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Article |
Ana María
Contreras Rodríguez[*]
Claudia
Liliana Molina Navarrete*
Nataly Daniela Villamil Gómez*
Abstract
Managing frustration in
children allows the development of skills such as: recognizing, expressing and
regulating emotions. This research aims to strengthen frustration management in
13 preschool students of the Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría in Cajicá, through the implementation of strategies based on
theories of emotional control and frustration tolerance. In addition, it seeks
to train teachers in the use of these tools to favor emotional management and
improve the learning environment. This study adopted a qualitative approach
with descriptive scope, using an action research design to generate
socio-educational change. Information was collected through observations,
checklists, interviews, analyzing the effectiveness of the strategies
implemented. The results show the effectiveness of the strategies, and how the
students incorporated them into their routine, seeking to reduce frustration
inside and outside the classroom. In conclusion, this research project shows
how emotional self-control is strengthened in children, facilitating the
management of frustration through tools adjusted to their needs and promoting a
better socioemotional adaptation.
Key words: Early childhood education,
tolerance, intelligence, socioemotional learning.
Resumen
El manejo de la frustración en menores de edad permite desarrollar
habilidades como: reconocer, expresar y regular las emociones. Esta
investigación tiene como objetivo fortalecer el manejo de la frustración en 13
estudiantes de preescolar del Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría en Cajicá,
mediante la implementación de estrategias basadas en teorías de control
emocional y tolerancia a la frustración. Además, busca capacitar a los docentes
en el uso de estas herramientas para favorecer la gestión emocional y mejorar
el ambiente de aprendizaje. Este estudio adoptó un enfoque cualitativo con
alcance descriptivo, utilizando un diseño de investigación-acción para generar
un cambio socioeducativo. Se recolecta la información mediante observaciones,
listas de chequeo, entrevistas, analizando la efectividad de las estrategias
implementadas. Los resultados muestran la efectividad que tienen las
estrategias, y como los estudiantes las incorporaron en su rutina, buscando
reducir la frustración dentro y fuera del aula. En conclusión, este proyecto de
investigación muestra cómo se fortalece el autocontrol emocional en los niños,
facilitando el manejo de la frustración mediante herramientas ajustadas a sus
necesidades y promoviendo una mejor adaptación socioemocional.
Palabras Clave: Educación de la primera infancia, tolerancia, inteligencia, aprendizaje
socioemocional.
Introduction
This research project aims to strengthen frustration management in
preschool students, specifically in kindergarten and transition grades, with a
total population of 13 students of the Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría in
Cajicá, Cundinamarca - Colombia. Due to the fact that it was evidenced how
students from 4 to 6 years old present difficulties in managing frustration,
especially in stressful situations, when developing some activities or when
comparing themselves with their peers.
Accordingly, and as Alonso and Vergara (2025) state, the development of
emotional skills evolves along with the interaction with the environment that
children have during their first years of life and schooling. Therefore, it is
relevant to teach emotional competencies to children from an early age that
allow them to recognize, value and regulate their emotions, improving their
social relationships, contributing to school and personal success and building
general wellbeing (Olhaberry & Sieverson, 2022).
Therefore, the objectives guiding the present research were: to identify
through direct observation the main causes of frustration of preschool children
at the Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría; to adapt the strategies provided by
various researchers according to the causes of frustration observed; to apply
the adapted strategies in the students of the preschool level that contribute
to the management of frustration in the classroom and to evaluate the
effectiveness of the socioemotional educational elements implemented in the children
of the preschool level of the Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría, based on
direct observation by the teachers.
The research was conducted because the current educational need for the
development of socioemotional skills in early childhood was considered, since
it allows establishing solid foundations for academic and personal success, as
stated by Bisquerra and Mateo (2019), emotional education has as its main
objective to foster the development of emotional skills, among which emotional
awareness and regulation stand out.
In the same way, it was developed to provide tools to teachers, managers
and educational communities, in order to improve the emotional skills of
students, regulating frustration in daily classroom activities. The results can
serve as a guide for other institutions, either by applying the strategies
proposed or adapting them to design new activities that favor the management of
frustration in children from 4 to 6 years of age. This research complements the
existing information on specific strategies for the control of frustration in
children, contributing to the integral formation of the students.
