Development Of Interaction Skills Research Articles

THEATRICAL ART AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN PUPILS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

The article deals with the problem of the effectiveness of correctional work of higher education students with younger students with autism spectrum disorders. The aim of the article is to theoretically substantiate the problem and highlight the results of an empirical study on identifying the level of development of interpersonal interaction skills in primary school children with autism spectrum disorders through the means of theatrical art. The theoretical analysis of the problem has shown that the acquisition of experience of interaction, and skills of contact with children is recognized as one of the priority directions of personality development at the primary school age. In science, communication is considered as the interaction and establishment of contacts between individuals, which results in influencing each other, exchanging information, choosing a certain direction of joint action, as well as perceiving and understanding the interlocutor. It was determined that the artistic and communicative experience gained at the primary school age is a guarantee not only of the child’s general cultural development, but also of his or her liberation, confidence, and personal activity in later life. The emphasis was placed on the fact that theatrical activity proves to be an effective means of socialisation of primary schoolchildren, as it promotes comprehension of the moral implications of a literary work and participation in the game. This form of activity creates favourable conditions for development, focused on the holistic development of the personality of a child with ASD, activation of his/her creativity, and key mental processes. It is emphasised that the solution to the problem will be the implementation of a correctional and developmental program by higher education students aimed at developing interpersonal skills in primary school children with autism spectrum disorders. Under our supervision, students of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University conducted a study of the level of development of interpersonal skills in primary school children with autism spectrum disorders. The study involved primary school children with autism spectrum disorders in grades 1-A: 13 children – experimental group, and 1-B: 14 children – control group. The results of the study allowed higher education students to conclude that the development of interpersonal skills in primary school children with autism spectrum disorders can be successful under conditions of specially organised, systematised, and regular classes in the correctional and developmental program «Young Actors». The empirical study applied methods and strategies for implementing theatrical classes in the educational process with children with autism spectrum disorders. The use of theatrical art helps to improve communication skills, emotional understanding and social adaptation in children with autism spectrum disorders. The results obtained indicate the effectiveness of the correctional work of higher education students with children with autism spectrum disorders. Conclusions have been drawn regarding the effectiveness of the corrective developmental program in shaping interpersonal interaction skills in children with autism spectrum disorders through theatrical art. The practical results of the work can be useful for teachers, psychologists and parents who work with this category of children and seek to improve their quality of life and social interaction. In addition, the educational environment will contribute to social adaptation and the development of interaction skills in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Challenging but Rewarding Aspects of Telecollaboration: The Case of Virtual Israeli-Polish (VIP) Project

Starting from the premise that implementing telecollaboration can be a challenging enterprise, it is assumed that such virtual exchanges bring positive outcomes. Despite rich body of research on telecollaboration, few studies to date have explored group dynamics in the context of online exchange. The current research examined an Israeli-Polish (N = 100) telecollaborative intercultural experience. The Israeli participants were students from a BEd program in informal education and Polish students from a BA program in translation. The main purpose of the telecollaborative project was to develop English linguistic skills and intercultural communicative competence (Byram, 1997) of the students. However, the present study aimed to investigate how the group dynamics influenced the telecollaboration process and the project outcomes. The students engaged in the exchange of asynchronous video recordings (Vlogs), collaborative synchronous meetings on Zoom, and completed an on-line questionnaire. This paper outlines some of the challenges related to the international telecollaboration, including technological and institutional difficulties, context-specific demands, and some individual differences of the participants. Through “thematic analysis” (TA) (Braun & Clarke, 2012) the authors of the paper explored levels of “failed communication” (O’Dowd & Ritter, 2006) and how they impacted the ongoing development of the collaboration both technically and in terms of content and development of interaction skills to uncover certain themes that referred to learners’ and instructors’ challenges. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for more effective implementation of telecollaboration in higher education.

Exploring the impact of online learning on university students' classroom interactions

Online learning has evolved over the past 50 years, from early distance learning through postal systems to today's digital platforms. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online learning, resulting in increased enrollments and opportunities for learners to improve their skills and employment prospects. Interactional competence, which refers to the skills required for effective communication and support in virtual environments, is an important component of online learning. The development of interactional skills has a positive impact on learning outcomes, engagement, collaboration and social presence. Online learning has both positive and negative effects on classroom dynamics. Online platforms allow students to engage in a variety of ways regardless of geography, fostering diversity and accommodating a wide range of learning preferences. However, the lack of nonverbal cues and face-to-face interaction can hinder teacher-student connections and make it difficult to assess learning in real time. Recognizing these effects is critical to overcoming limitations and improving the quality of online education. Online learning has become a dynamic educational paradigm with both advantages and disadvantages. The digital transformation of education continues to change the learning experience, highlighting the need for interaction skills and overcoming barriers to ensure successful and meaningful online education.

