Quality Of Classroom Interactions Research Articles

Teacher-related factors associated with teacher–child interaction quality in preschool education

Quality teacher–child interaction is considered one of the primary mechanisms through which educational experience fosters the development of children’s competencies. Teachers’ self-efficacy and beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices influence the quality of classroom interaction. However, the findings are mixed, and more research must be done within the preschool teacher population. The present study investigated teacher-related factors influencing teacher–child interaction quality with preschool children. Two rating scales and one observation measure were used to survey and observe 55 preschool teachers in preschool centres of Arba Minch town, Ethiopia. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between teacher factors (i.e., teacher belief, self-efficacy, teaching experience) and teacher–child interaction quality (emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support). Teacher belief significantly predicted teachers’ emotional support and classroom organization, while teaching experience significantly predicted instructional support. The findings of this study have implications for concerned bodies striving to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals aimed at increasing the supply of qualified teachers to ensure all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development and care so that they are ready for primary education, especially in the least developed countries.

From Pre-Service Preparation to Professional Development: Early Childhood Teachers’ Learning Experiences, ECE Quality, and Child Development in China

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study examined the associations between early childhood education (ECE) teachers’ pre-service education (PE), professional development (PD) experiences, ECE quality, and child development. The participants included 52 teachers and 706 children from 52 preschool classes in Shanghai and Guizhou. Teacher educational level was associated with classroom interaction quality. The frequency and diversity of PD activities that ECE teachers experienced in the past year were also related to overall ECE quality. Mediational analyses indicated that the diversity and frequency of PD were indirectly associated with child development through ECE quality. Region of residence moderated the associations between PE and child development and between ECE quality and child development. Practice or Policy: Together, the findings highlight the need for policy to support ECE teachers’ professional learning from pre-service education to ongoing professional development.

Exploring Challenges and Strategies for Online Classroom Interaction

Research has indicated the importance of classroom interaction as one of the determinant factors for language learning to be successful. However, with the fact that the online learning mode has been a new norm in the education context, creating a supportive classroom interaction is considered challenging. Both the teachers and students rely on the technological resources to interact both synchronously or asynchronously. Although theoretically, the online platforms are available to make interaction more explicit, it seems that interaction among learners during online class is either more difficult to create or is not fully encouraged. This research intends to answer two questions, firstly, what challenges students face which potentially prevent them from participating in classroom interaction? And secondly, what can be done to improve the quantity and quality of classroom interaction to maximize learning. An online survey is conducted to explore possible challenges in creating interactive learning activities as well as strategies to improve classroom interaction. It is expected that the research may offer insights for instructors and educators to have a more meaningful classroom interaction and engage learners more effectively.

The Realization of the Initiation-Response-Feedback (IRF) Model in English Classroom at STAIKAP Pekalongan

This study aimed to identify the realization of the initiation-response-feedback (IRF) model in English Classroom at STAIKAP Pekalongan. It used a descriptive-qualitative study that implemented classroom interaction analysis by Sinclair and Coulthard in 1975 which stands for teacher initiation, students’ response, and feedback by lecturer. The subjects of this study are the first semester from Manajemen Pendidikan Islam Major which consists of 16 students and 1 lecturer. This study used three instruments: observation classroom, video recorder, and lesson transcript to gain the data. Then, the data is analyzed by Sinclair and Coulthard's (1975) theory. The study results showed that the lecturer and student implemented the IRF model in the teaching and learning process in English class. In this study there are the IRF pattern that was found to dominate in speaking skills was teacher elicit, in reading skills the IRF pattern that dominated was also teacher elicit, in listening skills the IRF pattern that dominated was Acknowledge act, and last in writing skills the IRF pattern that dominated was student response react. In conclusion, it is advised that the lecturer should uphold the quality of classroom interaction and provide ample opportunities for students to participate in verbal exchanges actively. Keywords: Classroom Interaction, English Classroom, IRF

Enhancement or Impediment? How University Teachers’ Use of Smart Classrooms Might Impact Interaction Quality

Technology’s involvement in teaching and learning is identified as an opportunity to bolster sustainable development in education. However, how it influences teaching quality and classroom interaction is a hotly debated subject, and the variations in interactions, by different technologies, between students and teachers in Smart Classrooms, particularly the ways in which interactions are impacted, are rarely discussed in existing research. The present study examines the effects of various degrees of technology on the quality of interactions in university-based Smart Classrooms based on an analysis of 38 courses, which were recorded and analysed over a three-year period. Also, an instrument to analyse interaction quality in a university Smart Classroom (USCIQAS) was developed. The results showed that advanced technological applications increase the quality of classroom interactions, particularly those involving student–teacher (ST) interactions, although it has a lower effect on the social–emotional outcomes of student–student (SS) interactions. Based on these findings, in order to maximize the potential of Smart Classrooms to improve classroom interactions, both teachers and students should be encouraged and trained to use technology. Teachers may also need to improve their pedagogy and technology use in tandem to avoid the risk of lower social–emotional outcomes of SS interaction.

