The Characteristics of Teachers and Children’s Socioemotional Outcomes in Colombia

• In Event: Children’s Self-Regulation in the Context of Teacher-Child Relationships in Colombia, Turkey, and the United States

Abstract

The government of Colombia aimed to guarantee quality early childhood education. Although Colombia has made progress in coverage and enhancement of educational infrastructure, there is still work to be done in terms of quality, as many teachers lack competencies. Given the influence of interactions between instructors and infants in early childhood educational settings on child development, it is necessary to have highly qualified teachers to ensure the quality of early childhood education and child outcomes (Burchinal et al., 2010; Early et al., 2007). The purpose of the present study was (1) to characterize the profiles of in-service early childhood education teachers serving children between the ages of four and five across childcare centers in the Colombian Caribbean Region and (2) to identify the teachers' characteristics that are related to the development of children, including self-regulation. The sample of the study consisted of 478 children and their respective teachers (n=31). Teachers reported on their depression using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977), teacher-child relationships quality using Student-Teacher-Child Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001), their self-regulation using Teacher-Self-Regulation Scale (TSRS; Aydın et al. 2009), and child outcomes using Ages and Stages (ASQ-3; Bricker et al., 2003). All the measures have been validated and used in Colombia. A cluster analysis was conducted using the scales regarding teachers’ characteristics such as somatic depression, conflict, emotional control, goal seeking, help-seeking, mastery goal orientation, performance goal orientation, self-evaluation, self-instruction, and self-reaction. Cluster analysis identified four profiles of teachers depending on their characteristics. Further, results from regression analysis showed that these profiles were related to children´s communication skills and teacher-child interactions. Somatic depression was significantly associated with teachers´ self-regulation and teacher-child interaction. The results from the current study highlighted the importance of measuring teachers’ characteristics in the context of early childhood settings. By doing so, future intervention programs targeting child outcomes can be tailored considering teacher characteristics.

Author

• Elsa Lucia Escalante Barrios, Universidad del Norte
  Presenting Author