Teacher-child relationships from an attachment perspective

Using moderated nonlinear factor models to adjust for differential item functioning in the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale from kindergarten to Grade 6

Prior research has demonstrated that children form developmentally salient relationships with teachers and that these relationships are uniquely predictive of subsequent functioning both in and outside of school. However, prior work estimating trajectories and predictors of teacher-student relationship quality has failed to test and adjust for bias in questionnaire items. The present study used longitudinal data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD; N = 1140) to test and adjust for measurement bias in the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS; Pianta, 2001) across grades (K-6) and sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., birth sex, race/ethnicity, family income-to-needs ratio, and maternal education) to generate less biased estimates of trajectories of teacher-student relationship quality. Results identified differential item functioning for three of seven STRS items assessing conflict and three of eight STRS items assessing closeness, with items functioning differentially across child grade, birth sex, race/ethnicity, and maternal education level. Comparisons of growth models using non-adjusted and adjusted STRS scores highlight substantive differences between scoring approaches, such that the effects of race/ethnicity, maternal education, and maternal sensitivity on teacher-student relationship quality were masked prior to adjusting for item bias. These findings demonstrate the importance of testing and correcting for item bias in questionnaire-based assessments of teacher-student relationship quality to ensure valid conclusions.

Student-teacher relationships and sense of academic futility: Longitudinal associations among early adolescents of immigrant and non-immigrant background

Sense of academic futility entails feelings of having no control over ones' educational success. Although mounting evidence points to its negative consequences for students' educational outcomes, less is known about its socio-contextual antecedents. Relatedly, the current study explored how fair and supportive relationships with teachers are related to the sense of academic futility and if class belonging mediates this link in a sample of adolescents with immigrant and non-immigrant backgrounds. A total of 1065 seventh-grade students (Mage = 13.12; SD = 0.42; 45% girls) from 55 classrooms completed questionnaires at two time points 1 year apart. Results of multilevel analyses indicated that fair and supportive relationships with teachers contributed to decreases in sense of academic futility at the individual but not at the classroom level. No mediation or moderation effects emerged. These findings highlight the crucial role of democratic student-teacher relationships in supporting the positive school adjustment of all students in increasingly multicultural societies.

A reciprocal association between interpersonal relationship quality and student's positive affect: A three-wave random intercept cross-lagged study in a Chinese primary mathematics learning context

AIM

This study adopted a three-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model to explore the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between (a) the teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality and (b) the parent-child relationship (PCR) quality and positive affect among Chinese primary school students.

SAMPLES

Two primary school student samples, including 3505 and 2505 students, were tracked with their perceived relationship quality with math teachers and parents and their positive affect levels in mathematics learning over three academic years.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that more closeness with parents could significantly predict students' subsequent higher level of positive affect in mathematics learning. However, more closeness with their math teachers did not show significant prediction. Meanwhile, more conflict with math teachers and parents could significantly predict their subsequent lower degree of perceived positive affect in mathematics learning. That is, a reciprocal association lines in the PCR quality and positive affect, whereas only a unidirectional association exists between the TSR and positive affect. The predictions of the experienced positive affect on their perceived interpersonal relationships with math teachers and parents were stronger than those in the reverse association.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies that while the effects of closeness with math teachers and parents on positive affect in students' math learning differ, conflict with math teachers and parents indeed harms students' experienced positive affect in math learning. More attention should also be paid to fostering positive affect in math learning.

The Joint Operations of Teacher-Student and Peer Relationships on Classroom Engagement among Low-Achieving Elementary Students: A Longitudinal Multilevel Study

