Author(s): Guedes, Maryse ; Veríssimo, Manuela ; Santos, António J.
Date: 2024
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/9789
Origin: Repositório do ISPA - Instituto Universitário
Subject(s): Beliefs; Early childhood; Practices; Preschool teachers; Shywithdrawn behaviours; Support needs
Shy-withdrawn behaviours place preschoolers at increasedrisk of experiencing adverse developmental outcomes. Posi-tive teacher-child relationships play a protective role againstthese negative socioemotional outcomes. This study aimedto understand, in-depth, the beliefs, practices and supportneeds of preschool teachers toward shy-withdrawn children.Thirty preschool teachers of children aged 3–5 years wereinterviewed, using a semistructured guide. The thematic anal-ysis revealed that most preschool teachers were aware of themain manifestations, transactional influences and conse-quences of shy-withdrawn behaviours, and of the empiricallyvalidated strategies that may be useful to modify them.However, a noteworthy proportion of participants reportedmisconceptions about the intentionality of shy-withdrawnbehaviours, negative emotions and inconsistent or less effec-tive practices. Our findings highlight that strengthening pre-service and in-service training and providingcoachingto thepreschool staff may be helpful to restructure dysfunctionalbeliefs about shy-withdrawn behaviours, translate develop-mental knowledge in evidence-based classroom practices andenhance professionals' self-awareness.Highlights•This study explored, in-depth, the beliefs, practicesand support needs of preschool teachers toward shy-withdrawn children Most of the 30 interviewed preschool teachers were aware of the main manifestations, transactional influences and consequences of shy-withdrawn behaviours. • Our findings highlight the need to strengthen teachers' training, bridging theoretical knowledge with professional development.
