Teacher-child Conflict Research Articles

The role of teacher–child relationships in kindergarten on children’s motivation and reading skills in grade 1

AbstractThe main aim of the current study was to investigate the role of teacher–child relationship quality in kindergarten on children’s motivation (interest in reading and task persistence) and reading skills in Grade 1. A total of 231 children (age at baseline 6.8 years; 50.6% girls) completed reading-related tasks and answered questions about their interest in reading. Eighteen kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires about the teacher–child relationship for each child in kindergarten. School psychologists reported on children’s task persistence during tests. A cross-lagged path model analysis revealed that teacher–child conflict in kindergarten predicted lower task persistence and interest in reading at the beginning of Grade 1. In addition, we found two indirect effects of teacher–child conflict in kindergarten on reading skills at the end of Grade 1 via task persistence and interest in reading at the beginning of Grade 1. The current study emphasizes the importance of teacher–child relationship quality in kindergarten and its longitudinal effects on the development of children’s motivation and reading skills in Grade 1.

성장혼합모형을 적용한 교사-아동 갈등관계 변화 유형화, 영향요인 및 학교적응 차이 검증

Objectives This study aimed to typify the longitudinal changes in teacher-child conflict relationships among elementary school students and to verify the impact of children's personal and parental factors on the classification of latent profiles in the trajectories of changes in teacher-child conflict relationships. Additionally, the study examined differences in school adaptation across types of teacher-child conflict relationships. Methods Utilizing data from the 9th to 13th waves (2nd to 6th grade in elementary school) of the Panel Study on Korean Children(PSKC), the study estimated a change function suitable for the changes in teacher-child conflict relationships and applied it to classify latent classes. A growth mixture model was used to identify the significance of related child, parental factors, and school adaptation. Results First, it was found that a first-order function model was suitable for the longitudinal changes in teacher-child conflict relationships, and three latent profiles (‘Decreasing’, ‘Maintaining’, ‘Increasing’) were identified based on this model. Upon verifying the influencing factors, compared to the ‘Maintaining’ group set as the reference group, externalized difficulties were significant in the ‘Increasing’ group, while parental interest in school life and externalized difficulties had a significant impact in the ‘Decreasing’ group. Furthermore, when the ‘Decreasing’ group was set as the reference group, externalized difficulties emerged as a significant influencing factor in comparison with the ‘Increasing’ group. In addition, there were overall differences in school adaptation among the three classified groups, with the ‘Maintaining’ group showing a higher level of school adaptation than the ‘Decreasing’ group. Conclusions Based on these results, the study discussed possible measures for improving the conflict relationships between teachers and children.

Linking school- and classroom-level characteristics to child adjustment: A representative study of children from Hong Kong, China.

The school is one of the most salient developmental contexts for children. However, little is known about the associations linking the school environment to child adjustment in a non-Western context, not to mention the potential processes that may mediate these associations. This study examined the associations of school- and classroom-level characteristics with child adjustment and tested whether these associations were mediated by teacher-child relationship qualities. Cross-sectional data were collected on a representative sample of 1777 children (mean age = 55.14 months; 50% of them were girls) from 100 kindergartens in Hong Kong, China. Using self-reported questionnaires, teachers rated their school-level environments, their classroom chaos, their closeness and conflict with children and children's socioemotional competence and academic ability. Meanwhile, parents rated children's behavioural problems. Multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that the school-level environment and classroom chaos were uniquely associated with children's socioemotional, behavioural and academic adjustment. Moreover, the associations of the school-level environment and classroom chaos with child socioemotional and academic adjustment were mediated by teacher-child closeness and conflict, whereas the associations of the school-level environment and classroom chaos with child behavioural problems were mediated by teacher-child conflict only. Findings indicated how school- and classroom-level characteristics may be uniquely associated with child adjustment and how teacher-child relationships may be implicated in the underlying mechanism, highlighting the potential utility of targeting school- and classroom-level environments and teacher-child relationships in promoting child development.

