| Summary: | A Dissertation sutnitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the
Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts.
Johannesburg 1986 === The present ntudy is a three year longitudinal research project
which investigates the effect of social-enotional functioning in
preschool children on chair later academic performance at primary
school. The aim of this study to assess whether preschool
social-emotional functioning was a predicrive factor 'f later
acadenic underachie /arent.
The variables of social-emotional functioning measured in this
study were achievement motivation, the child" s sense of competence,
and a two-factor model of social-emotional functioning, namely
Interest-Participaticn versus ApathyWithdrawal, and Cocperation-
Goipliance versus Anger-Defiance. These variables were assessed in
the final year of nursery school. The achievement criteria measured
in Grade I were Reading, Arithmetic, Vocabulary and Position in
Class, while in Grade II Reading and Arithmetic were. All of the
above variables were measured by formal psychometric tests or teacher
rating scales. Finally, when the subjects were in nursery school,
their intelligence was assessed by the Gcodenough Draw-A-Man test,
and only those subjects who vrere within the normal range of
intelligence were retained in the study.
Three psychuu— cric measures were used in nursery school to
assess scoial-enotional functioning. Animal Crackers measures
achievement motivation in the school situation, and supplies
information on five factors of achievement motivation, namely School
Enjcyment, Self Confidence, Purposiveness, Instrumental Activity and
Self Evaluation. The Dreyer and Haupt Competence Scale is a teacher
behavioural rating scale, and gives a measure of the child's
ccrpetence, independence, and ability to cope in the preschool
environment. The ICohn Scales are also teacher rating scales, and
supply information on two bipolar factors of social-emotional
functioning in a preschool setting. Factor I is Interest-
Participution versus Apathy-Withdrawal while Factor II is
Cooperation-Ccnpliance versus Anger-Defiance. In Factor I,
Interest-Participation indicates the extent to which a child displ
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