CIRCLE TIME ACTIVITIES AS CORRELATE OF SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND MORAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AMONG PRESCHOOLERS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated circle time as correlates of social, emotional and moral skills development of preschoolers in Imo State, Nigeria. Three specific objectives, research questions and null hypotheses guided the study, of which correlation research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised 30,692 nursery three (3) preschoolers of which 15,462 were male and 15,235 were female in the 1,275 nursery schools in Imo State, out of which 400 preschoolers were sampled for the study. Data were collected using Circle Time Activity Rating Scale (CTARS) and Preschoolers’ Basic Skills Development Rating Scale (PBSDRS), developed by the researchers. Reliability index of 0.84 and 0.82 were obtained for the CTARS and PBSDRS, respectively. Data collected were analyzed using simple linear regression. The study revealed that there was a moderately positive and significant (p<0.05) relationship between circle time activities and preschoolers’ social skills development. There was a positively significant (p<0.05) relationship between circle time activities and preschoolers’ emotional skills development.  It was recommended among others, that Parents and school administrators should provide edutainment videos that involve circle time activity for their wards and preschoolers to watch and develop basic skills.