Designing and Validating the Educational Package for Empowering Preschool Teachers and Investigating Its Effectiveness in the Social Development of Beginners to Enter School Successfully: A Mixed Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Educational Psychology, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, ,Zanjan, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Zanjan Branch. Islamic Azad University, , Zanjan, Iran

10.22091/jrim.2025.12195.1202

Abstract

If early childhood education programs be well designed, it can have positive, significant, and long-term effects on beginners. In this regard, the present study aimed to develop a training package to empower preschool teachers and examine its effectiveness in beginners’ social development for successful entry into school. The research method was mixed (qualitative-quantitative); In the qualitative part, the phenomenological method was used, and in the quantitative part, the pre-test-post-test design with a one-month follow-up was used. The statistical population of the qualitative section was the female teachers working in preschool centers in Tehran and the statistical population of the quantitative section was female beginners studying in preschool centers in Tehran in the academic year of 2023-2024. In the qualitative part, 18 female teachers of preschool centers were interviewed and coded by thematic analysis method, and the educational package was extracted. Then, 15 experts were used for the validation of the training package using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) methods of Waltz and Bassel (1981). In the quantitative part, the statistical sample was 30 preschool female beginners who were randomly selected and replaced into two experimental groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group received the training package in 12 sessions and the control group did not receive any intervention. Then, Weyland’s Social Development Questionnaire was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures in SPSS software version 25. The validation results showed that the CVI of the compiled package was higher than 0.79 and the CVR was greater than 0.49, therefore the validity of the educational package was confirmed. The results of the quantitative part showed that the empowerment package education was significantly effective in increasing the social growth of preschool female beginners and its effect was lasting (P<0.05). Educational psychologists and preschool teachers can use the educational model compiled and validated in the current research to strengthen the social development of preschool beginners.

Keywords

References

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Research In Instructional Methods
Volume 3, Issue 4 - Serial Number 12
February 2026
Pages 105-120

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 17 August 2025

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