Communication competence of future early childhood teachers - a report on a study in Poland

Communication competence of future early childhood teachers - a report on a study in polandThe research was based on a quantitative paradigm. To determine the level of communication competence we used the Self-assessment of Communication Competence Scale (SPCC), stress was examined with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and dispositional optimism was tested with the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R).The analyses showed that prospective early childhood teachers obtained average scores in communication competence. At the same time, they reported high levels of stress and low levels of dispositional optimism. In addition, stress levels correlated negatively with all dimensions of communication competence, meaning that the higher the stress level, the lower the level of communication competence in all the measured dimensions. In contrast, dispositional optimism correlated positively with all dimensions of communication competence, indicating that all dimensions of communication competence increased as dispositional optimism increased.Based on the analyses, we suggest enriching education programs for early childhood teachers with issues related to communication competence, coping with public speaking, and preventive activities related to stress management.