Mixed methods investigation of parents' and teachers' perspectives of socially acceptable and unacceptable behaviours at home and school of early childhood in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia

People perceive children’s behaviour in many ways based on their own socio-cultural beliefs. Research in western countries has looked at behavioural problems from a psychological/ scientific perspective. However, perception of what kind of behaviour is unacceptable depends significantly on the socio-cultural context of a country. In this regard, the current study investigated the perspective of teachers and parents on children’s behaviour in early childhood, both at school and home to ascertain what constitutes socially acceptable behaviour in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This study aimed to investigate the parents’ and teachers’ perception of socially acceptable and unacceptable behaviours of pre-school children in Saudi Arabia. The study employed a mixed methods approach and used questionnaires and focus groups as data collection instruments. Data revealed that disobedient behaviour is socially unacceptable in the Saudi Arabian society because of the culture and moral standards that influence behaviours. The high-power distance culture of Saudi Arabia values authority and is strictly against acts of disobedience towards those who are perceived to have a higher social status.

This research finds that parents’ perception of socially acceptable behaviour among preschool children is heavily influenced by Saudi culture and other factors, such as whether the family is a single-child or multiple-child family. The education, knowledge and experience of the parents, as well as their age, somewhat affects their perception of socially acceptable behaviour in Saudi Arabia. This research also finds that the perception of teachers and parents on socially unacceptable behaviour in pre-school children differs in certain matters, with parents generally presenting a more liberal view than the teachers. These differences stem from several factors, such as different kind of relationships that these individuals have with the children, the environment in which they observe the children and their professional qualification and experience in dealing with such behaviour.