Views of Teachers, Parents, and Counselors toward the Preschool Version of First Step to Success Early Intervention Program (FSS-PSV) in Preventing Antisocial Behaviors

Abstract

This study aims to describe the views of teachers, parents, and FSS-PSV counselors on the Preschool Version of First Step to Success Early Intervention Program (FSS-PSV) in preventing antisocial behaviors; in addition, the implementation process and contributions from the program will also be outlined. The study was conducted in six different preschools in Eskisehir, Turkey. Participants of the study were 11 preschool teachers, 11 parents, and six FSS-PSV counselors. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analysis was used in analyzing the data. As a result, children who were identified as target students of the FSS-PSV program revealed having antisocial/problem behaviors. These behaviors particularly involved physical aggression and incompetency in social skills. The majority of teachers and parents stated that those behaviors stemmed from family-related reasons. To cope with antisocial/problem behaviors, the teachers preferred to talk to a student about his/her behavior, use the in- and out-of-class break technique, and reward positive behaviors. Parents preferred talking to the child or punishing them. Qualitative findings of this study support the findings of studies on the effectiveness of FSS-PSV through quantitative methods in literature. Similarly, most of the participants in this study provided positive feedback on FSS-PSV, and changes were observed concerning the antisocial/problem behaviors of the children.