptance of students feelings was the only teacher behavior that was found statistically different at 0.5 level among the groups compared. The Kindergarten teachers had the mean of 0.092, the Pre-primary teachers had 1.861. While the teachers at Child Development Center didnt reveal such behavior. 2. There were no differences in social behaviors when compared among Kindergartens, Pre-primary Classes, and Child Development Centers in the northeastern region. Most of the behaviors found were: sharing of friendliness, working and playing together, taking or using of other belongings without asking for permission, and meddling others affairs. Only the behavior of giving direction and persuasion had statistical difference at 0.5 level. Where as the Kindergarten teachers had the mean of 4.052, the Pre-primary Class teachers and the Child Development Center teachers had the means of 3.642 and 15.338 respectively. 3. The correlation between teacher-pupil interactions and pre-schoolers social behaviors revealed significant relationship of certain behaviors. Most behaviors had positive relation and less had negative one. The relationship found indicated that, if a teacher frequently used her direct influences : lecturing, blaming and ordering, the pupils responses would include aggression, imitation, and dependency. More over, if the teacher frequently accepted and supported ideas and initiation of the pupils, the pupils responses would frequently reveal ascendance and egocentrism.