Global ETD Search

11	Examining Contributors to Preschoolers’ Classroom Engagement using Structural Equation Modeling Zhao, Hongxia 01 August 2018 (has links) (PDF) The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether and how teacher-child interactions, teacher-child relationships, children’s self-control, parents’ education levels, teachers’ teaching experience and education levels, and classroom physical environment impact children’s engagement levels. Preschoolers from Head Start programs and a university childcare center (N = 135, M = 54.93 months, SD = 7.50) and 15 preschool classroom teachers in East Tennessee participated in the study. Classroom head teachers rated child’s engagement, teacher-child interaction, teacher-child relationships, and children’s self-control using provided questionnaires. The primary researcher assessed the classroom physical environment and determined the reliability for the Children’s Physical Environments Rating Scale (CPERS). The structural equation modeling (SEM) statistical approach was employed to analyze the data. The results showed that the level of preschoolers’ engagement in classroom learning activities was directly associated with their self-control (β = .37, p < .001). Preschoolers’ engagement was not indirectly associated with children’s self-control through teacher-child interaction. The level of engagement of preschoolers in classroom learning activities did not directly associate with teacher-child relationships but was indirectly associated with the teacher-child relationship through children’s self-control (β = .20 , p < .001 ). When separating the two subscales of teacher-child relationship (closeness and conflict), teacher-child closeness was directly associated with children’s engagement level (β = .22, p = .003). In addition, teacher-child conflict was both directly (β = - .17, p = .022) and indirectly associated with child’s engagement level through children’s self-control (β = .26, p < .001). Classroom physical environment did not directly predict the level of engagement of preschoolers, while indirect relationships were found between the classroom physical environment scores and the level of engagement of preschoolers, and the relationship was mediated by children’s self-control (β = .09, p = .050). The study offers implications for teachers as they work on enhancing children’s engagement level in their learning activities. Future research suggested by this study include further exploration of intervention strategies to increase children’s active engagement. Increasing sample size and obtaining reliability of the measures on children’s behaviors would also improve the rigor of the study. Engagement Teacher-Child Interactions Teacher-Child Relationships Children’s Self-Control Classroom Physical Environment Early Childhood Education
12	Workplace Stress and the Quality of Teacher-Child Relationships in Head Start Gooze, Rachel Anne January 2013 (has links) Objective: The quality of the emotional relationship between teachers and young children affects children's social and emotional development and their academic success. Little is known, however, about whether the amount of workplace stress experienced by early childhood educators impacts the quality of their relationships with the young children in their classrooms. The purpose of this dissertation was to determine whether workplace stress was associated with poorer quality teacher-child relationships in Head Start, the nation's largest federally-funded early childhood education program. Methods: Two separate but complementary studies were conducted. In Study 1, teachers from 37 Head Start programs in Pennsylvania (PA) completed the Staff Wellness Survey, an anonymous, web-based survey about workplace stress and the levels of conflict and closeness in their relationships with children in their classrooms. Study 2 data came from an existing federal data set, the 2006 Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES). In FACES, a nationally representative sample of Head Start teachers responded to interview questions about workplace stress and were observed and rated on the quality of their teacher-child relationships in their classrooms. In both studies, the association of poor quality teacher-child relationships was examined with the presence or absence of 3 types of perceived workplace stress: high demands, low control, and low support. Results: In Study 1, surveys were completed by 994 teachers (52.0% of teachers in the 37 PA programs), of whom 19.8% experienced 0 of the 3 types of workplace stress, and 23.3% experienced all 3 types. Teachers experiencing all 3 types of workplace stress were more likely than those experiencing 0 types to report high conflict in their relationships with children, even after controlling for teacher depressive symptoms and economic stressors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-3.29). Only low control was significantly associated with low closeness in teacher-child relationships after adjusting for covariates (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.09-2.05). In Study 2, data were available from 325 teachers (89.0% of teachers participating in FACES), of whom 19.4% experienced none of the 3 types of workplace stress and 38.5% reported experiencing 2 or more types. Teachers experiencing 2 or more types of workplace stress were more likely to have poor quality teacher-child relationships (observed) than teachers reporting 0 types of workplace stress (OR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.22-5.90). Conclusion: In both a large sample of Pennsylvania Head Start teachers and a nationally representative sample of Head Start teachers, higher perceived workplace stress was associated with poorer teacher-child relationship quality. In light of these findings, Head Start should consider more closely examining and addressing workplace stress as part of its professional development and training activities for teachers. / Public Health Public Health Education, Early Childhood Occupational Health Head Start Teacher-child Relationships Workplace Stress
