Chinese Kindergarten Teacher Beliefs, Attitudes and Responses Towards Social Behaviours in the Classroom: Examining Social Withdrawal and Social Engagement

The purpose of this study was to examine Chinese teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and responses towards social withdrawal (shyness and unsociability) and social engagement (exuberance and prosocial behaviour) within the classroom context. The sample included N=672 (in-service) Chinese kindergarten teachers from Shanghai and surrounding areas. Teachers were presented with a series of vignettes depicting hypothetical children displaying shy, unsociable, exuberant, and prosocial behaviours. Following each vignettes, teachers responded to a series of questions assessing their responses (e.g., intervene), emotional reactions (e.g., worry, anger), attitudes (e.g., tolerance), and beliefs (e.g., perceived social and academic implications). In general, teachers appeared to be more concerned towards shy and exuberant behaviours as compared to unsociable and prosocial behaviours across a variety of response items. Further, teachers made distinctions among the subtypes of social withdrawal and social engagement. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the classroom, cultural differences, and suggestions for future research.