Impact of COVID-19 on medical teaching and students

Impact of COVID-19 on medical teaching and students

Facilitation of the Dynamics of Social Interaction Skills Development in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders has exacerbated the problem of improving (facilitating) social interaction skills in preschoolers. This category of children is characterized by a combination of qualitative disorders, where one of the main manifestations is difficulties in verbal and social behavior. The aim is to study the dynamics of the development of social interaction skills in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders, depending on gender and age, to identify points of facilitation, to give recommendations. On the basis of ontological and behavioral approaches, theoretical methods of analysis of philosophical, psychological and pedagogical literature are used, among the empirical methods are the Sundberg method VB-MAPP (2008), observations, qualitative analysis, Student's T-criterion. A longitudinal study (2018-2022) of 54 preschoolers with ASD from different kindergartens in Kazan is presented. The dynamics of the development of skills of children with ASD in longitudinal study is minimal, contradictory, depends not on age, but on the complexity of the defect.

Social Interaction Skills Development in Children with ASD: A Group-Based Comparative Study

Autism is a processing disorder that disrupts the ability to understand and utilize language and significantly poor social skills. During a typical group therapy session, children are facilitated to socialize with their peers, initiate or participate in the group play or express their potential. This study aimed to see the effect of different types of therapy as a team approach (Speech therapy & Occupational therapy) during the group therapy session and apply it during the group therapy sessions, and to see the impact of different age groups in developing social interaction skills. A total of 5 mainstream children with ASD (age range- 6 to 8 and 8-10 years) were selected. 6 sessions of group therapy for 2.5 hours were conducted with OT and ST together. The objectives of the group therapy were rated on four rating scales and compared before and after the session by the parents and therapist. The Wilcoxon signed ranked test was done to find any significant difference between the two groups and the Mann-Whitney U test was to see the impact of different age groups in developing social skills. The finding indicated that the children from both groups showed improvement in social communication with their peers, and show interest to participate; initiating, and taking a turn in storytelling, and various art, and craft activities. However, children in the higher age group showed more improvement in their social skills. This signifies that the transdisciplinary approach in group therapy is a useful treatment strategy to facilitate the children to initiate and interact with their peers. Keywords: Group Therapy, Transdisciplinary approach, Social Skills, Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist.

Learning to teach and play futsal using digital tablets: What knowledge do sports science students mobilize?

Abstract There is little research on the knowledge mobilized by sports science students when they learn to play a sport by learning to teach it. This study focuses on the benefits of using digital tablets to foster this learning during a university teaching module in futsal with students in the second year of a sports science bachelor’s degree. We compare the knowledge mobilized by these students during self-confrontation interviews (based on video recordings of the sessions), game situations, reciprocal coaching and debates of ideas. We then identify the nature of this knowledge and the strategies for its mobilization in context using a framework mainly based on didactics in physical education (Amade-Escot, 2006; Armour, 2011) and on pedagogical content knowledge studies (Shulman, 1986). The students were divided into two experimental conditions following the same pedagogical curriculum. The students in condition 1 used digital tablets to film themselves, tag videos and discuss the recordings. The students in condition 2 did not use tablets. The interviews were conducted twice during the teaching module: first during period 1 (beginning of the module) and then during period 2 (end of the module). The results show that students in condition 1 were more likely to mobilize shared knowledge, make decisions through cooperation and even devolve the construction of tactical reasoning and knowledge by their peers following the didactic approach of the faculty teacher as early as period 1. This promoted access to the construction and meaning of teaching and learning content. These results are discussed in light of the current challenges within educational systems and of the joint development of interactional skills for learning to cooperate and even to teach.

Nursing Students' Relational Skills with Elders Improve through Humanitude Care Methodology.

