Poster #85 - The Association Between Teacher-Family Relationship Quality and Children’s Developmental Skills

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Understanding and supporting strong positive relationships between teachers and families for children living in poverty has become even more critical during this time of rapid expansion of early childhood programs. Researchers documents the positive role of teacher-family relationship quality in children’s language and social emotional developmental skills during early childhood (Fantuzzo, McWayne, Perry, 2004; Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, Cox &, Bradley, 2003; Mendez, 2010; Powell, Son, File, & San Juan, 2010). Higher teacher-family relationship quality is also associated with higher social emotional skills such as social competence (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, Cox & Bradley, 2003; Elicker, Wen, Kwon, Sprague, 2013; Mendez, 2010; Roggman, Boyce, Cook, 2009; Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010). Conversely, there is a negative association between teacher-family relationship quality and children’s problem behavior (Powell, Son, File, & San Juan, 2010; Sheridan, Knoche, Edwards, Bovaird, & Kupzyk, 2010). Although it is a recently emerging field of study, the current research suggests that children benefit from strong positive relationships between their teachers and families. To date, most of the research examines this relationship within preschool samples, with little attention to younger children. Additionally, most findings have examined either the teacher’s or the family’s perspective of the relationship rather than examining both perspectives. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between family-teacher relationship quality (teachers and families) and toddler’s developmental skills (social-emotional skills and language skills).

Participants include 152 ethnically diverse Early Head Start children and families across 9 centers and 19 classrooms. Children’s ages ranged from 13-43 months (M= 29.24, SD= 7.69), with 51.6% girls. About 43% of children identified as a Black and 39% identified as Latino. Primary caregivers ages ranged from 20 to 60 years (M= 32.18, SD= 32.0), with 88.7% females. Teachers (n=39) ranged in age from 25-65 years old (M= 41.62, SD= 11.28), with 100% females.

At the end of the school year, teacher and families reported on their relationship quality using the teacher-version and family-version of Family Provider/Teacher Relationship Quality (Kim et al., 2015) questionnaires. Children’s social emotional development (social competence and behavior problems) in the classroom and home was captured using the Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. We also directly assessed children’s language skills using the Preschool Language Scale-Fifth Edition, which has a receptive and expressive language skills subscales.

Preliminary correlation findings document a positive association between teacher-reported relationship quality and children’s social competence in the classroom. Family-reported relationship quality was positively associated with children’s social competence in the classroom and at home as well children’s receptive language skills. We conducted regression models to examine family-reported relationship quality as a predictor of children’s developmental skills. Family-reported relationship quality significantly predicted children’s behavior problems in the home and children’s receptive language skills. This suggested that children whose families perceive a more positive relationship with the teacher have fewer behavior problems at home and higher receptive language skills. This study addresses the need to examine the association between teacher-family relationship quality within toddler classrooms and examine the unique contribution of teachers and families.

Authors

• Johayra Bouza, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Veronica Andrea Fernandez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dorothy Michelle Sanchez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Claudia Perez, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Santiago Garcia, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Rebecca Bulotsky-Shearer, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daryl Greenfield, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author