13	An examination of relations among Taiwanese elementary-aged children's effortful control, social relationships, and adjustment at school Huang, Chin-Fang 01 January 2010 (has links) The purpose of the present study was to examine the relations among Taiwanese elementary school children's effortful control, social relationships and their adjustment at school. Data were gathered on 407 third- to sixth-grade children (81 third graders, 79 fourth graders, 116 fifth graders, and 131 sixth graders) attending three low- to middle-class public elementary schools in Taipei County, Taiwan. Participating children as well as their parents, teachers, and peers provided questionnaire and peer sociometric data. Two main research questions were addressed: a) whether there were direct relations among children's effortful control, social relationships, and adjustment at school; b) whether social relationships mediate the relations between children's effortful control and their adjustment at school. Additionally, two alternative models were tested to evaluate the likelihood of other conceptual considerations. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and examine the direct and meditational relations among the study constructs. As expectation, findings of this study provided illuminating evidence for the direct effects of effortful control on children's adjustment at school. Moreover, the role of teacher-child relationships as a mediator in the pathways from effortful control to children's adjustment at school (i.e., social behavior, school attitudes, and academic adjustment) was strongly supported. Consistent with the hypotheses, the meditational effects of peer relationships were also clearly supported in the pathways from effortful control to social behavior as well as school attitudes. However, inconsistent with the hypothesis, there is no evidence of mediating effect of peer relationships by which effortful control contribute to academic adjustment. Finally, to compare with the alternative models, the hypothesized model was ranked as the best fit model to the given data. In general, the current study suggested that children's self-regulatory capabilities (i.e., effortful control) influence their adjustment at school both directly and indirectly through their relationships with teachers and peers. It contributes to the literature of children's school adjustment by examining the effects of both dispositional self-regulation and social relationships. It is also one of the first studies to examine how teacher-child relationships and peer relationships are linked to multiple aspects of children's adjustment at school. For practical implications, it is critical to provide parents, caregivers, and teachers with specific strategies and techniques to support the development of effortful control. The findings of the study also call for a need to develop preventive interventions or training programs focusing on the development of positive classroom relationships. effortful control emotion-related regulation peer relationships school adjustment structural equation modeling teacher-child relationships Educational Psychology
14	Examining Relationships in Head Start: Relations among Risk, Relationships, Child Characteristics, and Social and Academic Outcomes Rudin-Gorelik, Julia Beth January 2010 (has links) Quality teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships may function to protect young high-risk children from developing poor social and academic outcomes. The current study uses Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory to conceptualize the relationships between risk, teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality, and children's social and academic competence. The objectives of the study were to: a)investigate whether teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality moderates the effects of maternal education on children's social and academic competence, and b) examine the associations among child characteristics and teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality. Data were collected from 805 Head Start children, their parents, and their classroom teachers. When controlling for children's gender and age, maternal education significantly predicted children's academic outcomes, and teacher-child and teacher-parent relationship quality significantly predicted children's social and academic competence. When controlling for child gender and age, teacher-child closeness and teacher-child conflict moderated the relationship between maternal education and children's letter naming. Child gender was associated with teacher-child closeness and conflict, and child age was associated with teacher-parent relationship quality. Overall, the findings suggest that teacher-child relationship quality may function as both a risk and a protective factor in the development of young high-risk children's outcomes. The results have important implications for research, policy, and practice in promoting school readiness in Head Start children. / School Psychology Education, Educational Psychology Education, Early Childhood Psychology, Developmental Early Childhood Head Start Resilience Risk Teacher-child Relationships Teacher-parent Relationships
