Dr. Hewilia Hetmańczyk-Bajer

The usage of theTheory of Constraints in the process of shaping

social competencies of primary school pupils

International Education Program for teachers, parents, school staff

and students, which helps to acquire knowledge about how to

communicate effectively, creatively solve problems, create

a plan to achieve ambitious goals, and take responsibility for their own learning and development.

THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS FOR EDUCATION

-27-

A Cloud is a tool of thought Theory of Constraints, which is

an attempt to find a constructive solution to the conflict between

the two conflicting views or needs.

CLOUDWANTWANT

WANTWANT

NEEDNEED

NEEDNEED

COMMON

OBJECTIVE

A Branch is a tool of thought, which helps one to understand

how a certain action or behavior, the causal link leads to a

particular outcome.

BRANCH

The Ambitious Target Tree is a logical tool for a clear definition of goals to be achieved and to anticipate obstacles to the implementation of the project and to develop methods to overcome them.

AMBITIOUS TARGET TREE

RESEARCH ACTIVITY

Object of the research were the social competence of third class primary school students.

METHODOLOGICAL CONCEPT OWN RESEARCH

To what extent the practical application of the Theory of Constraints in

Education could improve the level of social skills of third

grade elementary school students?

MAIN PROBLEM OF RESEARCH

What level of social competence represent students in early school age?

What is the knowledge of the teachers, about the impact of their use of methods and forms of work on the development of social skills of students?

Is there a relationship between gender and level of social competence of students in the study?

Is there a relationship between factors occurring in the family and the school and the level of social competence of students in the study?

SPECIFIC PROBLEMS:

Whether, and to what extent, the use of tools in the class derived from the Theory of Constraints allows you to achieve a higher level of concentration on the task in a group of children treated with the experimental agent?

Whether, and to what extent, the three logical tools, „Cloud", „Branch" and "Ambitious Target Tree" result in increasing the ability to cope with difficult situations among third grade students?

Whether, and to what extent, participation in classes based on the practical application of the Theory of Constraints helps to improve the skills of interaction among students in the study?

Whether, and to what extent, the practical application of the Theory of Constraints enhances the ability to establish contacts in the group of students?

Whether, and to what extent, the three logical tools, „Cloud", „Branch" and "Ambitious Target Tree" cause an increase in empathy skills of third grade?

Whether, and to what extent, the use of tools in a class derived from the Theory of Constraints has an effect on increasing the use of moral rules in a group of students under experimental testing?

Whether, and to what extent, the program of activities designed for students in third grad raises social problem-solving skills in a group of children?

How surveyed students and teachers assess teaching, using the Theory of Constraints?

VARIABLES dependent variable index: social competence

of students examined

independent variable index: author's curriculum designed for third grade students using the Theory of Constraints and its three logical tools - „Cloud", „Branch" and "Ambitious Target Tree"

detailed independent variable: sex

intermediary independent variables: family environment and school of the child

METHODS, TECHNIQUES AND RESEARCH TOOLS

The main method that allowed an answer to the research question wasnatural pedagogical experimentsupplemented by diagnostic survey

method using questionnaires, observation (systematic direct

observation), document analysis and an estimation method (rating scales)

and sociometric techniques.

DIAGNOSIS OF SOCIAL COMPETENCE

OUTDOOR PERSPECTIVE

Criteria researcher Sheet observation of studentsCriteria for the social environment child, including:

criteria for teachers

criteria for peers

„Behavior in the Student Worksheet” B. Markowskiej; CBI „Classroom Behavior Inventory Preschool to Primary” E. S. Schaefer’a i M. Aaronson’a

The questionnaire for the students developed based on the classical technique of sociometric J. L. Moreno; diagnostic lesson plan using sociometric techniques "Guess who?"

INTERNAL PERSPECTIVECriteria for the child (self-esteem)

"Questionnaire to survey students' sense of social competence"

TESTING SCHEDULE1. The questionnaire for teachers integrated learning (September 2009), which aimed to:

determine the level of social competence of students of classes I to III;

learn the knowledge of teachers, about the impact of methods used by them working on the development of these skills;

to choose the school in which a pedagogical experiment can be naturally carried out;

emergence of a targeted group for the pilot study.

2. Developing lesson plans created on the basis of training: Using TOC tools in education and upbringing (May 2009) and based on the assumptions of the latest general education core curriculum for primary schools.

3. Pilot studies conducted from October 2009 to February 2010, including the following:

pretesting performed using a diagnostic survey, selected scale assessments and sociometric techniques;

conducting classes of third grade students to pre-test the effectiveness of three logical tools Theory of Constraints and assess the suitability of the scenarios in terms of the methods;

posttesting implementation using the above methods and techniques, and provide an initial analysis of the quantitative and qualitative results.

4. Study documents third grade students, such as newspapers, classrooms, work sheets, portfolio, or folders of student work, opinions issued by the teacher and the school psychologist or psycho-educational counseling, as well as questionnaires completed by parents surveyed students about the situation at home, relevant to determining the experimental group.

5. Exploring a sense of social competence of students in the experimental group using the "Questionnaire for research students a sense of social competence", to carry out an initial diagnosis of the individual components of social competence from the perspective of the student.

6. Natural pedagogical experiment carried out in one of Zabrze' s Primary Schools (September 2010 - January 2011) at a frequency of once a week for 60-90 minutes (about 2 lessons), which included the following:

a) carrying out pretesting the form:- „Behavior in the Student Worksheet" B.

