Araştırmanın amacı, 5-6 yaş çocukların akran ilişkilerinin ve sosyal konum düzeylerinin birlikte, okula uyum düzeyi üzerinde yordayıcı etkisinin olup olmadığının incelenmesidir. Araştırmanın örneklemini, 2010-2011 eğitim-öğretim yılında Denizli ili merkezinde, Serinhisar ve Tavas ilçelerinde okul öncesi eğitim almaya devam eden 175 (91 kız, 84 erkek) çocuk ve 12 anaokulu öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır.Araştırmada veri toplama araçları olarak “Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Ladd ve Profilet Çocuk Davranış Ölçeği, Akranların Şiddetine Maruz Kalma Ölçeği, 5-6 Yaş Çocukları İçin Okul Uyumu Öğretmen Değerlendirme Ölçeği, Resimli Sosyometri Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde; çoklu regresyon analizi uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre, 5-6 yaş çocuklarının eğitim-öğretim yılı boyunca, dört ölçüm içinde de olumlu sosyal davranış değişkeninin okula uyum düzeyini en yüksek düzeyde yordayan değişken olduğu bulunmuştur. Genel olarak okula uyumu yordayan diğer değişkenler ise; korkulu kaygılı olma, saldırganlık, sosyal olmayan davranış, aşırı hareketlilik ve sosyal konumdur. Okula uyumu istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı olarak yordamadığı tespit edilen değişkenler; dışlanma ve akran şiddetine maruz kalma değişkenleridir. Olumlu sosyal davranış ve sosyal konum düzeyleri arttıkça okula uyum düzeylerinde artış meydana gelmektedir. Korkulu-kaygılı olma, sosyal olmayan davranış, aşırı hareketlilik ve saldırganlık değişkenlerinin düzeyleri arttıkça okula uyum düzeyinde azalma görülmektedir.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the peer relationships and social position levels of 5-6 year old children have a predictor effect on their school adaptation level or not. The sample group of the study is consisted of 175 (91 female, 84 male) children, who continue to receive preschool education in Serinhisar and Tavas districts of the city center of Denizli during the school year of 2010-2011, and 12 kindergarten teachers. In the study, “Personal Information Form, Ladd and Profilet Child Behavior Scale, Peer Victimization Scale, Teacher Rating Scale of School Adjustment for 5-6 Year Olds, Picture Sociometry Scale” were used as data collection tools. Multiple regression analysis was used for the analysis of the data. The study results concluded that prosocial behavior variable of 5-6 year old children is the variable that predicts school adaptation at highest level for four measurements throughout the school year. In general, other variables that predict the school adaptation are anxious- fearful, aggression, asocial behavior, hyperactivity and social position. The variables that do not predict the school adaptation in a statistically significant way were the variables of exclusion and peer victimization. As the prosocial behavior and social position levels increase, the level of school adaptation increases as well. It is observed that as the levels of the variables of anxious-fearful, asocial behavior, hyperactivity and aggression increase, the level of school adaptation decreases. Leaving the mother’s bosom and starting the kindergarten is the biggest change in children’s lives. The child not only becomes the member of a peer group, but also gets the opportunity of being acquainted with the teacher and the concept of school by starting the kindergarten. Starting the kindergarten represents the process of adjustment for both children and parents. Children who receive preschool education primarily get separated from the family environment and experience the excitement of being involved in a different environment. Thus, both the school and the family should have numerous duties for the child to overcome this process in a compatible way. Relational survey method was used in the study. Relational survey method includes the research models that aim to determine the existence and/or extent of the covariance between two and more variables (Karasar, 2009: 81). The data collection process was performed four times in a year. Preschool teachers filled the “Child Behavior Scale, Peer Victimization Scale, and Teacher Rating Assessment Scale of School Adjustment” for each child once during each application period. These scales were completed by the teachers four times throughout the study. The researcher applied the “Picture Sociometry Scale” individually to each child for once during each data collection process and totally four times throughout the study. During the application, children were shown the pictures of their friends, asked 4 questions and the scores of each child were recorded in line with their answers. The average duration of application was 15 minutes for each child. In order to determine whether the peer relationships and social position level have a predictor effect on the level of school adjustment or not, multiple regression analysis was performed during analysis of data. The SPSS 16.00 software was used to test analyses in the computer environment. According to the first measurement results of the study; the variables of prosocial behavior, asocial behavior, fearful- anxious, aggressiveness and hyperactivity significantly predict the level of school adjustment. The variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level is the prosocial behavior. It is respectively