Preschool Teachers Matter for the Long-Term Social and Academic Development of Children with Externalizing Difficulties

• In Event: New Insights into the Processes at Play in the Adjustment of Young “At Risk” Children

Abstract

Background. Children displaying high levels of externalizing problems (i.e., inattention, aggression, hyperactivity) are at increased risk for a host of adjustment problems, including academic and social difficulties. Although there is evidence that environmental factors may serve to prevent maladaptive development in “at risk” children, less research has examined longitudinally the potentially buffering role of the quality of the relationship with early childhood and education care (ECEC) teachers for the social and academic development of children with externalizing problems.
Methods. Using data from more than 7000 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child study (MoBa), the goal of this prospective study was to explore the potential of teacher-child closeness as a protective factor for the prospective academic and social development of children displaying symptoms of externalizing problems early in childhood. At child age three years, mothers rated their child’s level of externalizing problems. At age five years, kindergarten teachers reported their level of closeness with the target child, and the child’s level of school readiness. At child age eight, schoolteachers rated the child’s level of academic performance and the child’s level of social skills. Analyses were performed using latent moderated mediation analyses within a SEM framework.
Results. Among the results, externalizing problems at age three was related to less school readiness and less closeness with teachers at age five and with lower levels of academic achievement and social skills at age eight. However, at higher levels of child-teacher closeness, children with higher externalizing problems displayed higher levels of school readiness whereas displaying lower levels of school readiness at lower levels of child-teacher closeness. Further, moderated mediation analyses showed that the long-term indirect effect from externalizing problems to lower academic performance and social skills through poor school readiness decreased with increasing levels of teacher-child closeness.
Conclusion. Our findings suggest that a warm and close relationship with teachers, has the potential to improve the academic and social development of children with higher levels of externalizing problems who otherwise tend to display poor academic and social skills.

Authors

• Silje Baardstu, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  Presenting Author

• Mari Vaage Wang, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ragnhild Eek Brandlistuen, Norwegian Institute of Public Health
  Non-Presenting Author