A drama-based intervention to improve emotional intelligence in early childhood education

Abstract Emotional intelligence and drama-based intervention open up an innovative field in education. The current study describes the effectiveness of an innovative project based on the development of emotional intelligence through dramatization in Early Childhood Education. A total of 82 children range from 4 to 5 years old were divided into two groups: group A ( N = 40) and group B ( N = 42). The study was designed as a pre-post-follow-up experimental study and all children participated at different times. The evaluation of behavior and expression of emotions is carried out using three instruments, i.e., Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales-Second Edition (PKBS-2), and two multimedia tests, i.e., Facially Expressed Emotion Labeling (FEEL test) and e-Motion 1.0. The results showed that the program met its objective and the children improved their inter- and intra-subject relationship problems, especially when it comes to reducing negative behaviors related to social skills. The program’s design and effectiveness make it suitable for improving emotional education in children aged 3 to 6.