High quality implementation of 4Rs + MTP increases classroom emotional support and reduces absenteeism.

School-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs are associated with improvements in children's SEL and academic outcomes, and the quality of classroom interactions. The magnitude of these effects increases at high levels of program implementation quality. This study aimed to (1) identify teachers' profiles of quality of implementation, (2) explore teachers and classroom characteristics contributing to their propensity to comply with high quality of implementation, and (3) examine the relations between school assignment to an SEL program, quality of classroom interactions, and child SEL and academic outcomes at different levels of teachers' compliance propensity. This study drew upon data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of 4Rs + MTP, a literacy-based SEL program, on third and fourth grade teachers (n = 330) and their students (n = 5,081) across 60 New York City public elementary schools. Latent profile analysis indicated that measures of teacher responsiveness and amount of exposure to implementation supports contributed to the differentiation of profiles of high and low quality of implementation. Random forest analysis showed that more experienced teachers with low levels of professional burnout had high propensity to comply with high quality of implementation. Multilevel moderated mediation analysis indicated that 4Rs + MTP teachers with high compliance propensity were associated with higher classroom emotional support and lower children's school absences than their counterparts in the control group. These findings may inform debates in policy research about the importance of providing the supports teachers need to implement SEL school programs with high quality.

Classroom interaction and metacognition by ‘enculturation’ of thinking in early education

ABSTRACT This case study explores the impact of a thinking-based teacher training and professional development programme on the quality of classroom interactions and on students’ metacognitive capacity in early childhood education and elementary first-grade classrooms. The study was conducted in a Spanish school, and the sample comprised 13 educators and 117 students aged 4 to 7 years old. The self-assessment scale of cultural forces for the promotion of thinking was used to analyze the change in the self-perception of teachers after the completion of the thinking-based training programme. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) was used to assess teacher–student interactions, and the drawing-telling technique was used to analyze students’ metacognitive capacity. The results reveal that the thinking-based teacher training improved their self-assessment as teachers that promote thinking, enhance the quality of classroom interactions (organisation and learning support), and develop children’s metacognitive processes. These findings indicate that a culture of thinking helps to develop key skills for twenty-first-century teachers and students.

Perceptions of Classroom Interactions and Students’ Thriving in Hybrid and Blended Learning: A Multi-Group Analysis

This study aims to uncover the relationship between the quality of class interaction in learning activities and student thriving in the two methods (hybrid and blended) used in the past year. Using a sample of 112 students selected through a purposive approach, data were collected using a questionnaire at the end of the semester in 2021/2022. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with multi-group analysis (MGA) was applied to test the model. The study's results provide empirical support regarding the relationship between classroom interaction quality and student perceived thrive (vitality and learning) in both learning modes. Finally, a comparison of the effects based on MGA identified that the quality of classroom interaction was more effective on vitality than blended learning compared to hybrid learning. While regarding perceived learning, the dominant effect of classroom interaction is more effective in blended learning mode.

The Quality of Teacher-child Interactions and Teachers’ Occupational well-being in Finnish Kindergartens: A Person-centered Approach

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The aim of the present study was to identify profiles of kindergarten teachers based on the observed quality of interactions with the children in their classrooms and to explore possible differences between the profiles in terms of teachers’ occupational well-being and teacher and classroom characteristics. Participants were 54 Finnish kindergarten teachers whose interactions with children were observed with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). The teachers also completed a questionnaire about their occupational well-being. Four interaction profiles were identified: Highest Quality, Moderate Quality, Lower Quality with Limited Negativity, and Lower Quality with Moderate Negativity. Differences between the profiles were found in teachers’ teaching-related stress, general stress, and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the profiles differed, albeit marginally significantly, in terms of teachers’ emotional exhaustion. Overall, teachers in the Moderate Quality profile reported the most favorable occupational well-being, whereas teachers in the Highest Quality and the two lower quality profiles reported challenges to their occupational well-being. The profiles did not differ in terms of teacher and classroom characteristics. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that teachers’ professional development opportunities should focus on both improving the quality of classroom interactions and enhancing teachers’ occupational well-being by reducing their stress.

