Reciprocal Associations Between the Teacher-Child Relationship and Child Social-Emotional Outcomes in Ethnically Diverse and Economically Disadvantaged Preschool Settings

INTRODUCTION: Disparities in health and achievement are greater for ethnic minority, socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2004; Smedley et al., 2003). There is a growing evidence base that supportive teacher-child relationships are associated with positive socioemotional outcomes for children (Hamre & Pianta, 2005), including those at risk for poorer outcomes due to their racial/ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic status (Burchinal et al., 2002) or for those with insecure attachments at home (Mitchell-Copeland et al., 1997). Conversely, conflictual teacher-child relationships are associated with externalizing behaviors and poor classroom adjustment (Baker, 2006; Pianta et al., 1995). Research also suggests that the reverse is true; children’s behaviors also predict the quality of teacher-child relationships (Zhang & Sun, 2011). While there is an abundance of research on associations between the teacher-child relationship and child outcomes in school-aged children of diverse ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Baker, 2006; Howes et al, 2007; Silva et al, 2011), this is one of the first studies to focus on these associations in a low-income, ethnically diverse population of preschoolers.

METHOD: Preschool teachers (N = 229) were interviewed by staff members during the beginning and end of the preschool year. Teachers provided information about children (N = 2152) in their classrooms, including demographics, social functioning via the Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliott, 1990), and behavioral functioning via the IOWA Conners Teacher Rating Scale (Loney & Milich, 1982) and the Types of Aggression measure (Willoughby, Kupersmidt, & Bryant, 2001). Teachers also provided demographic information about themselves. Teacher interaction style was observed and measured using the Caregiver Interaction Scale (Arnett, 1989).

RESULTS: Preliminary analyses not accounting for the nested data structure suggest that a positive teacher-child relationship in the fall was positively correlated with measures of cooperation, r(115) = .208, p < .05, and self-control, r(115) = .193, p < .05, and was negatively correlated with inattention/overactivity, r(116) = -.195, p < .05, and disruptive behavior, r(116) = -.205, p < .05, in the spring. Teacher harshness in the fall was negatively correlated with cooperation, r(115) = -.271, p < .01, and total social skills, r(115) = -.218, p < .05, in the spring. Fall measures of child covert aggression were positively related to harshness in the teacher-child relationship in the spring, r(117) = .265, p < .01.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that relationships established early in the school year affect functioning later in the same school year. Additionally, behaviors exhibited by students early in the year appear to influence these relationships later in the year. Having a better understanding of this reciprocal relationship will inform interventions as well as professional development. The next step of this research is to develop and evaluate interventions intended to leverage the positive teacher-child relationship as a protective factor, especially for children at risk for poorer outcomes due to socioeconomic disadvantage or ethnic minority status.