Safe Physical Touch and Positive Verbal Communication in Early Childhood Education: Teachers' Perspectives on Children's Comfort and School Adjustment
Abstract
Young children's adjustment to school depends partly on emotionally responsive interactions that help them feel safe, accepted, and ready to participate. This qualitative descriptive study explored how three teachers at Santo Yosef Kindergarten, Purwokerto, perceived the routine use of developmentally appropriate physical touch and positive verbal communication in relation to children's comfort and classroom participation. One homeroom teacher represented each level: Playgroup, Kindergarten A, and Kindergarten B. Data were generated through structured face-to-face interviews organized around three questions concerning initial adjustment conditions, teachers' reported responses during routine relational support, and signs interpreted as greater comfort. Analysis used a structured descriptive approach based on data reduction, cross-informant display, and conclusion verification. Teachers associated non-coercive touch - including a high-five, a warm pat, supportive hand-holding, and a comforting hug when welcomed by the child - together with praise, appreciation, and encouragement, with calmer behavior, greater confidence, more open interaction, and stronger participation. They also emphasized individual preferences, patience, consistency, permission, and safeguarding boundaries. Because the evidence consists of retrospective teacher reports from a single institution, the findings indicate perceived relational associations rather than causal effectiveness. The study positions touch and positive words as optional components of responsive teacher-child interaction whose educational use must remain individualized, transparent, and grounded in children's right to accept or refuse contact.
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Author Biographies
Veronika Poppie Aryani
TK Santo Yosef Purwokerto
Paulina Ranuditya Purbarini
SMP Susteran Purwokerto
Chatarina Widiastuti
Yayasan Santo Dominikus Kantor Cabang Purwokerto
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Copyright (c) 2026 Veronika Poppie Aryani, Paulina Ranuditya Purbarini, Chatarina Widiastuti
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Published
2026-05-26