Teacher-Child Interaction Quality Moderating the Relationship between Preschool Approaches to Learning and Academic Skills

• In Event: Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Preschool children living in low-income communities are more likely to experience early school challenges, including low academic achievement and school readiness skills, in comparison with their economically advantaged peers (Hindman et al., 2010; Gullo, 2017; Sirin, 2005). Previous research has identified child- and teacher-level factors within early childhood classrooms that promote positive outcomes for low-income children, including children’s approaches to learning and teacher-child interactions (Hamre, 2014 Li-Grining et al., 2010). However, little is known about the role of teacher-child interactions in the relationship between children’s approaches to learning and academic skills. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine two specific research questions: (1) What is the association between approaches to learning and academic skills in Head Start classrooms? (2) Does the quality of teacher-child interactions moderate the relationship between approaches to learning and academic skills?

Participants included 301 preschool children across 53 classrooms enrolled in a large, urban Head Start program in the southeastern United States. The sample included children ranging in age from 35.0 to 66.0 months (M = 47.80, SD = 7.37). Children were 49.2% male and had an ethnic composition of 45.2% African American, 44.5% Hispanic, 6.1% Caucasian, and 4.3% reported another ethnicity. Additionally, approximately 49.2% of primary caregivers reported that they had obtained a high school diploma or higher, and 29.3% reported being single (never married); their mean age was 31.14 years (SD = 7.25). Teachers reported on children’s learning behaviors by completing the Preschool Learning Behavior Scale (PLBS; McDermott et al., 2002). The PLBS comprises competence motivation, attention persistence, and attitude toward learning. The Classroom Assessment Scoring System–Prekindergarten version (CLASS Pre-K; Pianta et al., 2008), an observational measure, was used to assess the quality of interactions between teachers and children within the preschool classroom. Academic skills were assessed through the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III; Woodcock et al., 2001) or Batería III Woodcock–Muñoz (Batería III; Muñoz-Sandoval et al., 2005).

Multilevel models examined the direct and moderating effects of teacher-child interaction quality on the associations between children’s approaches to learning and academic skills. A series of two-level models were estimated separately for each of the three academic outcomes of interest: letter-word identification, picture vocabulary, and applied problems (literacy, language, and mathematics, respectively). Findings showed direct associations between attention persistence and children’s literacy and mathematics skills, as well as between attitude toward learning and literacy skills. Classroom organization quality was positively associated with children’s literacy skills and instructional support was positively related to literacy, language, and math skills, as expected. Cross-level interactions indicated that higher emotional support strengthened the relationship between attitude toward learning and children’s literacy skills. This finding suggests that when children are enrolled in classrooms characterized by respectful, warm, and supportive teacher-child interactions, there are benefits for children’s approaches to learning and academic skills. The present study findings contribute to our understanding of how early childhood programs can support young children’s attitudes toward learning through warm and responsive teacher-child interactions.

Authors

• Jenna Nicole Futterer, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

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