Teacher characteristics, social classroom relationships, and children's social, emotional, and behavioral classroom adjustment in special education

Gendered pathways to socioemotional competencies in very young children

Parent-child and teacher-child relationship closeness have been shown to be crucial for children's development of socioemotional competencies from preschool to school-age stages. However, less is known about the importance of developing close relationships with young infants and toddlers attending childcare group settings for their early socioemotional development. The current study aimed to address this gap and to explore how child gender may influence the associations. Participants included 378 Hong Kong Chinese children (196 girls; Mage = 22.05 months, SD = 9.81 months) enrolled in childcare centres, along with their parents and teachers. Parents reported on children's socioemotional competencies as well as their relationship closeness with children; teachers reported on their relationship closeness with children. Multiple group structural equation modelling was used to analyse the results. The findings showed that both parent-child and teacher-child closeness were positively associated with children's social competence, while teacher-child closeness was negatively associated with children's anxiety behaviour. Parents of girls reported greater parent-child closeness, higher levels of social competence, and higher levels of anxiety behaviours compared to parents of boys. Furthermore, teacher-child closeness was significantly associated with social competence exclusively among girls, while parent-child closeness was significantly associated with anxiety behaviours solely among boys. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of child gender in influencing the associations between parent-child closeness, teacher-child closeness, and children's socioemotional competencies in the earliest years.

Reciprocal Associations among Social-Emotional Competence, Interpersonal Relationships and Academic Achievements in Primary School

The study aimed to examine the reciprocal associations among social-emotional competence (SEC), interpersonal relationships (including teacher-student relationships and peer relationships) and academic achievements in reading, mathematics and science of primary school students. The Chinese versions of the Delaware Social and Emotional Competency Scale, Teacher-student Relationship Scale, Peer-nomination method and Academic Achievement Tests were used to measure students' SEC, teacher-student relationships, peer relationships (including social preference (SP) and social impact (SI)) and academic achievements, respectively. In total, 3995 fourth-grade students participated in the first survey, and 2789 of them were tracked in the follow-up survey two years later. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the cross-lagged relationships among the variables across time. The results showed the reciprocal associations between SEC with academic achievements and teacher-student relationships, as well as between academic achievements with SP and teacher-student relationships. Moreover, variations in these reciprocal associations were observed across the subjects of reading, mathematics and science. In summary, this study offers new insights for enhancing students' SEC, interpersonal relationships and academic achievements, and implications for future subject-specific education can be derived by considering the complex interplay in the subjects of reading, mathematics and science.

Peer effects of depression between left-behind and non-left-behind children: quasi-experimental evidence from rural China

PURPOSE

The aim of the study is to investigate the interactive influence of depression on left-behind (LB) and non-left-behind (NLB) children from the perspective of peer effects. The roles of teachers, parents, and friends are also explored.

METHODS

Data on 1817 children, 1817 parents, and 55 teachers were obtained from a field survey in December 2021. All students in the sample were randomly assigned to classrooms. A peer effect model and OLS methods were used to estimate the peer influence of depression. Robustness tests were conducted by randomly removing schools from the sample.

RESULTS

Depression was contagious among different groups of rural children, and the peer effect of the NLB children's depression played a dominant role. Both LB and NLB children were more affected by their NLB classmates' depression. LB children were not significantly affected by depression in other LB children. This conclusion remains robust after robustness testing. In addition, heterogeneity analysis showed that outgoing and cheerful teachers, effective parent-child communication and high-quality friendship all alleviated peer influence on depression.

CONCLUSIONS

LB children have more severe depression than NLB children, but LB children are more affected by depression in their NLB peers. Policymakers should train teachers to engage in positive communication with students to improve mental health in children. In addition, this article recommends that children move and live with their parents when family conditions permit.

The association between parenting styles, maternal self-efficacy, and social and emotional adjustment among Arab preschool children

Parenting styles and parental self-efficacy are major factors that affect the overall adjustment of children. The current study examined parenting styles and maternal self-efficacy and their association with social-emotional adjustment among Arab preschool children living in Israel. Parenting Styles Questionnaire, Maternal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and Adjustment Questionnaire were administered to 420 Arabic-speaking mothers of 3- to 4-year-old children. After employing multiple regression analyses, the results indicated that parenting styles and the overall adjustment of children were significantly correlated. More precisely, a significant association between authoritative parenting style and higher levels of social-emotional adjustment among preschool children was found. Furthermore, maternal self-efficacy was significantly correlated to the overall adjustment of children. In this regard, higher maternal self-efficacy is associated with increased social-emotional adjustment among preschool children. The findings of our study show the applicability of these constructs found relevant across numerous cultures in a unique sample of Arab children living in Israel. Lastly, this study supports intervention programs that promote authoritative parenting style and parental self-efficacy in Arab communities.