A new look at teacher interactional quality: Profiles of individual teacher–child relationship and classroom teaching quality among Head Start students

ABSTRACT Research Findings: and Practice Preschool teachers’ relationships with children are a critical component of classroom quality. We draw from a sample of N = 2,114 children attending Head Start to examine child-centered profiles of experiences across two dimensions of classroom interaction quality that are often considered separately: individual teacher–child closeness and conflict, and classroom-level instructional and emotional support. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in Head Start children’s experiences, as the profiles differed on individual conflict, and classroom emotional and instructional support. The largest profile was characterized by a positive emotional climate and low instructional support. Higher teacher distress was associated with the highest-quality and the highest conflict profiles. The results also revealed early evidence for gender and race and ethnicity-based disadvantages in Head Start classroom experiences. Practice or Policy: Measures of ECE quality must consider teacher-child relationships. Teacher well-being is tied to classroom and individual interactions; findings suggest teachers and child may benefit from strategies that support teachers’ well-being.

Adapting early childhood education interventions to contexts: Lessons and challenges of using different evaluation designs

This paper analyzes the experience of three waves of implementation of UBC, an intervention to improve early childhood education quality in schools serving disadvantaged children in Chile. It delves on the notions of context as a primary source of information to adapt and improve educational programs in order to adjust to local needs. The results show that adapting to context improves both the quality of classroom interactions and child outcomes. The paper discusses the tensions between experimental and quasi-experimental methods in assessing these types of programs.

The Effect of Kindergarten Classroom Interaction Quality on Executive Function Development among 5- to 7-Year-Old Children

The present research addresses the impact of preschool classroom interaction quality on executive function development. CLASS methodology was used to assess the quality of teacher–child interaction in kindergarten groups; “Inhibition”, “Memory for Designs”, and “Sentences Repetition” subtests from the NEPSY-II (memory for designs, sentences repetition, inhibition) and Dimensional Change Card Sort were used for the evaluation of executive functions. Repeated measures were performed to assess the children’s progress, based on the quality of the educational environment in their group. The total sample consisted of 447 children (48.5% boys and 51.5% girls). ANOVA and linear regression analysis demonstrated that children’s progress in executive function development varies for low- and high-quality classrooms. Furthermore, different predictive potential of CLASS domains was shown for the development of executive function components in preschool children.

Video based professional development on pedagogical documentation: a yearlong study with early childhood teachers

ABSTRACT This study examined how a video-based professional development (VBPD) initiative influenced early childhood teachers’ practices. A purposive sample of 22 early childhood education teachers voluntarily participated in this study. The confidentiality of all participants was assured and their informed consent was obtained prior to the study. The design of the study was qualitative in nature and video based interventions were carried out during the research process. The study data was drawn from a larger study and collected through informal and semi-structured individual interviews. A constant comparative method of data analysis was utilised in the study. The themes identified in the data were guiding teachers’ practices; self-awareness and desire to improve. The teachers expressed that VBPD was supportive for instructional awareness, instructional assessment practices, and the quantity and quality of classroom interaction. Furthermore, from the teachers’ perspectives, the VBPD was found to improve their self-awareness and aid them in staying up-to-date professionally.

Change in early childhood classroom interaction quality after a professional development programme (Cambio en la calidad de las interacciones pedagógicas en Educación Infantil tras un programa de desarrollo profesional)

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to analyse changes in classroom interaction quality in 85 early childhood classrooms in vulnerable social contexts in Santiago de Chile which participated in the first year of a professional development programme. Classroom interaction quality was measured using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) at the beginning and end of the school year. Contingency tables were built in the experimental and control groups and subsequently analysed with the chi-square and odds ratio. Results show that most classrooms maintained low quality levels, even after having received the intervention. A significant decrease in quality level of emotional support was also observed in the control group. These results have important implications for quality evaluation policy and practices and for the design and implementation of professional development programmes in early childhood education.

Does variation in early childhood education matter more for dual language learners’ than for monolingual children’s language development?

Can early childhood education (ECE) support the societal language development of children from linguistically diverse backgrounds? This study examined how existing variation in classroom interaction quality (CLASS Pre-K), classroom composition (percentages of children from low-income backgrounds and dual language learners [DLLs]), and duration of attending German ECE were related to language trajectories from 30 to 73 months of age (n = 519 children in 154 classrooms). DLL status served as a focal moderator and parental education was considered as an additional moderator. Age-based growth models revealed interactions between DLL status and ECE characteristics. There were numerous intercept effects that endured over the age span studied. Interaction quality (emotional support) and classroom composition (percentage of DLLs) were related only to DLLs’ German language growth. Parental education did not moderate ECE effects. Hence, the observed range of variation in German ECE may matter for DLLs’ societal language development but may be of less relevance for monolingual children.