Peer Victimization among Black Preschoolers: Roles of Emotion Knowledge, Teacher-Child Relationships, and Gender

This study examined whether varying dimensions of teacher-child relationship quality and gender moderated associations between knowledge of negative emotion-eliciting situations and peer victimization among Black preschoolers (60 boys, 54 girls) who ranged in age from 35 to 65 months. Fifty-one children had a Black teacher, 46 had a White teacher, and 17 had a Latine teacher. All teachers were female. Knowledge of negative emotion-eliciting situations was assessed directly in the fall. Lead teachers reported on teacher-child relationship quality between September and December. A second teacher completed peer victimization ratings in the spring of the following year. When teacher-child closeness was high, there was a positive association between knowledge of negative emotion-eliciting situations and physical victimization, but a negative association emerged when teacher-child closeness was low. In accord with the victim schema model that undergirded this study, knowledge of negative emotion-eliciting situations was negatively related to physical victimization for children who experienced high teacher-child conflict and dependency. Black teachers perceived more relational victimization. Our findings highlight the need for further examination of peer victimization among young Black children and suggest that identifying the individual and ecological correlates of peer victimization should be a priority for school psychologists working in early educational contexts.

Previously institutionalized toddlers' social and emotional competence and kindergarten adjustment: Indirect effects through executive function.

Longitudinal multimethod data across three time points were examined to explore the associations between previously institutionalized toddlers' (N = 71; 59% female) socioemotional skills (Time Point 1: 18 months to 3-years-old), executive functioning (i.e., attention, working memory, inhibitory control) in the preschool years (Time Point 2: 2-4-years-old), and adjustment in kindergarten (5-6-years-old). Children were from multiple regions (35% Eastern European, 31% Southeast Asian, 25% African, and 9% Latin American), and 90% of adoptive parents were White from the Midwestern United States. Socioemotional competency at Time Point 1 was associated with fewer attention problems and greater inhibitory control at Time Point 2, which were subsequently associated with more observed social competence, greater observed classroom competence, and less teacher-reported teacher-child conflict in kindergarten. Indirect effects from socioemotional competencies in toddlerhood to kindergarten adjustment via executive functioning during the preschool period emerged. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictors of preschoolers’ classroom engagement: teacher–child interactions, teacher–child relationships, and child’s self-control

ABSTRACT The study examined predictors (teacher–child interactions, teacher–child relationships, child’s self-control) of preschoolers’ classroom engagement (135 preschoolers, 15 East Tennessee classrooms). Hierarchical linear regression revealed child’s self-control significantly contributed to engagement. Teacher–child closeness enhanced engagement, but reverse-coded teacher–child conflict negatively impacted it after controlling teacher-child individualized interaction. Control variables included child gender, age, mother and father education. These findings offer holistic insights into preschoolers’ engagement mechanisms, aiding intervention program design. Discussions and practical applications of results are provided.

Vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers in China and its influential factors: a chain mediating model

ABSTRACT To explore the chain mediating effect of teacher–child conflict and sleeping disorders between work intensification on vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers, 847 kindergarten teachers in China were investigated using the Work Intensification Scale, Teacher–Child Relationship Scale (TCRS), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI). Data were analyzed by JASP 0.14.1 and structural equation model was built through Mplus8.3. It showed that there were significant differences in vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers in areas, age and education level. Work intensification, teacher–child conflict and sleeping disorders were positively correlated with vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers after controlling for demographic variables such as the nature of the kindergarten, geographic areas, gender, age and education level of the teachers. In the multiple mediation model, work intensification could directly predict vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers significantly through the mediating role of sleeping disorders but not teacher–child conflict. Moreover, teacher–child conflict and sleeping disorders had a chain mediating effect between work intensification and vocal fatigue of kindergarten teachers. So the government and education authorities should reduce the workload of kindergarten teachers, vocal training should be included in the curriculum of preschool education in universities, and it's necessary to strengthen the pre-service and post-service kindergarten teachers’ training about voice using so as to improve the health care awareness. Teachers should develop communication skills to create effective interactions between teachers and children, and good environment should be created by mindful training to improve sleeping.

Social avoidance and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of teacher-child relationships.