followed by the variables of asocial behavior, fearful- anxious, aggressiveness and hyperactivity. A positive relationship was determined between the levels of prosocial behavior and school adjustment. As the level of prosocial behavior increases, the level of school adjustment increases as well. As the levels of aggressiveness, fearful- anxious, asocial behavior and hyperactivity increase, the level of school adjustment decreases. However, each of variables of peer victimization and social position do not predict the level of school adjustment in a statistically significant way. Reason behind this result is that children do not interact with each other since they do not get acquainted in the beginning of the school year, and this result might be an indicator of the personal effort for school adjustment. In the second measurement, the variables of prosocial behavior and social position individually predict the school adjustment significantly. Just like in the first measurement, the variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level is the prosocial behavior. Social position is the second variable that predicts the school adjustment. There is a positive relation between the levels of prosocial behavior and social position and the level of school adjustment. As the levels of prosocial behavior and social position increase, the level of school adjustment increases as well. Each of variables “aggressiveness, exclusion, fearful- anxious, asocial behavior, hyperactivity and peer victimization” does not predict the level of school adjustment in a statistically significant way. Social position is the second variable that predicts the school adjustment. According to the results of the third measurement, the prosocial behavior is the variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level. It is respectively followed by the variables of asocial behavior, fearful- anxious and hyperactivity. It is observed that the level of school adjustment increases as the level of prosocial behavior increases; and the level of school adjustment decreases as the levels of fearful- anxious and hyperactivity increase. Each of variables “aggressiveness, exclusion, peer victimization, and social position” does not predict the level of school adjustment in a statistically significant way. Regarding the fourth measurement, just like in other measurements, the prosocial behavior is the variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level. It is respectively followed by the variables of fearful- anxious and hyperactivity. As the level of prosocial behavior increases, the level of school adjustment increases; and as the levels of fearful- anxious and hyperactivity increase, the level of school adjustment decreases. Each of variables “aggressiveness, exclusion, asocial behavior, peer victimization, and social position” does not predict the level of school adjustment in a statistically significant way. Considering the measurement results in general, it is seen that as the levels of prosocial behavior and social position increase, the level of school adjustment increases as well. As the levels of the variables of fearful- anxious, asocial behavior, hyperactivity and aggressiveness increase, the level of school adjustment decreases. Besides, in all four measurements it is observed that the variable of prosocial behavior is the variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level. Thus, it is proved that the effect of prosocial behaviors on the school adjustment is also important and valid during different times of the year. According to the results, having prosocial behaviors with peers has a facilitating role for school adjustment, in terms of young children. It is required to teach children the prosocial behaviors with methods such as being a model, playing a role and drama for easy adjustment to school, as from the beginning of the year and to intensify them with awards. It should be kept in mind that school maladjustment might be caused by not only the factors related with children, but also the factors related to the teacher. In teacher- related school adjustment problems, teachers could be informed about the school adjustment. Children recognition techniques and observation techniques should be the ones to be applied by the teacher in the beginning of the school. Besides, teachers who cannot predict the interests and expectations of children and form a convenient communication language with them should develop themselves in this aspect. Professional and personal competences of the teacher are very important in terms of the school adjustment of children. Good-humored and affectionate teachers with occupational information and skills about children are observed to have less school adjustment problems in their classes. Thus, as well as the adjustment problems regarding children, school adjustment problems related to the teacher are also important. The study results regarding the prediction of school adjustment level reveal that while in all four measurements the prosocial behavior is the variable that predicts the school adjustment at the highest level, the variables of exclusion, and peer victimization do not predict the school adjustment in a statistically significant way. This result could be examined with future studies to be conducted with other sample groups in different times.