Predicting implementation of the PAX Good Behavior Game + MyTeachingPartner interventions

Introduction

Effective classroom management is critical to creating a classroom environment in which social, emotional, and academic learning can take place. The present study investigated the association between early career, early elementary teachers' occupational health (job stress, burnout, and perceived teaching ability) and perceptions of program feasibility in relation to their implementation dosage and quality of two evidence-based classroom management programs implemented together: the PAX Good Behavior Game (GBG) and MyTeachingPartner (MTP) intervention.

Methods

Teachers provided information on their occupational health at the start of the school year and were then randomized to the PAX GBG + MTP condition or control condition. Teachers' perceptions of the feasibility of the program, implementation dosage, and implementation quality of the intervention were measured at the end of the school year for the 94 intervention teachers.

Results

Teachers participated in more MTP coaching cycles when they reported that the combined PAX GBG + MTP program was feasible. Although there were no main effects of occupational health on implementation, the associations between job stress and implementation quality were moderated by perceptions of feasibility.

Discussion

Findings highlight the complexity of factors influencing the implementation of evidence-based programs in school settings.

Teachers' Knowledge and Attitudes toward Sustainable Inclusive Education for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

With the growing number of students diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs), there is a need to understand how teachers perceive those students. A mixed-method research design was used to determine whether there was a relationship between the level of general education teachers' knowledge of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) and their attitudes toward students with EBDs. The participants in the study were 782 certified elementary regular education teachers. Quantitative data were collected using two questionnaires, the Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Questionnaire (KEBDQ) and the General Educators' Attitudes toward Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Questionnaire (GEAEBDQ). Descriptive analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. The results of the quantitative data indicated that the teachers' responses reflected both negative attitudes toward students with EBDs and poor knowledge of EBDs. A significant correlation was found between teachers' level of knowledge and their attitudes toward students with EBDs. Qualitative data gathered from the interviews were analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. The qualitative findings are in line with the quantitative results. Implementation of professional development training to support general education teachers to acquire knowledge of EBDs may improve teachers' perceptions of students with EBDs.

The potential moderating role of living in a conflict area on the link between classroom psychosocial stressors, perceived stress and change in anxiety symptoms in Israeli school children

Background

Perceived stress associated with relational victimization from peers and conflictual relations with the teacher have been linked with the development of anxiety symptoms in children. Living in conditions of ongoing stress from the broader environment has also been related to anxiety symptoms in children. In this study, we examined (a) the indirect effect between classroom psychosocial stressors (i.e., relational victimization and conflictual relationships with teachers), perceived stress and anxiety symptom development, and (b) whether this indirect effect was stronger for children living in a high threat region than for children living in a lower threat region.

Methods

Children participating in the study attended elementary school either in a high threat of armed conflict region (15 s to hide in bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 220) or in a lower threat of armed conflict region (60 s to hide in a bomb shelter when alarm sounds, n = 188) in Israel. Children were first assessed on conflictual relationships with teachers and peers, subjectively perceived stress and anxiety in 2017 (T 0; M age = 10.61 years, SD = 0.78; 45% boys) and re-assessed (T 1) 1 year later, in 2018.

Results

Perceived stress mediated the association between classroom psychosocial stressors and anxiety development. No moderation by threat-region was found in this indirect effect. However, the association between perceived stress and anxiety development was only significant for children in the high threat region.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that threat of war conflict amplifies the association between perceived stress and the development of anxiety symptoms.

The Associations of Affection and Rejection During Adolescence with Interpersonal Functioning in Young Adulthood: A Macro- and Micro- Level Investigation Using the TRAILS TRANS-ID Study

Affection and rejection in close relationships during adolescence are thought to impact adult interpersonal functioning, but few studies focused on how the quality of adolescents' relationships with different people (e.g. parents, peers, and teachers) impacts the daily, micro-level social experiences as well as general, macro-level interpersonal functioning in young adulthood. The present study investigated the associations between: (i) parental, teacher and peer affection and rejection during adolescence and macro-level (over several months) interpersonal functioning as well as different patterns (i.e. mean, variability and inertia) of micro-level (daily social experiences) during young adulthood; (ii) macro-level interpersonal functioning and the patterns of micro-level social experiences during young adulthood. The sample consisted of N = 122 (43% female) youth. At 11.2 ± 0.4 and 16.0 ± 0.6 years old, self- and other-reported parental, peer and teacher affection and rejection were assessed. At 23.7 ± 0.6 years old, participants reported daily social experiences and interpersonal functioning across six months. The results suggested that: (i) higher teacher-reported peer rejection was associated with lower macro-level interpersonal functioning, higher means and higher variability in negative social experiences during adulthood; (ii) higher macro-level interpersonal functioning during young adulthood was associated with higher means and lower inertia in positive and lower variability in negative daily social experiences. These findings indicate that the affection and rejection during adolescence impact interpersonal functioning at macro- and micro-level during adulthood. The present study also shows distinct associations between macro-level interpersonal functioning and dynamics in daily social experiences.