This study aimed to explore the moderating role of teacher-child relationships in the relations between social avoidance and social adjustment (i.e., prosocial behavior, peer exclusion, and anxious-fearful behavior) in Chinese migrant preschoolers. Participants were 148 migrant children aged 4-6 years (82 boys, Mage = 62.32, SD = 6.67) attending kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Mothers reported children's social avoidance, and teachers rated teacher-child relationships and children's social adjustment. Results indicated that social avoidance was positively related to peer exclusion and negatively related to prosocial behavior. Teacher-child relationships moderated those associations. Specifically, teacher-child closeness buffered the relationship between social avoidance and peer exclusion, whereas teacher-child conflict exacerbated the relations between social avoidance and peer exclusion and anxious-fearful behavior. The current finding informs us of the importance of improving teacher-child closeness and reducing teacher-child conflict to buffer the negative adjustment among socially avoidant young children who migrated from rural-to-urban China. The findings also highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of social avoidance for migrant preschoolers in Chinese culture.

Teacher–child relational conflict and maladaptive social behaviors: The moderating role of children’s values

Beginning in the preschool years, it is well established that teacher–child conflictual relationships are likely to have detrimental effects on children’s behaviors. However, to date little attention has been paid to how certain core child factors, such as young children’s personal values, might act as risk or protective factors in this context. Accordingly, we examined the associations between teacher–child relational conflict and children’s maladaptive behaviors and asked whether children’s personal values, defined here as their broad motivations in life, moderate these associations. Our sample consisted of 120 kindergarten children (58 girls; Mage = 67.53 months, SD = 6.53) and their teachers. Children’s values were examined in a one-on-one interview using an animated values instrument. Teachers reported the level of conflict in the teacher–child relationships and children’s maladaptive behaviors. The findings supported our hypothesis that teacher–child relational conflict is positively associated with children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors. In addition, children’s self-transcendence values acted as a protective factor by weakening the adverse associations between teacher–child conflict and children’s externalizing behaviors. Conversely, children’s conservation values acted as a risk factor by strengthening the associations between teacher–child conflict and children’s internalizing behaviors. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

The relations between teacher-child relationships in preschool and children's outcomes in kindergarten

This study examined relations between closeness and conflict in the teacher-child relationship in preschool and children's problem behaviors, social skills, and executive function (EF) in kindergarten, and examined if these relations are moderated by parental education. The study also explored associations between teacher-child closeness and conflict and the subscales of children's problem behaviors and social skills. The sample consisted of 126 preschool children (M = 56.70 months, SD = 3.89). Regression analyses revealed that teacher-child conflict was related to poorer social skills in children (β = −0.24, p = .020), specifically lower assertion (β = −0.21, p = .044) and lower engagement (β = −0.28, p = .002). Additionally, as conflict in the teacher-child relationship increased, EF decreased for children whose parents have a lower level of education, less than a college degree (β = 0.46, p = .035). Implications for future research are discussed.

"아동의 자율성, 교사-아동 갈등관계, 학교환경과 아동의 행복감 간의 구조적 관계 "

"아동의 자율성, 교사-아동 갈등관계, 학교환경과 아동의 행복감 간의 구조적 관계 "

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Social Adjustment among Chinese Preschoolers: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationship.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with social adjustment difficulties, but few studies have examined the underlying mechanisms in Chinese preschoolers. This study examined the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment among Chinese preschoolers as well as the moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the association. Participants were 484 preschool children aged 3-6 years old from Shanghai, China (Mage = 5.56 years, SD = 0.96 years). Parents reported children's CU traits and teachers reported their relationship with children and rated children's social adjustment as well. The results revealed that (1) children with higher CU traits positively related to aggressive and asocial behavior with peers, but negatively related to prosocial behavior; (2) the teacher-child relationship moderated the relationship between CU traits and social adjustment in children. Specifically, teacher-child conflict exacerbated the aggressive and asocial behavior of children with CU traits and reduced the prosocial behavior of children with CU traits. These findings extended the current research on CU traits and had important implications for early interventions targeted at children with CU traits.

