Poster #21 - Assessing the Quality of Teachers' Perceptions of Parent-Teacher Relationships to Predict Children's Behavioral Outcomes

• In Event: Poster Session 11

Abstract

Teachers who have negative perceptions of the parent-teacher relationship are more likely to form teacher biases and to perceive a child’s behavior as problematic, thus placing them at a greater risk for early childhood expulsion (Zulauf‐McCurdy & Zinsser, 2021). To combat this risk, teachers’ perception of parents and their relationship with parents has long been recognized as an important contributor in enhancing behavioral, social, and academic outcomes (Thompson et al., 2017).

Because a teachers’ perceptions of parent-teacher relationships may adversely impact a child’s development, there is a need to assess the quality of parent-teacher relationships in order to promote positive parental involvement. A study by Herman and Reinke (2017) revealed that teachers’ perceptions of parents are positively associated with children's later academic and social success; however, relatively few studies have evaluated methods that effectively assess teachers’ perception of parents-teacher relationships and its association with challenging behavioral outcomes.

Research Questions and Hypotheses
The current study addresses gaps in the literature by 1) using items from the Child Care Center Work Environment Scale (CWES; Witherell, 2013) to create a scale that assesses parent-teacher relationships and 2) examining associations between the parent-teacher relationship and children’s behavioral outcomes. It was hypothesized that better parent-teacher relationships would positively predict children’s behavioral outcomes.

Methods
Data were obtained from a randomized controlled trial of Ohio’s early childhood mental health consultation services, details of which are summarized in Reyes and Gilliam (2021). Children (n=190, 39% female, 42 Black non-Hispanic, 129 White non-Hispanic, 5 Hispanic, 3 Asian, 11 other) from 52 centers across 24 counties in Ohio between the ages of 3 and 5 years old (M=4.24, SD=0.70) participated. Preschool teachers (n=57, 98% female, 8 Black non-Hispanic, 35 White non-Hispanic, and 14 other) each selected 4 students from their classroom: 2 were recommended based on their challenging behaviors and 2 were randomly selected from the class roster.

Eight items measuring the experiences and opinions of child care professionals and their relationship with parents were selected from the CWES to create a parent-teacher relationship scale (α=.77). The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA; LeBuffe & Naglier, 1999) was used to assess children’s behavioral outcomes. DECA and CWES were collected at baseline. DECA was again collected after a social-emotional intervention (~6 months after baseline).

Results
See Table 1 for descriptives. Regression analyses showed that teacher’s perceptions are positively associated with all children’s behavioral outcomes except for Behavioral Concerns (see Table 2). There is also a significant negative association between teacher’s perceptions of parent-teacher relationships and a child’s risk for expulsion.

Implications for Practice
Given the significance of early childhood behavioral challenges, this study found an association between teacher’s perceptions of the parent-teacher relationship and children’s behavioral outcomes, indicating a need to develop and maintain positive relationships between early childhood educators and parents. Additionally, this study reports on an assessment scale measuring teachers’ perceptions of parent-teacher relationships that could indicate what behaviors can help facilitate children’s behavioral skills in early childhood education programs.

Authors

• Vivian Cheng, Yale University
  Presenting Author

• Brooke M Rumper, Yale University

• Chin R Reyes, Yale School of Medicine