This study examined the relationships between child temperament, gender, teacher-child relationships, and teacher-child interactions. Children's temperament and teacher-child relationships were assessed by teacher ratings. Teacher-child interactions were assessed through natural observations during free play/centers time. The sample consisted of 61 (29 boys and 32 girls) 4- to 5-year-old children who attended one of the four classrooms which participated in the study. The preliminary analyses revealed classroom differences in child temperament, teacher-child relationships, and teacher-child interactions. The results indicated that the temperament factor, Task Orientation was related to closeness of teacher-child relationship. Children with high task orientation had closer relationships with their teachers, while children with low task orientation, who are more active, distractible and less persistent, had less close relationships with their teachers. Reactivity was the most important temperament factor affecting conflictual relationships. The findings also revealed gender differences in teacher-child relationships. One of the teachers reported greater closeness in her relationships with girls than boys. Two of the teachers reported more conflict in their relationships with boys than with girls. Furthermore, boys were observed to receive more behavior management interactions from their teachers than girls. Behavior management was the only teacher-child interaction category which was related to temperament in all of the classrooms. Task orientation was the most important temperament factor affecting behavior management. Other categories of teacher-child interactions' relationships with temperament characteristics indicated classroom differences. The first teacher elaborated children with positive temperament characteristics more frequently than children with negative temperament characteristics. The second and third teachers initiated interactions more frequently with more reactive children. Reactivity was positively related with child initiated interactions and total interactions, elaborations, and praise in the fourth classroom. Therefore, there might be other factors affecting the relationship between temperament and teacher-child interactions; such as, teacher temperament, classroom structure, and curriculum. This study confirms that differences in temperamental characteristics of preschool children are recognized by teachers and that temperamental characteristics are related to teachers' relationships and interactions with children. Therefore, temperament, particularly task orientation factor, may be an important individual difference in preschool children's experiences in a preschool classroom. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of the Childhood Education, Reading and Disability Services in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2006. / June 29, 2006. / Preschool, Gender Differences in Teacher-Child Relationships, Early Childhood Education, Teacher Talk, Individual Differences / Includes bibliographical references. / Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Sande Milton, Outside Committee Member; Charles Wolfgang, Committee Member; Vickie Lake, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_180565 |
| Contributors | Oren, Meral (authoraut), Jones, Ithel (professor directing dissertation), Milton, Sande (outside committee member), Wolfgang, Charles (committee member), Lake, Vickie (committee member), Department of Childhood Education, Reading and Disability Services (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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