Nursing students have difficulties interacting with cognitively impaired elders. This study aimed to identify students’ difficulties in interacting with elders, the causes of the difficulties in interacting with elders, the strategies used to reduce these difficulties, and the importance attributed to the Structured Sequence of Humanitude Care Procedures (SSHCP). It also aimed to assess the contribution of the Humanitude Care Methodology (HCM) to the development of interaction skills in nursing students. An exploratory descriptive study with a quasi-experimental design was conducted with a sample of 64 nursing students during their hospital clinical training. A control group (usual training) and an experimental group (HCM training) were used. Data were collected through a questionnaire applied at baseline and follow-up. Content analysis, chi-square tests, and Student’s t-tests were performed. The main difficulty identified was caring for agitated and confused elders. Difficulties were associated with a lack of theoretical–practical teaching, the clinical training context, lack of experience, and personality traits. HCM impacted positively on the development of students’ interaction skills. This study shows that HCM is an innovative methodology in nursing education that will allow for moving from an instrumental and technicist education into a more humanized training capable of transforming care.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Couple Therapy on Reducing Depression and Anxiety Symptoms and Increasing Dyadic Adjustment and Marital Social Skills: An Exploratory Study

Several kinds of marital conflict might be solved through constructive communication, development of interaction skills, and behavioral and thought modification. The aim of this study was to show results of the application of a protocol based on cognitive behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) on dyadic adjustment, marital social skills, depression, and anxiety symptoms. The sample consisted of 32 participants (16 couples) divided in two groups by length of marriage: Group 1 (1–7 years) and Group 2 (8–12 years). All subjects recruited were older than 18 and reported having communication problems in their relationship. The ages were M = 30.4, SD = 4.13. The measures were Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Marital Social Skills Inventory (Inventário de Habilidades Sociais Conjugais [IHSC]), and the Sociodemographic Questionnaire. Participants were assessed pre- and postintervention and had a 6-month follow-up. The intervention consisted of twelve 50-min sessions per couple. Based on three time analyses, both groups obtained the following results: DAS ( p = .001), BDI-II ( p = .000), BAI ( p = .000), and IHSC ( p = .001). We conclude that the CBCT protocol developed for this study, resulted in statistically significant improvements in the couple’s relationship for all variables studied in both groups.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER OF INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION OF CHILDREN IN THE CONDITIONS OF A MIXED AGE GROUP IN A PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

The article reveals specifics of interpersonal interaction of children in the conditions of a mixed-age group in a preschool educational institution.The purpose of the article is:to analyse theoretically the interpersonal interaction of educational process participants in a preschool educational institution as a psychological and pedagogical category;to investigate the influence of interpersonal interaction on the development of abilities and activity of pupils in the conditions of a mixed-age group.The concept “interaction” has been specified in the article. Theoretical and methodological foundations to the formation of interpersonal interaction of children in the conditions of a mixed-aged group in the preschool educational institution have been considered, too. Views of native and foreign scientists on the determinants of the group behavior of preschool-age children have been analyzed. The stages of the development of interpersonal interaction of preschool-age children and playing games as the formation environment of interpersonal interaction skills development have been characterized. The main determinants of the formation of a preschool personality in the conditions of a mixed-age group have been determined. The peculiarities of pedagogical activity of the teacher in the conditions of a mixed-age group have been clarified. It has been underlined that the effectiveness of the organization of children’s life of all ages is caused by the establishment of active interpersonal interaction between them; the main forms of educational work of a teacher with children of different age have been revealed. The ideological characteristics of a teacher’s interaction with children have been characterized, in particular: orientation of actions; emotional state; degree of teacher’s involvement in communication with children; specially organized process of mixed-age interactions; variation of methods and forms of educational process organization. It has been established that the different age interaction is the factor which has the most effective influence on social and mental development of a child, providing its expedient and purposeful inclusion in pedagogical process.

Educación lingüística y niños de la escuela primaria: la historia del uso de historias

The present study concentrates on the development of interactive skills in the L2 and the pedagogical aspects of Young Language Learners’ (YLLs) through the use of story telling. Such an approach reveals the benefits of encouraging creativity in learning and, as a result, captures the dynamics of the classroom and the progress of the learner. The data derives from an Action Research study carried out as part of a longitudinal study in South Western Greece, where storytelling is a neglected language learning source. The research concentrates on YLLs of a Beginners level, aged 7-9 years old. The results show the advantageous use of Action Research as a tool of intervention to apply necessary change in language teaching contexts.

The development of interaction skills in preservice teacher education: A mixed-methods study of Dutch pre-service teachers

Significant attention has been paid in the international literature to the effect of in-service training on the interaction skills of teachers in early childhood education and care. The growth of pre-service teachers during teacher education has received relatively little attention to date, however. In a mixed-methods longitudinal study, we monitored the development of interaction skills among a group of Dutch pre-service teachers with repeated measures for 3 years and structured interviews. The results of a linear mixed-effects model revealed an impressive growth of interaction skills during the pre-service training. The qualitative interview data revealed progress of pre-service teachers’ professional reflection on their interaction with young children. These outcomes show the effectiveness of pre-service training for the development of interaction skills and professional reflection in early childhood education and care. However, progress is relatively modest for instructional skills and this domain needs further investment in pre-service training.

