How much variability is there in children's experiences with different educators?

Abstract

Early childhood education and care settings consist of educators clustered into classrooms, clustered into centers. Yet, little empirical research has examined variance in the interaction styles of full-time educators who work in the same classroom. In this study we engage in preliminary work to examine variability in children's experiences with different educators. The sample consisted of 172 full-time educators from 86 classrooms. We conducted hierarchical linear modeling using the difference in the interaction styles of the two educators in each classroom as the outcome. Educators’ interaction styles were measured using the Responsive Interactions for Learning (RIFL-E) scale. Approximately 58% of the variance was accounted for at the classroom level and 42% at the center level. Educators with similar interaction styles tended to be grouped together in classrooms. Classrooms where educators had smaller discrepancies in interaction styles had higher overall quality and a higher percentage of educators with early childhood education degrees, but a bigger difference between educator's highest level of education. These findings highlight the importance of considering educator-level variance in conceptualizing and measuring quality. Implications for how quality of educator/child interaction is conceptualized and measured, and research and policy on oversight and quality improvement are discussed.