Search

This study applies multi-level analysis to student reports of effective teacher-student interactions in 50 upper elementary school classrooms (N = 594 fourth- and fifth-grade students). Observational studies suggest that teacher-student interactions fall into three domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. Results of multi-level confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a three-factor model fits between- and within-classroom variability in students' reports reasonably well. Multi-level regressions provide some evidence of criterion validity, with student reports at the classroom level related to parallel observations. Both classroom- and student-level student report data were associated with students' reading proficiency and disciplinary referrals. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for future research on student reports of classroom interactions and their practical utility in teacher evaluation and feedback systems.

The quality of classroom interactions has typically been studied using aggregates of ratings over time. However, within-day ratings may contain important variability. This study investigated within-day variability using the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development's observational data during grades 3 and 5. The first question examined the stability of classroom interaction quality within a day, and the second question examined the extent to which time of day, activity setting, numbers of adults and children, and instructional grouping predicted the quality of classroom interactions within a day. Results indicated that classroom interactions were most stable within emotional support dimensions and least stable within instructional support dimensions. Results also indicated that the start of the day and transitions were associated with lower-quality classroom interactions. Academic activities, more teachers, fewer students, and group instruction were associated with higher quality. Implications are discussed in terms of understanding students' experiences and conducting classroom observations. (Contains 1 figure, 5 tables, and 1 note.)

In the present study, we present analyzed profiles of observed classroom experiences in terms of emotional and instructional dimensions of quality. Over 800 first-grade classrooms across the United States were included, selected by virtue of having a student participating in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development enrolled in the classroom. Our aim was to present a typology of first grades. We examined correlates of classroom profiles in terms of teacher (years of experience, education, and beliefs), child (gender, ethnicity, family socioeconomic status, maternal education, and preschool achievement), and school (public vs. private, class size, presence of teachers' assistants) characteristics. Data were collected via teacher and parent questionnaires, classroom observations conducted by trained data collectors using the Classroom Observation System for First Grade, and individually administered child assessments (Woodcock Johnson Psycho-educational Battery Revised Tests of Cognitive Ability and Tests of Achievement). Findings indicated discernible, replicable types of first-grade classrooms (descriptively titled high quality, mediocre quality, low quality, and positive emotional climate/lower academic demand) that demonstrated different levels of emotional and instructional support and were related to several of the characteristics of children, families, teachers, and schools listed above. Of note, characteristics such as teachers' years of experience and class size were not differentially related to the four classroom types. (Contains 7 tables and 1 note.)

In this study we examined the relation between children's social competence and their first-grade classroom environment. Drawing from data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we used cluster analysis to identify 4 types of typical classrooms based on observed classroom emotional and instructional supports. The 4 types of classrooms were marked by (1) overall high quality of both supports, including high-quality evaluative feedback; (2) high-quality emotional support, and low-quality evaluative feedback; (3) mediocre levels of both supports; and (4) low levels of both supports. Of the children participating in this study, 946 students from 820 classrooms fit the 4-cluster solution and were included in the data analysis. The association between classroom type and social competence (measured by teacher ratings and independent observations of behavior in and out of the classroom) was analyzed, and a moderating effect of the classroom on children displaying indicators of functional risk (attentional, academic, behavioral, and social) was considered. In classrooms marked by high-quality emotional supports and evaluative feedback, children displayed significantly better social competence than children in other classrooms. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

This work examines associations between closeness and conflict in teacher-child relationships and children's social and academic skills in first grade in a sample of 490 children. Assessments of teacher-child relationships were obtained in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Results demonstrate moderate correlations among teachers' ratings of conflict and slightly lower correlations among teachers' ratings of closeness across years. Hierarchical regression analyses predicted children's skills in first grade from teacher-child relationship quality. Child gender, socioeconomic status, and preschool estimates of outcomes of interest were controlled statistically. Although preschool assessments of social and academic skills were closely associated with individual skill differences at first grade, teacher-child relationship quality also was associated with changes in skill levels. Findings generally confirm that teacher-child relationships play a role in children's ability to acquire the skills necessary for success in school.

The article explores the teacher-student relationship and examines ways in which it can be enhanced to the benefits of youth and adults. Teachers are a centrally important yet often overlooked resource in the lives of youth. Teacher-student relationships, when properly harnessed, may emulate mentoring at its best. Schools vary in terms of climate, ethos, values, and generalized expectations regarding the behavior of students and teachers. The climate of an environment influences the confidence of children in their abilities and the belief of teachers in their efficacy. Relationships between children and teachers are marked by variation in both the extent of emotional and interactional involvement and the qualities of the emotional experience of that involvement. Negativity appears to be a particularly salient aspect of teachers' relationship experience, whereas emotional closeness, involvement, and support appear to be the most salient from the students' perspective. Using similar measurements and methods in the study of mentoring could help researchers understand whether these findings are unique to students and teachers or generalize to relationships with other non-parental adults.