Children’s academic and social-emotional competencies and the quality of classroom interactions in high-needs urban elementary schools

Teachers are often viewed as being primarily responsible for the quality of their classroom environment and teaching practices. Yet, the aggregate skills and competencies of children within classrooms may affect teachers’ ability to engage in emotionally and instructionally supportive interactions and maintain an organized classroom. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify common types of classrooms based on children’s academicand social-emotional competencies, and (2) examine the relation between classroom compositional profiles and the observed quality of classroom interactions across three domains, while accounting for the quality of interactions in teachers’ classrooms assessed during the prior school year. Participants included 117 third-grade teachers and their 1803 children from 53 urban public elementary schools, in the United States, composed of mostly Black and Latinx children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. Data were collected as part of a randomized-controlled trial of a social-emotional learning intervention and included assessments of children’s English language arts test scores, social competence, aggressive behaviors, depression, and anxiety, and the observed quality of classroom-level emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. Latent profile analysis revealed three distinct profiles: (1) academically and behaviorally high-risk classrooms (9%), (2) academically and emotionally at-risk classrooms (48%), and (3) academically and behaviorally low-risk classrooms (43%). Classrooms in the high-risk profile had significantly lower levels of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support, while accounting for teachers’ prior year interactional quality and a set of key teacher and classroom demographic and compositional covariates. Implications for teacher accountability and school tracking practices within high-needs urban public schools are discussed.

The Effect of Mindfulness Techniques on Teacher Resilience as Moderated by Conscientiousness

Burnout continues to be apparent among teachers and often leads to increased health care costs, absenteeism, and turnover rates. Burnout stems from unmanaged stress, which is the result of teachers’ response to challenges in the workplace. The purpose of this cross-sectional design study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. An additional purpose was to examine whether the personality trait and conscientiousness moderate the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience. The frameworks for this study were based on the self-awareness, -regulation, and -transcendence (S-ART) framework, the theory of planned behavior, and the concepts of resilience and job burnout. Four surveys were used to gather data from 133 high school teachers to understand the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience as well as how conscientiousness moderates the relationship. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. This study found a significant relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. Additionally, this study found that conscientiousness does not significantly moderate the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. These results might be used to create a professional development tool for teachers to help them learn how to increase the quality of classroom interactions and their resilience through the use of mindfulness techniques. The outcome may be a more positive social and academic environment for students as well as teachers, based on the encouraged use of mindfulness techniques.

The Effect of Mindfulness Techniques on Teacher Resilience as Moderated by Conscientiousness

Burnout continues to be apparent among teachers and often leads to increased health care costs, absenteeism, and turnover rates. Burnout stems from unmanaged stress, which is the result of teachers’ response to challenges in the workplace. The purpose of this cross-sectional design study was to examine the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. An additional purpose was to examine whether the personality trait and conscientiousness moderate the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience. The frameworks for this study were based on the self-awareness, -regulation, and -transcendence (S-ART) framework, the theory of planned behavior, and the concepts of resilience and job burnout. Four surveys were used to gather data from 133 high school teachers to understand the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience as well as how conscientiousness moderates the relationship. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. This study found a significant relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. Additionally, this study found that conscientiousness does not significantly moderate the relationship between mindfulness techniques and resilience in high school teachers. These results might be used to create a professional development tool for teachers to help them learn how to increase the quality of classroom interactions and their resilience through the use of mindfulness techniques. The outcome may be a more positive social and academic environment for students as well as teachers, based on the encouraged use of mindfulness techniques.

基于CLASS的新疆双语幼儿园集体活动课堂互动质量评估

基于CLASS的新疆双语幼儿园集体活动课堂互动质量评估

Executive Functions and Quality of Classroom Interactions in Kindergarten Among 5–6-Year-Old Children

According to international longitudinal studies, the quality of preschool education is of great importance for children’s further development. The modern research’s greatest interest in the field of studying the quality of preschool education is precisely the assessment of the relationship between the teacher and children as well as the teaching quality in kindergarten groups. In this regard, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) seems to be the one of the most relevant for the educational environment quality evaluation. The CLASS methodology (which includes emotional support, classroom organization, and instrumental support) is based on the cultural-historical approach, which shows the interaction between students and adults as the main mechanism for child’s development. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between different aspects of the classroom organization quality in kindergarten groups and executive functions components (such as cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory) in 5–6-year-old children. The quality of classroom interaction was measured by the CLASS. The study used the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) method to assess cognitive flexibility and the NEPSY-II subtests “Inhibition” to assess inhibitory control and “Memory for Designs” and “Sentences Repetition” to assess visuo-spatial and verbal working memory, respectively. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The study involved 26 kindergarten groups in Moscow. While conducting the research, extreme groups were identified (5 with low quality and 10 with high-quality levels of classroom interaction). Then, three kindergarten groups with low level (65 children) and three groups with high level (68 children) of interaction within classroom were selected and compared. The results revealed that children from groups with low level of classroom interaction have higher results in cognitive flexibility tasks when compared with children from groups with high level of interaction. Also, children from groups with high-quality classroom interaction demonstrated higher results in visuo-spatial working memory tasks and inhibitory control tasks as contrasted with children from low-quality groups. These findings attest to the importance of classroom interaction quality for the executive functions development in the preschool age.