Supporting Social-Emotional and Behavioral Skills in Preschool Children Through Gymnastics

Background This study investigated the effect of basic gymnastics training on the social-emotional and behavioral skills of preschool children. The study group consisted of 40 typically developing children aged 48–69 months, attending a private kindergarten in Çorum province of Türkiye. Methods The study was conducted combining qualitative and quantitative methods within mixed method. The quantitative dimension of the using a pre-test-post-test control group model, while the qualitative dimension was conducted using a case study model. 20 children were randomly assigned to the experimental group and received basic gymnastics training for 8 weeks, whereas no intervention was applied to 20 children in the control group. Quantitative data were collected with “Self-Regulation Skills Scale,” “Emotion Regulation Scale,” and “Social Competence and Behavior Assessment Scale” which were answered by preschool teachers, while qualitative data were collected “Parent Interview Form.” Quantitative data analysis was performed using the SPSS software package. The t-test was used in cases where the data showed a normal distribution. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the differences between the groups in cases where the data did not show a normal distribution, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to examine the changes within the groups. The qualitative data obtained with the Parent Interview Form was evaluated using content analysis. Results According to the post-test results of the study, the scores of the children in the experimental group on the “Self-Regulation Skills Scale,” “Emotion Regulation Scale,” and “Social Competence and Behavior Assessment Scale” were found to be statistically significantly higher than those of the control group. The qualitative data obtained from the study support these findings. Conclusions The findings obtained as a result of the research show that basic gymnastics education has a significant effect on the social and emotional development of preschool children