Maternal Overcontrol and Young Children’s Internalizing Problems in China: The Roles of Social Competence and Teacher-Child Conflict

ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of social competence and the moderating role of teacher-child conflict in the relation between maternal overcontrol and Chinese preschooler’s internalizing problems. Participants were 216 children aged 3–4 years, from two kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Mothers completed the observation of mother-child interaction task. Teachers completed the assessment of children’s social competence, internalizing problems, and teacher-child conflict. Result of mediation showed that maternal overcontrol indirectly predicted child internalizing problems through its negative association with child social competence. Moderated mediation results show that teacher – child conflict moderated the relation between maternal overcontrol and child social competence. Moreover, lower levels of teacher-student conflict can buffer the negative impact of maternal overcontrol on child social competence, and thus reduce children’s internalizing problems. Practice or Policy: Maternal overcontrol as a negative parenting is related to children’s maladjustment in current China. Reducing teacher-child conflict might alleviate the negative effects of maternal overcontrol on child social adjustment.

School-Based Relationships Among Children with or at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

We investigated the influence of a teacher’s perceived emotional state (e.g., feeling emotionally exhausted; feeling accomplished) on the association between parent-teacher relationships and teacher-child conflict among young children. We used pretest data from a pilot study examining the efficacy of a socio-emotional learning intervention for children with or at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD). Twenty-six teachers and 45 children (Mean age= 7.46 years; SD = 1.21) participated in the intervention. Teachers rated their relationships with children and their parents using the Parent-Teacher Relationship Scale and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale. Multilevel models showed that teachers with a higher sense of personal accomplishment evidenced a negative association between parent-teacher relationships and teacher-child conflict. However, for teachers who felt emotionally exhausted or those who had a lower sense of personal achievement, the association between parent-teacher relationships and teacher-child conflict either remained unchanged or was positive. We conclude by discussing findings in relation to the importance of increasing teacher efficacy, reducing teacher burnout, and strengthening parent-teacher relationships in schools to improve teacher-child relationships and children’s psychosocial outcomes.

Reciprocal Relations Between Conflicted Student-teacher Relationship and Children’s Behavior Problems: Within-person Analyses from Norway and the USA

Current evidence suggests that conflicted student-teacher relationships may increase behavior problems in children and vice-versa, but this may be due to confounding. We therefore analyzed their relation applying a within-person approach that adjusts for all time-invariant confounding effects, involving samples from Norway (n = 964, 50.9% females) and the USA (n = 1,150, 48.3% females) followed from age 4–12 years with similar measures. Increased parent-reported behavior problems forecasted increased student-teacher conflict to a similar extent in both countries (β = 0.07, p = .010), whereas teacher-reported behavior problems predicted increased student-teacher conflict more strongly in Norway (β = 0.14, p = .001) than in the US (β = 0.08, p = .050). Increased teacher-child conflict also predicted increased parent-reported (β = 0.07, p = .010), but not teacher-reported, behavior problems in both countries. Findings underscore the reciprocal relation between behavior problems and a conflictual student-teacher relationship.

Preschool children's negative affect and social skills in China: The moderating effect of the teacher-child relationship.

Negative affect is an important temperament in children, influencing their social skills. However, the evidence for this association in preschool children is limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms that explain the relationship between preschool children’s negative affect and social skills remain less understood. Thus, the primary goal of this study was to examine the moderating role of the teacher–child relationship in the associations between negative affect and social skills of Chinese preschoolers. A sample of 198 preschool children (Mage = 58.64 ± 3.83 months, 53% boys), recruited from 13 classes in two public kindergartens in Shanghai, China, participated in this 1-year longitudinal study. The mothers reported children’s negative affect, while the teachers reported children’s social skills and the teacher–child relationship. Results of a series of moderating effect analyses showed that (1) T1 negative affect could significantly negatively predict T2 social skills (cooperation, self-control, and assertion), and (2) the associations between negative affect and social skills were moderated by the teacher–child relationship (including teacher–child closeness and conflict). Specifically, a high level of teacher–child closeness buffered the prediction of negative affect on social skills, while a high level of teacher–child conflict aggravated the said prediction. The findings highlight the importance of the teacher–child relationship in the development of children’s social skills during preschool age when they have a high level of negative affect. This has important implications for the development of interventions to improve teacher–child relationships and children’s social skills.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teacher Delivered Interventions for Externalizing Behaviors