15	Warriors and Worriers : Development, Protective and Exacerbating Factors in Children with Behavior Problems. A Study Across the First Six Years of School Henricsson, Lisbeth January 2006 (has links) <p>Various aspects of elementary school children's behavior problems were investigated in four studies. In Study I, teachers’ perceived low control over the classroom situation and a custodial teacher orientation were associated with teachers' (n = 86) preferences for authoritarian strategies (e.g., firm commands) in handling externalizing child behavior problems. Further, perceived high control and a humanistic teacher orientation were associated with non-authoritarian strategies (e.g., reasoning with students). In Study II, the aim was to investigate prospectively teacher-child interactions and teacher-child perceptions of the relationship between children with externalizing (n=26) and internalizing (n=25) behavior problems and unproblematic children (n=44) in the first grade. Children with behavior problems had a higher frequency of negative teacher relationships than unproblematic children. Observed conflictual children-teacher interactions contributed to negative teacher relationships independent of problem status. The moderating effects of social competence were small. In Study III, the principal aim was to investigate whether the children’s social competence, relationships with teachers and behavior with peers functioned as protective or exacerbating factors regarding the adaptation of children with behavior problems. Children with externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, in comparison with unproblematic children, were lower in social competence, school achievement and peer acceptance in sixth grade. There were moderating and independent effects of social competence and teacher and peer relationships on outcomes, but these were mainly restricted to those children with internalizing problems. The primary aim of Study IV was to investigate the social and school adjustment of six-grade children experiencing feelings of loneliness and low peer acceptance. Totally, 808 children participated, and 323 of these children had been followed from grade 1 to grade 6. The results indicated that loneliness was most strongly predicted by early internalizing problems, whereas poor acceptance was predicted by early externalizing problems and poor social competence. Associations between loneliness and low peer acceptance and other adjustment difficulties were also observed. In conclusion, children with behavior problems risk negative relationships as well as other adjustment problems. Early interventions are important in strengthening the protective factors.</p> Psychology Externalizing behavior problems Internalizing behavior problems Social competence Self-esteem Teacher-child relationships Peer relationships School achievement Loneliness Teacher strategies Psykologi
16	Warriors and Worriers : Development, Protective and Exacerbating Factors in Children with Behavior Problems. A Study Across the First Six Years of School Henricsson, Lisbeth January 2006 (has links) Various aspects of elementary school children's behavior problems were investigated in four studies. In Study I, teachers’ perceived low control over the classroom situation and a custodial teacher orientation were associated with teachers' (n = 86) preferences for authoritarian strategies (e.g., firm commands) in handling externalizing child behavior problems. Further, perceived high control and a humanistic teacher orientation were associated with non-authoritarian strategies (e.g., reasoning with students). In Study II, the aim was to investigate prospectively teacher-child interactions and teacher-child perceptions of the relationship between children with externalizing (n=26) and internalizing (n=25) behavior problems and unproblematic children (n=44) in the first grade. Children with behavior problems had a higher frequency of negative teacher relationships than unproblematic children. Observed conflictual children-teacher interactions contributed to negative teacher relationships independent of problem status. The moderating effects of social competence were small. In Study III, the principal aim was to investigate whether the children’s social competence, relationships with teachers and behavior with peers functioned as protective or exacerbating factors regarding the adaptation of children with behavior problems. Children with externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, in comparison with unproblematic children, were lower in social competence, school achievement and peer acceptance in sixth grade. There were moderating and independent effects of social competence and teacher and peer relationships on outcomes, but these were mainly restricted to those children with internalizing problems. The primary aim of Study IV was to investigate the social and school adjustment of six-grade children experiencing feelings of loneliness and low peer acceptance. Totally, 808 children participated, and 323 of these children had been followed from grade 1 to grade 6. The results indicated that loneliness was most strongly predicted by early internalizing problems, whereas poor acceptance was predicted by early externalizing problems and poor social competence. Associations between loneliness and low peer acceptance and other adjustment difficulties were also observed. In conclusion, children with behavior problems risk negative relationships as well as other adjustment problems. Early interventions are important in strengthening the protective factors. Psychology Externalizing behavior problems Internalizing behavior problems Social competence Self-esteem Teacher-child relationships Peer relationships School achievement Loneliness Teacher strategies Psykologi