Wpływ kształcenia muzycznego na rozwój właściwości osobowościowych i zachowań prospołecznych ucznia

The subject matter is characterized by showing how learning to play an instrument builds the self-esteem of students. The development of appropriate prosocial behavior, associated with performances at concerts and competitions, is also presented. Then the author describes the impact of playing in a band to feel empathy and development of interaction skills. At the end there is an analysis of the educational role of music classes, conducted in the form of team games using balls.

Undergraduate Medical Communication Training by Means of Information and Communication Technologies in the USA and Ukraine

AbstractThe US medical schools are characterized by a significant progress in the usage of information and communication technologies for professional purposes and communication skills development. This advance was influenced by a sequence of social, academic, technological and financial conditions, namely: permanent research in the branch of modernization of higher medical education; application of a student-centered approach in education and patient-centered approach in clinical practice; physician-patient interaction skills development and their evaluation during clerkships; implementation of the subjects aimed at communication training into the undergraduate curricula; technological progress and implementation of ICTs in undergraduate clinical and communication training of future doctors. A profound analysis of the state of ICT implementation for professional communication skills development in Ukraine and the USA has showed hardly any common features. Thus, the process of ICTs application is advanced in medical schools of the USA and still challenging in Ukraine. In the USA communication training involves mainly virtual patients and in our country this training is more theoretical and applies university web-sites, on-line learning courses and social media learning sources. Material and technical as well as complicated political and economic conditions of higher medical institutions in Ukraine are established as the most significant factors that influence domination of the US universities over ours. The article states that determined progressive ideas of American experience in the scope of ICTs application for medical communication skills development should be considered in order to improve and modernize this process in our country.

PROMOTING PARTNERSHIPS IN THE INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

In this article the author considers the need to teach students to build partner relationships using the interactive technologies aimed at the group work, intense interpersonal communications, collective decision-making and development of interactive skills for this purpose.

Social-emotional behaviour in infants and toddlers with mild traumatic brain injury

Background: Paediatric head trauma is a serious health concern often leading to neurological, behavioural and cognitive impairments. In Estonia head trauma incidence is especially high in children up to 4 years.Objective: The aim was to investigate young children's pre-injury social-emotional behaviour to discover potential risk signs for brain trauma and to study social-emotional outcome 9 months post-injury.Methods: Thirty-five 3–65 month old children with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) and 70 matched controls were retrospectively assessed with child monitoring system Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional. During follow-up 27 patients and 54 controls were re-assessed after 9 months.Results: Children with MTBI showed altered social-emotional development already before the injury. Deficits were evident in self-regulation and autonomy. Age-specific social-emotional risk signs for MTBI were found. Compared to controls more pre-injury affective problems were seen in 12-month olds, self-regulation, and communication difficulties in 30-month olds and autonomy disturbances in 60-month old children. 9 months post-injury impairments in autonomy and self-regulation were still present and new difficulties in interaction had developed.Conclusions: Childhood MTBI has a serious negative effect on further development of interaction skills. To prevent possible traumas, parents should be informed of different age-specific pre-injury social-emotional risk signs.

Interaction during Intervention: Conversations between professionals and children with cerebral palsy

To develop interactional ability, conversation with both peers and adults is vital. However, for children with physical impairments, like cerebral palsy, interactions with adults often dominate. In this study, interaction between eight Swedish children with cerebral palsy, mean age 8.6 years, and their physiotherapists (PTs) and speech-language therapists (SLTs) was analysed during intervention across 16 dyads. The analysis of data focused on how quantitative, interactional and topical dominance was manifested by the PTs and the SLTs. In addition, mitigating strategies and use of feedback was investigated. Surprisingly, the only significant finding was in topic maintenance, where the PTs' conversations were more directed towards topics unrelated to the intervention context when compared to the conversations of the SLTs. Although not significant, the PTs tended to dominate by having a greater amount of talk, and the SLTs by asking many questions. It is discussed how the two professions may contribute to the development of interactional skills and pragmatic ability among children with cerebral palsy, given their professional training and focus of intervention.