This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the effectiveness of teacher interventions supporting children with externalizing behaviors based on teacher and child outcomes. A systematic search was conducted using 5 electronic databases. From 5714 papers, 31 papers that included interventions delivered directly to teachers and aimed to benefit either teachers and/or children with externalizing behaviors were included. The review focused on qualified teachers working with children aged 2–13. The results of the current meta-analysis revealed a positive effect of teacher intervention on teacher and child outcomes, including the increased use of teacher-appropriate strategies, as well as significant and moderate improvements in teacher–child closeness, and small reductions in teacher–child conflict. For child outcomes, the interventions reduced externalizing behavior problems and ADHD symptoms and enhanced prosocial behavior. Only one fully blinded analysis for conduct problems was possible and revealed a moderate but significant reduction in favor of intervention. These findings provide evidence to support the role of teacher interventions for both teachers and children with externalizing behaviors. Future research should include more PBLIND measurements so that MPROX findings can be confirmed. More research should be done to evaluate the influence of teacher interventions on teachers’ well-being.

The Teachers’ Role in Behavioral Problems of Pupils With EBD in Special Education: Teacher–Child Relationships Versus Structure

This longitudinal study examined bidirectional associations between special education pupils’ teacher–child relationship characteristics (quality, satisfaction, and conflict), classroom structure, and behavioral problems (externalizing and attention-hyperactivity). A secondary goal was to investigate the extent to which severity of behavioral problems moderated the prospective associations. Participants were 586 pupils (86% boys) in Grades 4 to 6 ( Mage time 1 = 10.82 years, SD = 0.86) from 13 special education schools in the Netherlands and their teachers. Findings indicated that primarily teacher–child conflict was related to increased externalizing problems. More classroom structure was related to decreased attention-hyperactivity problems, but higher teacher–child relationship quality was linked to increases in attention-hyperactivity problems. Moreover, both types of problems were related to increases in conflict. Severity of behavior problems did not moderate these associations. Although findings were not consistent in both school years, they suggested that particularly reducing conflict and instilling more classroom structure were the most effective strategies in reducing behavioral problems. Furthermore, disrupting negative transactional associations between conflict and externalizing behavior is important to reduce externalizing behavior.

Association between children’s temperament and learning behaviors: contribution of relationships with parents and teachers

The present study is an investigation of the contributions of child temperament (persistence and reactivity), parent-child (closeness and conflict), and teacher-child relationship (closeness and conflict), to pre-school children's learning behaviours with a focus on the moderating role of these relationships between child temperament and learning behaviours. Participants were 140 children (59 girls) aged 39 to 77 months (M = 62.57, SD = 8.53). Child temperament and parent-child relationships were reported by parents. Teacher-child relationships and learning behaviours were reported by teachers. Results from regression analyses accounting for the nesting structure of the data showed that reactivity, parent-child conflict, and teacher-child conflict were negatively, and persistence and teacher-child closeness were positively related to children’s learning behaviours. In addition, when the parent-child conflict was at average or high levels, children with higher reactivity displayed lower levels of learning behaviours. The findings highlight that both temperament and relationships with parents and teachers are important for children’s learning behaviours.

Moderating Effects of Teacher–Child Relationship on the Association Between Unsociability and Play Behaviors

The present study aimed to examine the moderating role of the quality of the relationship between children and their teachers (i.e., closeness and conflict), in children’s unsociability and play behaviors (i.e., reticent behavior, social play). Participants were 211 three- to six-year-old children (M = 64.08 months, SD = 10.92, 94 girls, 117 boys). Mothers reported their unsociability; teachers reported teacher–child relationships and children’s play behaviors. Results showed that close teacher–child relationships moderated the association between unsociability and social play in children (buffering effect). Teacher–child conflict exacerbated the relations between unsociability and reticent behavior. Findings show that teacher–child closeness is effective in revealing social play behaviors of unsociable children. Teachers can improve their relationship with unsociable children to provide nurturing social play behavior.