Newly Qualified Teachers’ Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Testing a Social Support Intervention Through Design-Based Research

Around the world, newly qualified teachers are leaving the profession after only a short time working at school. This not only has a negative effect on the capacities of the respective education systems, but also for the teachers themselves, as it often due to factors such as stress and burnout that leads to this decision. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation by adding to the teachers’ workload, uncertainty, and stress. Previous research has investigated strategies that may help teachers improve their well-being and, among other factors, found social support to be an important condition. In this mixed methods design-based research study, we developed a design to enhance social support among newly qualified teachers in their first months working at school. Our quantitative and qualitative results show that the design has positive effects on many aspects of teachers’ well-being in the intervention group both longitudinally (before and after the intervention) and when compared to a comparison group. The findings are being discussed considering the recent changes in the working conditions of teachers as imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Dilemma of Inclusive Education: Inclusion for Some or Inclusion for All

In this paper, we intend to consider different understandings of inclusive education that frame current public and professional debates as well as policies and practices. We analyze two - somewhat opposing - discourses regarding inclusive education, namely, the "inclusion for some" - which represents the idea that children with special needs have a right to the highest quality education which can be delivered by specially trained staff, and the "inclusion for all" - which represents the idea that all children regarding their diverse needs should have the opportunity to learn together. To put the two discourses in a dialogical relation, we have reconstructed the inferential configurations of the arguments of each narrative to identify how the two definitions contribute to position children with and without special needs and their teachers. The results show the possibilities to bridge the two narratives, with respect to the voices they promote or silence, the power relations they constitute, and the values and practices they enact or prevent.

Student-teacher relationships of children with autism spectrum disorder: Distinct contributions of language domains

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

High quality student-teacher relationships (STR) are important for children's academic and social development. We explore how individual child language domains (semantics, syntax, pragmatics), teacher years of experience, and classroom placement (general or special education) relate to STR quality for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across the school year.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

191 children with ASD (Mage = 5.6 years) completed a standardized language assessment and their teachers reported on STR quality twice during the school year.

OUTCOME AND RESULTS

Pragmatics, but not semantics or syntax, had a direct effect on student-teacher closeness. The association between semantics and closeness was moderated by classroom type; for students with low semantics, teacher-reported closeness was lower in general versus special education. Teachers in special versus general education classrooms reported closer relationships. More experienced teachers reported closer and less conflictual relationships. None of the three language domains were associated with student-teacher conflict.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Pragmatic and semantic language skills were associated with closer relationships. Language-focused therapies may be effective in carrying over to impact STR quality. Given the stability in relationship quality, targeted interventions should be delivered to teachers at the beginning of the school year to support positive relationship development.

Student Perceptions of Secondary Education Teaching Effectiveness: General Profile, the Role of Personal Factors, and Educational Level

The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of teaching behavior. Additionally the aim was to examine if teacher characteristics (educational level, gender, and teaching experience) could explain differences in student perceptions of their teachers. Teaching behavior was studied from the research on teaching and teacher effectiveness perspective. Secondary students (N = 7,114), taught by 410 teachers in Spain, participated in the study. Survey data were analyzed using non-parametric tests, Kruskal-Wallis, U Mann-Whitney with Bonferroni correction, and the analysis of effect sizes. Furthermore, a regression model was applied. Results showed that teaching behavior was perceived as sufficient to good, depending on the teaching behavior domain. Results indicated interesting differences between lower secondary education, upper secondary education and vocational education and training teachers. The effect size values (r U statistic) ranged between 0.43 and 0.63, highlighting the significant effect of teachers' teaching experience on the six teaching skills domains: learning climate, efficient classroom management, clarity of instruction, activating teaching, differentiation, and teaching learning strategies. Those teachers with less teaching experience were the ones who showed higher scores. Findings from the regression model showed that educational level had a significant predictive effect on the six teaching skills domains, mainly for male teachers. However, in several domains female teachers were perceived by students to outperform their male counterparts.

