Children's Social Behaviour for Learning (SBL): Reported and Observed Social Behaviours in Contexts of School and Home.

TLDR: In this paper, the authors proposed a model of Social Behaviours for Learning (SBL) which relies on the positions of the observers in relevant contexts to understand the diversity in children's social behaviours that are vital to learning.

Abstract: The aim is to understand the diversity in children’s social behaviours that are vital to learning. It is proposed that a model of Social Behaviours for Learning (SBL) relies on the positions of the observers in relevant contexts. In this case, children are observed at school and at home. The alternatives are sociability as a personal trait or about the person in specific contexts. Materials based on the Rowe Behaviour Rating Inventory and ASK-KIDS Inventory were adapted for parents, teachers, children and trained observers to report children’s social behaviours at home and at school. The selected location for the project is close to the national average to control for any influence of socio-economic indicators on the social behaviours. The participants in Study 1 ( $$N = 36$$ ) were girls and boys aged 8–12 years. Participants in Study 2 ( $$N = 85$$ ) were 4–13 year old children, their parents and teachers, and observers. Screening suggests moderate mood, cognitive skills and abilities in a representative sample. Results of Study 1 showed the reliability and concurrent validity of children’s self concepts. Study 2 showed continua of related-yet-discrete social, attentive and settled behaviours for younger and older children. The alternative models of personal traits and persons-in-context were not satisfactory. Instead, the results support the SBL Model of discrete positions of observers of children’s social behaviours at home and school. In conclusion, useful reports by parents, teachers and children about social behaviours add meaning to systematic observations of children’s social behaviours in relevant contexts. The main applications are to the many ways that observations of social behaviours are used in programmes that support learning.