Although both teacher-student relationship (TSR) and peer relationship (PR) have been found important for the development of students' classroom engagement, little research has been done regarding the joint operations of these two factors. Guided by a developmental systems framework, this study examined longitudinal between-person and within-person associations between TSR/ PR and classroom engagement in a sample of 784 low-achieving students in the first three years of elementary school. A multidimensional approach was used to distinguish positive and negative dimensions of TSR, as well as peer liking and disliking. At the between-person level, results showed that students' classroom engagement was positively predicted by positive TSR and PR liking and was negatively predicted by negative TSR and PR disliking. Both positive and negative TSR interacted with PR disliking at the between-person level, such that the associations between positive/negative TSR and classroom engagement were stronger for students with lower levels of PR disliking. At the within-person level, changes in classroom engagement were associated with contemporaneous year-to-year changes in positive/negative TSR and PR disliking. No within-person level interaction effects were found. Cross-level interaction showed that the effects of within-person negative TSR on classroom engagement were stronger for students with lower overall levels of PR disliking. Findings highlighted the importance of using a multilevel multidimensional approach to understand the joint operations of TSR and PR in the development of classroom engagement in low-achieving students in early elementary school.

Linking school- and classroom-level characteristics to child adjustment: A representative study of children from Hong Kong, China

BACKGROUND

The school is one of the most salient developmental contexts for children. However, little is known about the associations linking the school environment to child adjustment in a non-Western context, not to mention the potential processes that may mediate these associations.

AIMS

This study examined the associations of school- and classroom-level characteristics with child adjustment and tested whether these associations were mediated by teacher-child relationship qualities.

SAMPLE

Cross-sectional data were collected on a representative sample of 1777 children (mean age = 55.14 months; 50% of them were girls) from 100 kindergartens in Hong Kong, China.

METHODS

Using self-reported questionnaires, teachers rated their school-level environments, their classroom chaos, their closeness and conflict with children and children's socioemotional competence and academic ability. Meanwhile, parents rated children's behavioural problems.

RESULTS

Multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that the school-level environment and classroom chaos were uniquely associated with children's socioemotional, behavioural and academic adjustment. Moreover, the associations of the school-level environment and classroom chaos with child socioemotional and academic adjustment were mediated by teacher-child closeness and conflict, whereas the associations of the school-level environment and classroom chaos with child behavioural problems were mediated by teacher-child conflict only.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicated how school- and classroom-level characteristics may be uniquely associated with child adjustment and how teacher-child relationships may be implicated in the underlying mechanism, highlighting the potential utility of targeting school- and classroom-level environments and teacher-child relationships in promoting child development.

Antecedents to and outcomes associated with teacher-child relationship perceptions in early childhood: Further evidence for child-driven effects

Preschool teachers' perceptions about relationships with students (teacher-child relationships [TCRs]) predict children's subsequent social competence (SC) and academic progress. Why this is so remains unclear. Do TCRs shape children's development, or do child attributes influence both TCRs and subsequent development? Relations between TCRs and other measures were examined for 185 preschoolers (107 girls, 89 longitudinal, and ~75% European American). Teachers rated TCRs and child social/affective behaviors. Teacher-child interactions (TCIs) and children's affect expressiveness were observed. Child SC and receptive vocabulary were assessed. TCRs were significantly correlated with each type of outcome. TCIs, SC, expressed affect, and teacher-rated behaviors also predicted TCRs longitudinally. Results suggest that TCR ratings predict subsequent adaptation because they summarize children's behavioral profiles rather than on TCR quality per se.

The relational side of teachers' self-efficacy: Assimilation and contrast effects of classroom relational climate on teachers' self-efficacy

Although much is known about the sources of teachers' self-efficacy (TSE), less attention has been paid to the social-contextual specificity of TSE and the processes influencing the relevance of TSE information sources. This study investigated both dyad-level relationships and the classroom relational climate as predictors of TSE at the student and classroom level. Additionally, we explored two competing hypotheses-assimilation and contrast-articulating how teachers use information conveyed by classroom relationship experiences as a heuristic to interpret relationship experiences with individual students as a TSE source. Elementary school teachers (N = 86; 72.05% female) completed the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale and Student-Specific Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale for randomly selected children (N = 687, 50.1% girls, Grades 3-6) from their classes. Doubly latent multilevel structural equation modeling was used to test for associations of Closeness and Conflict with TSE at both the student (L1) and classroom level (L2). Contextual effects, corresponding to associations of classroom-level Closeness and Conflict with TSE above the same associations at the student level, were calculated to test assimilation and contrast hypotheses. At L1, results indicated positive associations between Closeness and TSE and negative associations between Conflict and TSE. At L2, only Conflict was negatively associated with TSE. Consistent with the contrast hypothesis, the contextual effect of Closeness, but not Conflict, was negative and significant. Hence, teachers' judgments of a relatively close classroom relational climate may lead them to perceive relational closeness with individual students in a more negative light, resulting in lower levels of TSE toward these students.