The research considers several investigations based on the background of
different international and national works that support and address the concept
of frustration and theorists who address emotional control and emotional
intelligence,
Among the antecedents that support this research are works such as
Caballero's (2014), which highlights the importance of school and family
working together to teach children to control their emotions through clear
limits. Torres (2021) emphasizes how the relationships that children establish
with their environment influence the regulation of frustration, offering tools
applicable in the classroom and at home. Reyes (2022) stresses the importance
of children recognizing and expressing both positive and negative emotions,
without repressing the latter, which requires joint work between school and
family.
Pueyo and Bustamante (2021) point out that the family and the school are
the spaces where frustration arises most frequently in the early years, when
immediacy predominates. Finally, González (2011) highlights that frustration is
a common emotion in early childhood and that many institutions lack strategies
for its management, so her study provides useful strategies to address these
situations in the classroom.
In addition, key theoretical contributions have been considered, such as
psychologists Salovey and Mayer (1990), creators of the concept of emotional
intelligence, who emphasize the ability to perceive, recognize, understand and
adequately regulate emotions, to improve relationships in various contexts
(Goleman, 1996, as cited in the translation of IUYMCA, 2022), from their theory
highlights the influence of emotions on learning, relationships, adaptation and
personal success.
On the other hand, Gardner (1993) gives a new meaning to intelligence,
understanding it as the ability to solve problems or create products in
different cultural environments, rejecting the idea of a single intelligence.
In addition, Bisquerra (2016) promotes emotional education from early ages,
this being part of educational innovation, highlighting the need to manage
emotions in the classroom. He proposes strategies such as the "turtle
technique", which helps children to become aware of their emotions.
In this research, the methodology used was qualitative in nature, with a
descriptive scope because the objective was to analyze and collect information
on the socioemotional educational elements implemented in the classroom. With a
verifiable action-research design, since it seeks to guarantee social change,
transforming the educational social reality. With the purpose of promoting a
socio-educational change that allowed students to become aware of the
importance of emotional self-control.
The results of this research show that the strategies applied for the
control of frustration in children from 4 to 6 years old were effective and
pertinent due to the results evidenced by the teachers, since these elements
became a habit or routine in the classroom, allowing students to reduce
frustration both inside and outside the classroom, thus generating an impact on
the development of classes and their cognitive processes.
In conclusion, the strategies were successfully applied in the study
population, since from the focus group and the follow-up through checklists it
was possible to verify that the students understood how each strategy worked,
thus allowing them to make use of the tool that best helps them to achieve
emotional control when they become frustrated.
Materials and methods
The present study was developed under a qualitative approach, allowing an
in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of frustration management in children
from 4 to 6 years of age based on their experiences and behaviors in the school
environment. An action-research design was adopted, whose purpose was to
transform the educational reality through the identification of needs, the
implementation of pedagogical strategies and the analysis of the results
obtained in the specific context of the classroom. The research was carried out
in the school Gimnasio Campestre Nueva Alejandría, located in Cajicá, with a
sample composed of 13 students from kindergarten and transition grades, and two
teachers responsible for the group. The sample was equivalent to the total
selected population, justified by the interest of working directly with the
target group without the need for a partial selection.
For the collection of information, various qualitative research
techniques were used, which guaranteed the depth and richness of the data
obtained. The instruments used were checklists applied through direct
observation, initial and final semi-structured interviews with classroom
teachers, and a focus group with the participating students. All the
instruments were validated by experts in the field, which ensured their
relevance and reliability for the purposes of the study.
The methodological development was organized in four main phases. In the
first phase, the students' difficulty in regulating frustration was identified
through systematic observations in the classroom and the review of theoretical
references on emotional control in early childhood. In the second phase, the
collection instruments were designed and the pedagogical strategies to be
implemented were planned, which included activities such as the turtle
technique, the calm bottles, breathing exercises and the emotional meter. The
third phase corresponded to the implementation of the socioemotional strategies
in the classroom through two pedagogical sessions, where teachers and students
learned about the use and benefits of each technique, thus achieving an initial
appropriation of the proposed tools. Finally, in the fourth phase, the
information collected was analyzed through a triangulation matrix where the
data were organized by categories and subcategories, making it possible to
compare the findings with the theoretical framework and evaluate the impact of
the strategies implemented on the emotional behavior of the students.
Throughout the research process, ethical considerations were maintained,
such as respect for the privacy of the children, confidentiality of the
information and informed consent of the parents. This methodology guaranteed
the validity and reliability of the findings, thus contributing to the
understanding and improvement of frustration management in the early childhood
educational context.
Results
The results of this research show that the strategies applied for the
control of frustration in children from 4 to 6 years of age were effective and
pertinent due to the results evidenced by the teachers of the population with
whom the research was applied.
