Children’s internalizing problems and teacher–child relationship quality across preschool

Abstract

Children experiencing internalizing problems (depression, anxiety, somatization) can have difficulty transitioning to preschool. Some research has shown that children who experience increased internalizing problems form negative relationships with their teachers. Other research has found that children who share more positive relationships with their teachers show fewer internalizing problems over time. The current study tests three conceptual models of the directional associations between children’s internalizing problems and teacher–child relationship quality across the preschool year: relationship-driven, child-driven, and transactional models. Participants included 443 ethnically diverse, low-income preschool children (47.9% girls, Mage = 4.08 years, SD = .34 years) who were assessed in the fall and spring of preschool. Children’s internalizing problems were rated by teachers using the Behavior Assessment System for Children II. The teacher–child relationship was rated by teachers using the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale and observers using the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Results supported the child-driven model; internalizing problems in the fall of preschool predicted more teacher–child dependency and a less positive teacher–child relationship by spring of preschool. Findings suggest that children who enter preschool as more sad or anxious are perceived to interact less positively with teachers across the preschool year.