The impact of boarding school on student development in primary and secondary schools: a meta-analysis

As a long-established model of schooling, the boarding system is commonly practiced in countries around the world. Numerous scholars have conducted a great deal of research on the relationship between the boarding school and student development, but the results of the research are quite divergent. In order to clarify the real effects of boarding school on students' development, this study used meta-analysis to quantify 49 (91 effect sizes) experimental or quasi-experimental studies on related topics at home and abroad. The results find that: (1) Overall, boarding school has no significant predictive effect on student development, with a combined effect size of 0.002 (p > 0.05); (2) Specifically, boarding school has a significant positive predictive effect on students' cognitive development (g = 0.248, p < 0.001), a significant negative predictive effect on students' affective and attitudinal development (g = -0.159, p < 0.05), and no significant predictive effect on students' behavioral development (g = -0.115, p > 0.05) and physical development (g = -0.038, p > 0.05); (3) The relationship between the two is moderated by the school stage and the type of boarding school, but not by the instruments; (4) Compared with primary school students, senior high school students and urban boarding students, the negative predictive effect of boarding system on junior middle school students and rural boarding students is more significant. In addition, there are some limitations in the study, such as the limited number of moderator variables included, the results of the study are easily affected by the quality of the included literature, and the dimensionality of the core variable "student development" is not comprehensive enough. In the future, further validation should be conducted through in-depth longitudinal or experimental studies.

Social Interaction Profiles Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: Associations with Indicators of Psychosocial Adjustment

This study investigates the nature of the social interaction profiles observed among youth with intellectual disabilities (ID), defined while considering their relationships with their parents, peers, and teachers, as well as the implication of these profiles for self-esteem, aggressive behaviors, and prosocial behaviors. A sample of 393 youth with mild (48.2%) to moderate (51.8%) levels of ID, aged between 11 and 22 (M = 15.70), was recruited in Canada (n = 141) and Australia (n = 253). Our results revealed four profiles, corresponding to Socially Isolated (23.24%), Socially Integrated (39.83%), Socially Rejected (28.37%) and Socially Connected (8.57%) youth with ID. The socially integrated and connected profiles both presented higher self-esteem, more prosocial behaviors, and less aggressive behaviors than the socially isolated and rejected profiles.

Longitudinal Associations Between Relationship Quality and Depression Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: A Latent Change Perspective

This study investigates associations between initial levels and change in the quality of the relationships youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) share with their parents and teachers, and changes in their levels of depression over time. A sample of 395 youth with mild (48.3%) and moderate (51.7%) ID, aged between 11 and 22 (M = 15.69), were recruited in Canada (n = 142) and Australia (n = 253). Youth completed self-report measures of relationship quality and depression twice over a one-year period. Initial levels of warmth (β = - .109) and conflict (β = - .302) predicted decreases in depression. Increases in warmth predicted decreases in depression (β = - .179), while increases in conflict predicted increases in depression (β = .268). Discrepancies between youth relationships with their parents and teachers predicted decreases in depression (βwarmth = - .732; βconflict = - .608).

Cross-informant agreement between caregivers and teachers for prosocial behavior across child welfare settings

Healthy social functioning has been a growing focus for understanding children's positive development and well-being. Despite the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of behavior rating scales, there has been a rising issue of concern in both practice and research applications regarding rating scales and its low cross-informant agreement. The present study aimed to analyze the extent to which caregivers and teachers agree about children's prosocial behaviors, identify whether there were differences in the degree of agreement across child welfare settings, and ultimately offer recommendations for assessing behavior for children involved with child welfare services. To do so, the reports of 1,224 children, caregivers, and teachers from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) I who have been investigated by Child Protective Services (CPS) for abuse and/or neglect have been examined. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) of caregiver and teacher assessment of children's prosocial functioning were calculated to understand the degree of agreement in their perceptions of children's prosocial behaviors. ICC values presented show that agreement was low but significant across all samples and subscales (ICC range, .11-.22). It is suggested that future researchers pursue examination of the underlying mechanisms or factors that contribute to informant discrepancies.