These strategies, such as the calm bottles, the turtle technique,
breathing exercises and the emotionometer, allowed the students to develop
socioemotional competencies, such as assertive communication, understanding of
their own emotions and improvement in their interpersonal relationships with
classmates and teachers. The teachers emphasized that, thanks to these tools,
the students began to recognize the importance of their feelings and to manage
their emotions in a more conscious and controlled manner. In addition, observed
a notable improvement in the emotional control of the children, both inside and
outside the classroom, as the strategies became part of the students' daily
routine, which reflects the effectiveness of the strategies implemented.
The motivation proposed by the teachers played a crucial role in this
process, as it facilitated the students' participation in the activities, even
when these were not of their immediate interest. This reinforces the idea that
managing emotions in the classroom depends not only on the tools used, but also
on the approach and guidance provided by the educators. Likewise, these
strategies have allowed teachers to expand their knowledge on how to address
situations of frustration in the classroom, which has contributed to a more
comprehensive emotional education, as stated by Bisquerra (2016), who considers
this approach as a necessary educational innovation for the development of
students' emotional competencies.
Additionally, significant progress was observed in the development of
emotional intelligence in children, thanks to the strategies worked on,
contributing to students being able not only to become aware of and control
their emotions, but also to cultivate an emotional intelligence that allows
them to react appropriately to various social and emotional situations both
personally and to learn to recognize other people's emotions.
Although the results are encouraging, further research on practices and
strategies to help children develop emotionally, preparing them for personal
and social challenges is encouraged.
The social-emotional strategies proposed in this research proved to be an
effective guide for the teachers of the study group, allowing them to work on
the management of frustration in their students. These tools not only expanded
their knowledge about the importance of strengthening emotional skills in
children, but also provided them with innovative techniques applicable in their
professional practice. This made it easier for the children to become aware of
their emotions and learn to control frustration when it arose. It is
recommended that, in future research, these strategies be adapted to the
context and to the size of the group of students being worked with, thus
ensuring their effectiveness in different educational settings.
The main causes of frustration identified in children aged 4 to 6 years
were related to difficulties in achieving objectives in areas such as literacy
and mathematics, the development of group activities and interpersonal
conflicts with peers. Faced with these situations, the socioemotional
strategies implemented became key tools for teachers to help students regulate
their emotions during various activities.
The adaptation of the strategies to the specific needs of the group was
key to their success, allowing them to offer more precise and effective
responses for handling frustration both inside and outside the classroom.
Therefore, emphasis is placed on the importance that teachers, managers and
other members of the educational community who wish to use these strategies in
other contexts should consider the particularities of each population, since
the factors that generate frustration may vary according to the context.
The application of socioemotional strategies in the study group showed
positive results. Through the focus group and the follow-up through checklists,
it was evident that the students understood the importance of recognizing and
controlling their emotions, becoming familiar with the functioning of each
strategy, using them autonomously when they experienced frustration,
contributing significantly to the development of their emotional awareness.
Likewise, the teachers understood the functioning and relevance of these
strategies in the classroom, which ensures their continuity in daily practice.
The findings of this study
demonstrate that social-emotional strategies, such as the calm bottles, the
turtle technique and the "Emotionometer", were effective in the
management of frustration in children aged 4 to 6 years, supported both by
direct observation and by the teachers' testimonies, who highlighted a notable
decrease in the levels of frustration, an improvement in interpersonal
relationships and academic performance.
Although this study offers important findings on socioemotional
strategies for the management of frustration in children, it is important to
recognize its limitations: it worked with a small sample in a specific context,
which makes it difficult to generalize the results. In addition, the time of
application of the strategies and teacher training was limited, so future
research should extend these periods, include larger and more diverse samples,
and evaluate the long-term impact on emotional and academic development.
Despite these limitations, the project highlights the importance of
prioritizing emotional education from an early age, as it fosters skills such
as self-regulation, tolerance and self-control, benefiting both students and
teachers. These results underscore the importance of implementing and
continuously improving social-emotional strategies in the classroom, as they
are fundamental for the well-being and future development of children.
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Graduates in Early
Childhood Education, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios Colombia,
Zipaquirá, ana.contreras-r@uniminuto.edu.co
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9542-610X
Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education,
Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios
Colombia, Zipaquirá, ana.contreras-r@uniminuto.edu.co
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4638-5106
Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education,
Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios
Colombia, Zipaquirá, nataly.villamil@uniminuto.edu.co
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2719-7832