Emotional awareness is a basic skill underlying emotional intelligence and forms a critical part of the holistic development of children. This skill is described as a person?s capacity to be in contact with his/her emotions and to effectively express emotions. Emotional awareness can enhance the social skills, academic performance, interpersonal relationships, and positive behaviours of children in middle childhood.
Middle childhood is the life stage when children enter the formal school system. The school system primarily emphasises the academic performance of children. However, children also need psychosocial skills in order to adapt to the demands of school and effectively function within the school system. Emotional awareness can thus benefit children within the school environment. Emotional awareness is regarded as a cognitive skill that can be taught to children, for example by means of an emotional awareness programme.
The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an emotional awareness programme that was developed for children in middle childhood within the school context. For this purpose, the programme was presented to a sample of 55 children in middle childhood in a public school in the Free State Province. A quantitative research approach, based on a quasi-experimental comparison group pre-test post-test research design, was followed. Data was collected and analysed by means of a standardised measuring instrument, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children (LEAS-C).
The research findings indicate that the respondents that attended the emotional awareness programme, showed enhanced levels of emotional awareness. Thus, it could be stated that the emotional awareness of children in middle childhood can be enhanced through their exposure to an emotional awareness programme. Based on the research results, it is recommended that public schools in South Africa consider the implementation of similar programmes in the school environment. It is further recommended comparative studies are conducted in other public and private schools in South Africa.
Emosionele bewustheid is n vaardigheid onderliggend aan emosionele intelligensie en vorm n kritiese deel van die holistiese ontwikkeling van kinders. Emosionele bewustheid word beskryf as n persoon se vermoë om in kontak met sy/haar emosies te wees en emosies effektief uit te druk, en kan kinders se sosiale vaardighede, akademiese prestasie, interpersoonlike verhoudings en positiewe gedrag bevorder.
Die middekinderjare is die lewensfase waarin kinders die formele skoolsisteem betree. In die skoolsisteem word daar hoofsaaklik klem gelê op kinders se akademiese prestasie. Suksesvolle aanpassing en funksionering in die skool vereis egter ook dat kinders oor genoegsame psigososiale vaardighede beskik om by die eise van die skoolomgewing aan te pas. Emosionele bewustheid kan dus voordele vir kinders in die skoolomgewing inhou. Emosionele bewustheid word beskou as n kognitiewe vaardigheid wat aan kinders geleer kan word, byvoorbeeld deur middel van n emosionele bewustheidsprogram.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die effektiwiteit van n emosionele bewustheidsprogram wat vir kinders in die middelkinderjare in die skoolomgewing ontwerp is, te evalueer. Vir hierdie doel is die betrokke program oor n tydperk van twee maande aan n steekproef van 55 leerders in n openbare skool in die Vrystaat aangebied. n Kwantitatiewe kwasi-eksperimentele navorsingsbenadering, gebaseer op n vergelykende groep voortoets natoets navorsingsontwerp, is gevolg en data is ingesamel en geanaliseer deur gebruik te maak van n gestandardiseerde meetinstrument, die Vlakke van Emosionele Bewustheidskaal vir Kinders (LEAS-C).
Die navorsingsbevindinge dui daarop dat die respondente wat aan die emosionele bewustheidsprogram deelgeneem het, verhoogde vlakke van emosionele bewustheid getoon het. Derhalwe kan dit gestel word dat die emosionele bewustheid van kinders in die middekinderjare verhoog kan word deur hul blootstelling aan n emosionele bewustheidsprogram. Op grond van die navorsingsresultate word daar aanbeveel dat openbare skole in Suid-Afrika die moontlikheid oorweeg om soortgelyke programme in die skoolomgewing aan te bied. Daar word voorts aanbeveel dat vergelykende navorsingstudies in ander openbare- en privaatskole in Suid-Afrika herhaal word.
