Are Associations between Classroom Quality and Children’s Social-Emotional Development Moderated by Child Marginalization?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Executive Function and Social-Emotional Development in Early Childhood

Abstract

This study explores the associations among child marginalization (i.e., racial minoritization, poverty, and single-parent homes), classroom quality, and SE development in preschool environments. We examined three questions: 1) Was child marginalization linked to classroom quality? 2) what were the associations between classroom quality and children’s SE development? 3) Were these associations different for children from marginalized backgrounds? Our findings indicate that children who are racial minorities or those living in poverty experienced lower classroom quality compared to their White or non-poverty peers. We find a higher average classroom quality was positively associated with children’s emotional knowledge. Additionally, we find that a higher classroom quality was associated with higher executive function for Hispanic and Asian children and problem-solving skills for Hispanic children.

Authors

• Zhiling Meng Shea, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Jiacan He, University of California - Santa Cruz

• Siyuan Chen, College of William & Mary