17	Evaluating Improvisation As A Technique For Training Pre-service Teachers For Inclusive Classrooms Becker, Theresa 01 January 2012 (has links) Improvisation is a construct that uses a set of minimal heuristic guidelines to create a highly flexible scaffold that fosters extemporaneous communication. Scholars from diverse domains: such as psychology, business, negotiation, and education have suggested its use as a method for preparing professionals to manage complexity and think on their feet. A review of the literature revealed that while there is substantial theoretical scholarship on using improvisation in diverse domains, little research has verified these assertions. This dissertation evaluated whether improvisation, a specific type of dramatic technique, was effective for training pre-service teachers in specific characteristics of teacher-child classroom interaction, communication and affective skills development. It measured the strength and direction of any potential changes such training might effect on pre-service teacher’s self-efficacy for teaching and for implementing the communication skills common to improvisation and teaching while interacting with student in an inclusive classroom setting. A review of the literature on teacher self-efficacy and improvisation clarified and defined key terms, and illustrated relevant studies. This study utilized a mixed-method research design based on instructional design and development research. Matched pairs ttests were used to analyze the self-efficacy and training skills survey data and pre-service teacher reflections and interview transcripts were used to triangulate the qualitative data. Results of the t-tests showed a significant difference in participants’ self-efficacy for teaching measured before and after the improvisation training. A significant difference in means was also measured in participants’ aptitude for improvisation strategies and for self-efficacy for their implementation pre-/post- training. Qualitative results from pre-service teacher class iv artifacts and interviews showed participants reported beneficial personal outcomes as well as confirmed using skills from the training while interacting with students. Many of the qualitative themes parallel individual question items on the teacher self-efficacy TSES scale as well as the improvisation self-efficacy scale CSAI. The self-reported changes in affective behavior such as increased self-confidence and ability to foster positive interaction with students are illustrative of changes in teacher agency. Self-reports of being able to better understand student perspectives demonstrate a change in participant ability to empathize with students. Participants who worked with both typically developing students as well as with students with disabilities reported utilizing improvisation strategies such as Yes, and…, mirroring emotions and body language, vocal prosody and establishing a narrative relationship to put the students at ease, establish a positive learning environment, encourage student contributions and foster teachable moments. The improvisation strategies showed specific benefit for participants working with nonverbal students or who had commutation difficulties, by providing the pre-service teachers with strategies for using body language, emotional mirroring, vocal prosody and acceptance to foster interaction and communication with the student. Results from this investigation appear to substantiate the benefit of using improvisation training as part of a pre-service teacher methods course for preparing teachers for inclusive elementary classrooms. Replication of the study is encouraged with teachers of differing populations to confirm and extend results. Pre service teacher novice teacher expert teacher improvisation improv improvisational performance inclusive classrooms children with disabilities exceptional student education (ese) exceptional education nonverbal children empathy affective instructional strategy interpersonal skills teacher communication teacher child interaction teacher child relationships teacher self efficacy addie improvisation training in flight decision making novice expert arts based research simulated mastery playback theater interactive theater affective instruction extemporaneous communication affective communication disciplined improvisation drama based instruction teacher training mixed methods research qualitative research teacher sense of efficacy scale (tses) yes and... vocal prosody nonverbal communication teacher immediacy emotional mirroring teacher attrition embodied cognition constructivism interactive instructional strategy classroom management co teaching spontaneity teacher agency positive classroom climate interaction rapport frustration in learning english language learners (ell) social intelligence emotional intelligence Education

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