The effect of parental psychological control on children's peer interactions in China: the moderating role of teachers' emotional support

Background

Peer interactions are critical to young children's social development, and proximal-system has a direct influence on personal growth. The study aims to analyze the relationship between parental psychological control and young children's peer interactions, as well as the moderating role of teachers' emotional support in this association.

Methods

A total of 241 children aged 3-6 years, alongside their parents, and 27 teachers, participated in the study. Teachers reported children's peer interactions whilst parents reported their psychological control. The level of teachers' emotional support was co-coded by two researchers.

Results

The results of the study indicated that parental psychological control was significantly and negatively related to young children's peer interactions; teachers' emotional support was significantly and positively related to young children's peer interactions; the cross-level moderating effect validates our hypothesis that teachers' emotional support has a moderating effect between parental psychological control and young children's peer interactions, buffering the impact of parental psychological control on young children's peer interactions.

Conclusion

These findings expand our comprehension of the association between parental psychological control, teachers' emotional support, and young children's peer interactions, and provide guidance for integrating the components of the proximal system and devising interventions to establish a home-school harmony environment that fosters children's social development.

The influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject: the mediating role of academic emotions

Introduction

This study investigated the influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject and the parallel mediating roles of positive and negative academic emotions on this influence.

Method

The participants of this study were 425 Chinese high school students. This study measured teacher-student relationship, academic motivation, and academic emotions through several self-reported questionnaires. Structural equation models were used to analyze data and investigate the direct and indirect influence of teacher-student relationship on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject.

Results

Teacher-student relationship had a significant, positive, and direct impact on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject. Moreover, positive and negative academic emotions, in parallel, mediated the relationship between these two factors.

Discussion

This study demonstrates the important influence of teacher-student relationships on Chinese high school students' academic motivation for the ideological and political subject. A positive teacher-student relationship can directly increase students' academic motivation for this subject and indirectly enhance their motivation by generating positive academic emotions. Therefore, teachers should express care for their students, make friends with them, and be their partners in learning and life. Additionally, teachers need to pay close attention to students' academic emotions and provide them emotional support so that they can develop positive academic emotions while learning, and strive to establish and maintain a good teacher-student relationship.

A Parallel Process Growth Curve Analysis of Teacher-Student Relationships and Academic Achievement

Teacher-student relationships (TSR) have been a key focus of study for developmental and educational psychology researchers interested in improving proximal and distal academic outcomes for children and youth. Although prior empirical work suggests some degree of association between TSR and achievement, the co-development of TSR and achievement during elementary grades remains unclear with most findings limited to reading and mathematics achievement. The current study used parallel process growth curve models (PPGCMs) to examine the longitudinal growth trajectories of teacher-student closeness and conflict, and science, reading, and mathematics achievement simultaneously for children followed from kindergarten to third grade in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (N = 13,490). Findings from the final PPGCM showed teacher-student closeness in kindergarten was positively associated with science, reading and mathematics achievement in kindergarten (r = 0.234 to 0.277) and the linear growth of achievement through third grade (r = 0.068 to 0.156). Teacher-student conflict in kindergarten was negatively associated with science, reading, and mathematics achievement in kindergarten (r = -0.099 to -0.203) and the linear growth of achievement through third grade (r = -0.081 to -0.135). Child biological sex, family socioeconomic status, and child racial and ethnic identity predicted TSR and achievement developmental trends. Implications of the findings and future directions for research are discussed.

A person-centered approach to resilience against bullying victimization in adolescence: Predictions from teacher support and peer support

BACKGROUND

There is ample evidence that bullying victimization typically has deleterious effects on the developmental outcomes of adolescents, while little research attention has been paid to those who show "resilient" despite the stress associated with being bullied. This study aimed to identify such a group according to the severity of exposure to bullying victimization and psychological adaptation in terms of negative (i.e., depressive symptoms) as well as positive (i.e., subjective well-being) aspects, and to examine their associations with interpersonal sources in school ecology (i.e., teacher support and peer support) using a short-term longitudinal design.

