Social competences of the future teachers are one of the most important competencies for successfully working in educational institutions. A teacher’s social competences imply empathy, communication skills, tolerance, cooperation and mutual assistance, responsibility to oneself and others, perseverance in carrying out tasks, postponing any satisfactions, controlling violent behaviour, showing a sense of value, uniqueness and a positive self-image. It is essential to encourage communication skills, as the most important element of social communication, with the attendants of the pedagogically – psychological and didactically – methodical education because only the socially competent experts from various fields will be able to master the management of learning and knowledge, and encourage the social competence of students, while working in the educational institutions. The results of the of quantitative research conducted among 179 participants of the pedagogically – psychological and didactically – methodical education in Slavonski Brod, Koprivnica and Zabok show that the attendants have self-evaluated themselves as socially competent with developed communication skills. Analysis of variance and the Post Hoc test have proven that there is no statistically important difference in the assessment of social competence of the participants, regarding sex, number of years of working experience and senior scientific positions, while there is a statistically important partial difference in the assessment of social competence of the participants, regarding the age.
Inflence of the Early Prevention Programme “Zippy’s Friends” on Selfdevelopment of Children’s Social Competence and Establishment of Safe Emotional Environment in Educational Institutions