Multilevel analysis of personality, family, and classroom influences on emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescent students

Background

The classroom environment plays a potentially important role in shaping the emotions and behavior of adolescents. However, few studies have focused on this factor. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the classroom environment and emotional and behavioral problems among Chinese adolescents while also considering personality-and family-related factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in November and December, 2009. A set of questionnaires, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), the Family Environment Scale (FES), the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies- Depression Scale (CES-D), were distributed to participants. A total of 5,433 Chinese adolescent students (aged 9–18) and 244 classroom teachers in Liaoning Province were ultimately included in the study. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to explore the factors associated with emotional and behavioral problems.

Results

Multilevel analyses revealed that adolescent emotional and behavioral problems significantly varied among classrooms. Although personality and family characteristics exerted the greatest influence on adolescents’ emotions and behavior at the individual-level, interactions between classroom teachers and students increasingly affected adolescents with respect to age at the class-level. A mild positive association was found between adolescents’ mental health problems and the mental health of teachers.

Conclusion

This study focused on the classroom environment in order to understand Chinese adolescent mental health problems, the findings of which highlight important implications for policymakers and educators. The results underscore the importance of establishing a comfortable classroom climate by improving teacher-student interactions and meeting specific needs at different school stages, thus promoting a climate of positive mental health among Chinese adolescents.

Child temperament and teacher relationship interactively predict cortisol expression: The prism of classroom climate

Entry into kindergarten is a developmental milestone that children may differentially experience as stressful, with implications for variability in neurobiological functioning. Guided by the goodness-of-fit framework, this study tested the hypothesis that kindergarten children's (N = 338) daily cortisol would be affected by the "match" or "mismatch" between children's temperament and qualities of the classroom relational context. The robustness of these associations was also explored among a separate sample of children in third grade (N = 165). Results among kindergarten children showed negative affectivity and overcontrolled temperament were positively related to cortisol expression within classrooms characterized by lower levels of teacher motivational support, but there was no relation between temperament and cortisol when motivational support was higher. Among third-grade children, negative affectivity was marginally positively related to cortisol at lower levels of teacher-child closeness and unrelated at higher levels of teacher-child closeness. Findings suggest children's cortisol expression depends on the extent to which specific temperamental characteristics "fit" within the relational and contextual qualities of the classroom environment, particularly as children navigate the new roles and relationships that emerge during the transition to formal schooling. Developmentally informed neurobiological research in classrooms may contribute to tailored programmatic efforts to support children's school adjustment.

Assessing Classroom Climate in Special Education: A Validation Study of the Special Education Classroom Climate Inventory

This study examined the internal structure, convergent validity, and reliability of the student self-report Special Education Classroom Climate Inventory (SECCI) in a sample of 325 students attending special education classes in six (semi) secure residential settings and in two youth prisons in the Netherlands. Both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) provided evidence of a theoretically based four-factor model—with Teacher Support, Positive Student Affiliation, Negative Student Interactions, and Unstructured Classroom Environment as dimensions—showing an adequate fit to the data, providing preliminary support for validity of the SECCI. Limited evidence for convergent validity was found in significant but small associations between classroom climate and academic self-concept. Ordinal Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients were good for all factors. The SECCI might be used to assess and subsequently target (problematic) classroom climate in schools for special education for students in (secure) residential youth care and youth prisons, although further development of the SECCI and replication of our study results seem necessary.

The combined effects of teacher-child and peer relationships on children's social-emotional adjustment

Teachers and peers represent two important dimensions of the classroom social ecology that have important implications for children's social-emotional adjustment. This study examined the combined effects of teacher-child relationships (TCR) and peer relationships for 6-7year-old children on their social-emotional adjustment at 8-9years. The sample was comprised of children and their teachers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (n=2857). Teachers reported on TCR, peer relationships, and children's emotional well-being, and children provided self-reported self-concept and school liking during a face-to-face interview. The analytic approach extends previous research by modeling TCR and peer relationships in combination, using cluster analysis to understand the nature of 6-7year-old children's social relationships in the classroom. Five distinct profiles of children were identified: adaptive, teacher-oriented, teacher-child conflict prominent, non-adaptive, and invisible. The adaptive profile had the best outcomes on all three aspects of social-emotional adjustment at age 8-9; the non-adaptive profile had the poorest outcomes, and the invisible group was mid-range. The teacher-oriented and teacher-child conflict prominent groups had mixed outcomes for social-emotional adjustment. Implications for school psychologists and teachers are discussed.