Conflict in the Dyadic Play of 3-Year-Old Children

Episodes of conflict provide a rich source of information about children's development of interactive skills. In the present study, 184 3-year-old children were observed in dyadic play and the 287 conflicts that occurred during their play were transcribed and coded. In general, children's conflicts arose in the context of ongoing play and were brief, lasting less than 15 seconds. Most disputes concerned toy possession, and almost 80% were ended by the simple withdrawal of one or the other children from the conflict. When children responded with emotional intensity to conflict, their conflicts lasted longer and were more likely to be followed by continued negative interaction. Individual difference data were available for one member of each dyad observed in play. Children rated in infancy as having difficult temperaments were found to be more intense during conflict, to spend more time in conflict, and to score higher on an index of conflict resolution competence, whereas concurrent social behavior was not related to conflict variables. Girls scored higher than boys on competence at conflict resolution, and children with better language skills spent less time in conflict. The more time children spent in nonmaternal child care up to age 3, the less likely they were to initiate conflict.

The Social Ecology of Middle Childhood: Family Support, Friendship Quality, and Self-Esteem

The Social Ecology of Middle Childhood: Family Support, Friendship Quality, and Self-Esteem* Nathalie Franco** and Mary J. Levitt Parents and peers have been studied extensively as distinct agents of socialization. However, less attention has been paid to the interface of the family and peer subsystems or to the role of nonparental family members, particularly during the pre-adolescent period referred to as middle childhood. The aims of this study were (a) to examine the linkage between social support provided to the child in the context of the family and the quality of children's friendships outside the family and (hj to determine whether family support and friendship quality contribute uniquely to the child's self-esteem. Personal interviews were conducted with 185 fifth-grade African American, European American, and Hispanic American children to obtain measures of family support, friendship quality, and self-esteem. Across ethnic groups, family support was predictive of friendship quality and both family support and friendship quality were associated with self-esteem. Parents, nonparental adult family members, and siblings contributed differentially to different components of friendship quality, affirming the value of a social network perspective for the study of developmental issues. Family and peer contributions to the social development of the child have been studied in parallel for some time. However, relatively little research has been addressed to the linkages between family and peer socialization or to the conjoint effects that family members and peers might have on child well-being, particularly in the pre-adolescent years (Parke & Buriel, 1997). Family and friendship ties have been viewed as stemming from separate systems serving different functions in the course of development. From a social network perspective, however, family and peer relations are subentities of a broader social ecology and they may serve both overlapping and differential functions with respect to developmental outcomes (Bryant, 1985; Bronfenbrenner & Crouter, 1983; Franco & Levitt, 1997; Furman & Buhrmester, 1985; Levitt, 1991; Lewis & Feiring, 1989). Both family members and peers may serve as attachment figures (Ainsworth, 1989; Freud & Dann, 1951; Ladd & Price, 1987) and providers of social support (Bukowski & Hoza, 1989; Levitt, GuacciFranco, & Levitt, 1993; Markus & Nurius, 1984). Family and peer support each contribute to well-being (van Aken & Asendorpf, 1997). On the other hand, egalitarian relations with peers may provide children with unique experiences necessary for the development of interactional skills, such as communication, perspective-taking, and conflict-resolution (Bukowski & Hoza, 1989; Dunn, 1993; Hartup 1983). Interest in the interface of family and peer relations has developed around the parent-child attachment literature, as the presence of one or more secure attachments in early childhood has been shown to predict later relations with peers. For instance, children who were securely attached as infants have been found to be more competent with peers during the preschool years (Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992; La Freniere & Sroufe, 1985). In addition, children who have a warm relationship with their parents and whose parents set clear and consistent rules get along better with their peers (Cohn, Patterson, & Christopoulos, 1991). Furthermore, sociable children have reported more supportive relationships with parents than aggressive or withdrawn children (East, 1991). In general, the findings of studies examining familypeer linkages have revealed that parents' personal characteristics, parenting styles, disciplinary techniques, interaction patterns, the quality of child-parent attachment, and parental support influence children's peer relations (East, 1991; Ladd, 1992; Putallaz & Heflin, 1990; Stocker, 1994). Although this research establishes a link between the family and peer subsystems, it is limited by its focus on the parent-child relationship. …

Using research methodology to explore quality of social interaction

SUMMARY The research on which this paper is based looked at Interaction Skills for Integration through case studies in the West of Scotland. The paper focuses on the research methodology used to explore practice and considers the idea of a link between research investigation and the promotion of quality. The study was informed by understandings of developmentally appropriate practice and concluded that a focus on communication, and on the nature, frequency and quality of the social interaction is central in effective integration because of the significance of such understandings for special needs children's access to social contexts and consequently to learning. This paper asserts that the research process has potential effects on the development of interaction skills and strategies and promotes effective and reflective practice. However in order for such advantages to be maintained it is claimed that staff teams need to build mechanisms into their practice to ensure continued reflexivity and investigatory approach.