METHODS

Latent profile analysis was performed on a sample of 2339 adolescents in junior high schools (Mage = 12.97 ± 0.58 years, 51.1 % boys).

RESULTS

The presence of a resilient (8.0 %) profile was identified, along with three other distinct profiles: normative (59.2 %), vulnerable (29.0 %), and adverse (3.8 %). Despite experiencing bullying victimization of comparable severity, adolescents who reported more teacher support and peer support were more likely to classify to the "Resilient" profile.

LIMITATIONS

A broader range of malleable resource factors should be considered to enhance a nuanced understanding of what resource factors contribute to resilience. Multiple reporting sources should be applied to overcome information bias. And the results need to be verified across different cultural contexts, age groups, and regions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings add a new contribution to the literature by highlighting the utility of a person-centered approach in the field of victimization resilience studies and the important roles of teacher and peer support against bullying victimization. Future prevention and early intervention could consider support from teachers and peers as potentially robust and malleable targets.

Cultural universality and specificity of teacher-student relationship: a qualitative study in Belgian, Chinese, and Italian primary school teachers

Extensive evidence highlights the significant influence of dyadic, emotional teacher-student relationship (TSR) on students' cognitive functioning, socio-emotional development, and overall well-being. However, it remains unclear whether the TSR construct and its manifestations can be generalized across cultures. This qualitative study investigated TSR among 60 primary school teachers in Belgium, China, and Italy (i.e., countries with varying positions on the collectivistic-individualistic continuum of culture). Through semi-structured interviews and metatheme analysis, the study examined the similarities and differences in TSR across these countries, revealing a nuanced and diverse picture in various cultural contexts. The findings align with the existing TSR model by including dimensions of closeness, conflict, and dependency, while also extending the model to identify additional dimensions such as authority, balance, distance, fairness, increasing student motivation, patience, and strictness. Regarding cultural perspective, teachers from these three countries exhibited similar conceptualizations of closeness, conflict, fairness, increasing student motivation, patience, and strictness, whereas the conceptualization of dependency, authority, balance, and distance may be influenced by (collectivistic versus individualistic) culture. Moreover, the manifestations of TSR varied across countries, highlighting the influence of cultural factors such as cultural norms, collectivistic versus individualistic values, and the perceived legitimacy of teacher authority. These findings shed light on the complexities of TSR across countries and emphasize the significance of culturally sensitive approaches in fostering positive TSR in education.

Longitudinal correlates of bullying victimization among Chinese early adolescents: A cross-lagged panel network analysis

BACKGROUND

Bullying victimization is a major public health issue often faced by adolescents. This highlights the need to identify the relevant risk factors to inform intervention. Based on the ecological systems theory and applied cross-lagged panel network analysis, this study explored the longitudinal correlates of bullying victimization among Chinese early adolescents.

METHODS

A total of 1686 early adolescents (60.4 % were boys) from the Chinese Early Adolescent Cohort study were included in this study. Bullying victimization and its associated factors were assessed using the self-report questionnaires, which was administered from 2019 (T1), 2021 (T2), and 2022 (T3). The longitudinal relationships between bullying victimization and its correlates were examined using a cross-lagged panel network analysis.

RESULTS

27.0 %, 14.9 %, and 13.2 % of the participants reported being bullied by peers at T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The temporal network suggested that individual-level (sex, depression, and anxiety), family-level (child abuse), school-level (satisfaction with classmates), and social-level (satisfaction with society) factors were associated with bullying victimization. The node with the greatest centrality strength was anxiety. Notably, relationship with teachers and classmates were the unique nodes in the T2 → T3 replication network.

LIMITATIONS

The sample is unrepresentative, as it is from only one middle school.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide important insights into bullying victimization prevention and intervention among Chinese early adolescents: 1) highlighting the importance of joint interventions across multiple departments; 2) focusing on the most central factors of bullying victimization; and 3) considering the effect of time when exploring the correlates of bullying victimization.

