Student-Teacher Temperament Differentials: Implications for Academic Performance and School Liking in Kindergarten

• In Event: Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: Impact of Early Childhood Teacher-Student Classroom Relationships

Abstract

Children’s temperament characteristics can influence their academic functioning in kindergarten (Keogh, 2003), which can have long-lasting implications for their educational trajectories (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2000). However, as opposed to examining child temperament in isolation, this study tests whether the temperamental dynamic between a student and his/her teacher affects kindergarten functioning by examining the differential between a student’s temperament and his/her teacher’s. Difference scores were computed by subtracting a teacher’s self-reported score (n = 11) from their students’ parent-reported scores (n = 175) on three temperament dimensions: negative affect, effortful control, and surgency. These scores were used to predict school liking and academic achievement. Results supported the general hypothesis that the differential between student and teacher temperament contributes to kindergarten functioning.

Authors

• Larissa Michelle Gaias, Arizona State University

• Jodi Swanson, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Tashia Abry, Arizona State University

• Robert H. Bradley, Arizona State University

• Richard Fabes, Arizona State University - Tempe