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The Children's Social Behaviour Project
2002-2005


Overview

The CSB project was a longitudinal research study investigating social behaviour and peer relations in primary school children. In a unique approach that connected academic research to educational practice, the CSB project involved a close collaboration between academic researchers and educational psychologists. The research project involved following over 300 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds across three years of primary school, investigating the way they think, feel, and act in social situations. Our main interest was in understanding why children behave in the ways they do, and in determining how and why problems in children's social interactions and peer relations can occur.

The CSB project was funded by Brighton & Hove City Council, and involved close collaboration with staff of the Educational Psychology Service, notably Bob Daines and Hass Yilmaz.   The research study was coordinated and led by Dr Robin Banerjee in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sussex.  The Research Fellow responsible for the day-to-day management of the project was Dr Dawn Watling, now in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London


Programme of research

The research programme took place during the 2002/3, 2003/4, and 2004/5 academic years. Researchers visited the participating schools at three timepoints in each year. A variety of measures was used to investigate children's peer relations and their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in social situation. The children completed questionnaires, responded to hypothetical stories about everyday peer interactions (e.g., meeting new classmates for the first time), and provided information about the friendship networks in their classes.  They used an engaging multimedia computer programme, developed by the project team  to provide this information in a fun yet neutral context.  We administered measures of:

1. Peer relations


2. How children think about the social world


3. How children think and feel about themselves

A brief summary of key research findings is available here


Applications and intervention strategies

Running alongside the longitudinal research study was a programme involving the design, implementation, and assessment of practical strategies to develop social skills and to manage and support children who are experiencing difficulties in peer interaction. Tools and methods for these practical strategies were informed and shaped by the emerging research findings, and the collaboration of academic researchers and educational psychologists led to innovative and effective applications.

The project team developed an Emotional Literacy Curriculum for Key Stage 2 children that was launched to a national audience of educational psychologists and other practitioners on 21 May 2004.  The curriculum is built around 40 social experience stories about children's everyday life, based on detailed research evidence regarding children's emotional and social development.

Our Emotional Literacy Curriculum has already been successfully used in primary school classrooms in Brighton and Hove and in  other Local Authorities.  The social experience stories can be used for whole-class, small group, and targeted individual work.  The curriculum can be applied in lessons across the school day, but most teachers choose to use the materials in PSHE/Circle Time, Literacy, and Drama sessions. 

The curriculum pack includes:


If you are interested in ordering a copy of the curriculum materials, please contact Dr Robin Banerjee.