Annual of social work, Vol. 28 No. 2, 2021.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.3935/ljsr.v28i2.367
Risk behaviors in kindergarten: From the perspective of preschool teachers and expert associates
Nataša Vlah
; Faculty of Education, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Anja Mirosavljević
orcid.org/0000-0003-0060-1036
; Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vesna Katić
; Faculty of Education, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The overall aim of this paper is to investigate, describe, and compare the understanding of the concept of risk behaviors in preschool-aged children from two perspectives (preschool teachers' and expert associates' perspectives). The paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of focus groups with preschool teachers and expert associates from 31 kindergartens in Rijeka who provided a description and interpretation of their understanding of the concept of risk behaviors in children with whom they worked or are currently working. For the analysis of the focus group transcript, we applied a thematic analysis according to Clarke and Braun (2013), which isolated two topics: “phenomenology and criteria for assessing risk behaviors” and “etiological factors.” Among the described phenomena and assessment criteria, preschool teachers and expert associates provided similar responses: forms/types of risk behaviors as well as general and specific criteria for assessing risk behaviors. Among the etiologic factors, they notice factors in all ecological areas and the child himself. The results showed a relative alignment of the two perspectives, while certain specifics in both topics can be recognized between preschool teachers and professionals, which is likely due to the differences in their initial education. The contribution of the work is in considering risky behaviors of kindergarten children and their perception by the professionals who work with them and, in practical terms, in the implication of joint team and coordinated action and individual approach to each child and family in the prevention and intervention of behavioral problems.
Keywords
child; early and preschool age; emotional-behavioral problems EBD; kindergarten; risk behaviors
Hrčak ID:
270832
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2021.
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