Title

Intentional Touch in the Preschool Classroom: A Teacher’s Influence

Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Education

Abstract

This study examines the influence of a teacher’s intentional-positive physical touch on four children in a public preschool classroom in rural Maine. Children were not physically touched by the teacher for two weeks and then, following an intentional-positive touch script, the teacher engaged in intentional-positive touch with the children for four weeks. Data was collected broken into six categories: Intentional-Negative, Intentional-Neutral, Intentional-Positive, Unintentional-Negative, Unintentional-Neutral, and Unintentional-Positive. At the end of six weeks children were engaging in less Intentional-Negative touches. Unintentional-Neutral touches almost doubled and Intentional-Positive touches increased steadily in the female students.

Comments

Affiliation: RSU 50 – Southern Aroostook Community School

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