Markowskiej, which for the purposes of own research was in part I modified and expanded to include questions about your child's academic progress. The purpose of the sheet is the following:

characterize the family environment and school students in the study and their physical and health (the first part of the questionnaire);

determine the degree of socio-emotional functioning of the children and the types of possible behavioral indicating lack of social skills (the second part of the questionnaire).

- "Classroom Behavior Inventory Preschool to Primary„ E. S. Schaefer'a and M. Aaronson'a in the development of Polish J. Rembowski aimed at:

show the level of social skills of pupils involved in experimentation on the basis of their degree of adaptation to the group and the requirements of the school.

- Sociometric tests using the following techniques:

J. L. Moreno classical techniques to determine the level of interpersonal relationships and emotional tasks;

perform diagnostic activities using sociometric techniques, "Guess who?", which allows for the application of the childs social competence based on his or her popularity in the group. Also used to determine the consistency and compactness of the group, the degree of integration and insight into the social situation of the whole class;

b) implementation of proprietary curriculum that uses the practical application of the Theory of Constraints tools in the experimental group;

c) conduction of direct observation in the classroom using three logical tools in working with children;

d) conducting posttesting by the above-described „Behavior in the Student Worksheet", "Classroom Behavior Inventory Preschool to Primary" and sociometric techniques, designed to show changes in the level of social skills due to deliberately taken action, the implementation of the program of activities in a sample of third grade;

e) analysis of quantitative and qualitative results of pedagogical natural experiment using statistical methods.

7. Carry out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results of research, verification of hypotheses, draw conclusions and formulate generalizations.

Implementation of the author's program of classes, in which the aim is on learning how to overcome the difficulties encountered by children, to overcome conflicts, to predict the consequences of events, as well as how to plan small projects, IMPROVED SOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF STUDENTS, as evidenced by the results of Student t tests for result of the global "Classroom Behavior Inventory Preschool to Primary". There are very significant differences in the results of global pretesting and posttesting and thus confirmed the change in the level of expression of the social competence of students surveyed.

RESULTS EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

The results of t-Student tests for the result of the global (pretesting) versus the global (posttesting)

"Classroom Behavior Inventory Preschool to Primary"

RESULTGLOBAL

mean standard

deviation

t df p N

pretesting

23,61111

22,25730

posttesting

34,80556

21,31642

13,7625

35 0,000000

36

The changes in the behavior of children in particular have been shown in: terms of the degree of coexistence and

interaction skills with peers, build empathy, tolerance, shaping behavior, recognize the differences and

similarities among people, what has been achieved mainly thanks to the introduction of "Cloud".

"Ambitious Target Tree" also has contributed to the formation of specific bonds among the children who came to class themselves physically and emotionally.

Thanks to implementing three logical tools it was possible to lead to a stronger self-esteem and perception of its strengths, especially in the case of students with disturbed behavior, who much improved ability to deal with difficult situations.

Interactions with three logical tools need to improve the ability to cope with difficult situations among third grade students.

Results of t-Student tests - anti-social behavior (pretesting) in relation to anti-social behavior

(posttesting) „Behavior in the Student Worksheet"ANTI-

SOCIAL BEHAVIO

R

mean standard

deviation

t df p N

pretesting

32,75000

10,42353

posttesting

30,02778

8,37509 6,072366

35 0,000001

36

It turned out that the number of people who react in an aggressive or passive and retreating to the difficulties encountered, such as conflict or a presentation to the class. Strongly decreased the increase in ability to cope with difficult situations confirm the results of direct observation, as well as a statistically significant lower scores "Behavior in the Student Worksheet " anti-social behavior scale (see table above - slide 25) and inhibition of emotional (see table below - slide 27).

Results of the t-Student tests inhibition of emotional (pretesting) in relation to inhibition of emotional

(posttesting) „Behavior in the Student Worksheet "

INHIBITION OF

EMOTIONAL

mean standard

deviation

t df p N

pretesting 31,11111

8,063242

posttesting

28,36111

6,655407

6,630380

35 0,000000

36

Author's program of activities designed for third-grade students contributed to increasing social problem-solving skills in the group of children. In this case, the "Cloud" has proven to be a particularly useful tool in the group treated with the experiment. In the final phase, carried out series of classes, almost half of the sample class began to notice that it must give up its needs, and the conflict was not associated with a loss to either side.

CONCLUSIONS Taking educational and corrective in place for

students already in early school age in the area of socio-emotional development should be a priority task of educators and teachers.

Teacher should have knowledge about various socio-emotional disorders and deficits in the expression of social skills, the ability to recognize them and appropriate treatment of such children.

Selection of appropriate methods and techniques for working in a great deal decide the future career of children in school, and in some cases even later in life.

There is a need to take account of such activities in the annual plans of work with students in the early school age.

Theory of Constraints tools may provide a supplement and enrich the ongoing content, and do not require separate lessons. Satisfactory results of research in the proceedings, leads to increased use of these tools in the integrated classes. Equally it may be fruitful to use these tools for introducing concepts, analysis, reading, or discussing the social and emotional problems, which every day struggling students at a younger age children and their older colleagues.

THANK YOUFOR

ATTENTIONDr. Hewilia Hetmańczyk-BajerUniversity of Silesia in KatowiceFaculty of Education and PsychologyInstitute of EducationPolande-mail: hewilia@interia.pl