Examining the Effectiveness of Education Based on Social Learning Theory in Fostering Self-care and Social Skills in School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Preschool is a period in the life of children when they experience rapid cognitive and social development, and their capacity for learning is at its greatest. In this period, children have a natural curiosity and a desire to learn everything they can, make observations and duplicate the behaviors of others.

Preschool is an important time of life when behaviors are shaped, habits are formed and basic health-related behaviors are acquired, with self-care being one of the most important acquired behaviors in this period for personal health. Self-care skills can be defined as the daily life skills required for a child to be able to meet their basic needs on their own, without the help of an adult, at home, at school or in other settings. The self-care skills that children acquire as they develop, such as those related to eating, dressing, personal care and toileting, are vital components of a bio-psycho-socially healthy life. Self-care plays an important role in the development of positive health behaviors and quality of life.

The healthy self-care behaviors expected from preschool children include an ability to wash oneself without wetting one's clothes, brushing teeth at least twice a day without help, toilet hygiene, healthy eating and nutritional habits, dressing skills, separating clean and dirty clothes, dressing for the weather, covering one's mouth when sneezing or coughing, using a tissue to wipe a runny nose and combing one' hair without help. Social learning refers to learning in a social environment. Social learning theory argues that human behaviors are shaped by the interactions between cognitive, behavioral and environmental factors. According to social learning theory, learning takes place via reactions and modeling. Bandura, a leading proponent of social learning theory, claims that many behaviors are learned through the observation and modeling of the behaviors of others.

Positive peer relationships in preschool help children adapt to school and acquire emotional control, conflict resolution and self-regulation skills, while also improving their social competencies, and contributing to their psychosocial, cognitive, affective and moral development. In this period, peers function as sources of information, models and interlocutors, and facilitate the learning of new knowledge, skills and behaviors.

Contemporary media, including smartphones, tablets, PCs and television, in particular, play an undeniable role in observation- and modeling-based learning among children. Children have at their disposal a wealth of technological devices through which they can interact with others at all hours of the day, providing them with easy access to information and other content that can shape their individual behaviors. The important role played by the media in social learning should not be underestimated.