Supporting teachers to actively respond to bullying and to build positive relationships with their students: effects of the T-SUPPORT training

Despite the central role that teachers can have in preventing and reducing bullying, they often feel insecure about how to deal with bullying. This study evaluated a short teacher training - called the Teachers SUPporting POsitive RelaTionships (T-SUPPORT) training - that aims to reduce bullying by supporting teachers in building positive teacher-student relationships and in actively dealing with bullying. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the T-SUPPORT training resulted in higher quality teacher-student relationships, and more active and less passive responses to bullying incidents, and whether these improvements in turn resulted in lower levels of bullying victimization. In a Randomized Controlled Trial 10 Belgian primary schools were randomly assigned to an intervention or control condition. The Grades 4-6 teachers of the five schools in the intervention condition received the three-session school-based training; control teachers received no intervention. Grade 4-6 students (N = 964; 55 classrooms) in these schools completed questionnaires at pre- and post-test. In contrast to the hypotheses, results of the two-level linear mixed model analyses revealed no significant effect of the training on teacher-student relationship quality, teachers' responses to bullying and bullying victimization. Yet, higher quality teacher-student relationships and more active teacher responses to bullying were significantly associated with less bullying victimization, whereas more passive responses were linked with more victimization. The latter findings are in line with theorizing and research on the role that teachers can play in reducing bullying.

Protocol for evaluation of effects of a psychoeducational trauma-informed intervention directed at schools

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can have negative effects on cognitive, social and emotion regulation abilities, which can threaten the child's school integration and capacity to learn. While steady relations to sensitive, understanding adults may moderate these negative outcomes, the difficulties of children with ACEs pose a major challenge for teachers, whose insufficient preparation may lead to career attrition.Objective: Psychoeducational trauma-informed care (TIC) interventions targeting teachers may strengthen teacher preparation and buffer the deleterious outcomes of ACEs, yet the evidence-base for these interventions is limited. Importantly, while minority groups are overrepresented among those with ACEs and additionally risk exposure to ethno-racial trauma, TIC interventions lack a social disadvantage/discrimination perspective. The Present trial addresses these issues.Method: The study protocol employs a quasi-experimental design for assessing effects of a psychoeducational TIC intervention carried out in Swedish schools by Save the Children, Sweden (SCS). We compare, for the first time, an intervention group (N = 160) and a control group (N = 160) over time (pre-intervention, immediately after, 6 and 12 months post-intervention), assessing teacher stress, compassion fatigue, self-efficacy and trauma-informed knowledge. We monitor teacher attitudes and attributions of students' academic weaknesses and behavioural and mental difficulties. The trial is preregistered (DOI:10.17605/OSF.IO/V7SH8).Results: We hope that the mitigating effects of the SCS-TIC school intervention may be independent of social category, and that the trial will additionally generate knowledge of how providers and recipients of TIC may respond to it differently depending on their social and cultural identities. As school-based TIC practices and interventions are expansively relied on as means of preventing teacher burnout and career attrition, and buffering negative consequences of ACEs for children, establishing their effects with methodological robustness is important and timely.Conclusion: Such knowledge may be used to tailor and target interventions to specific populations, while ensuring maximum effectiveness.

A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional Violence by Teachers

There is increasing evidence for the deleterious impact of emotional violence on children`s well-being and development. This systematic review focused on a) the prevalence and (b) correlates of emotional violence by teachers. A literature search of quantitative and peer-reviewed studies published in English between 1980 and April 2021 was conducted. Eighty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies represented all geographical regions of the world, were predominantly cross-sectional and of moderate quality. Studies were heterogeneous in terms of their samples, conceptualization, and measurement of emotional violence. Results indicated that emotional violence by teachers is prevalent across cultural settings, although large variations within and between regions are noted. It is related to mental health, behavioral and academic problems of children above and beyond physical violence by teachers and victimization by peers and parents. Boys are at higher risk of experiencing emotional violence by teachers than girls. Family dysfunction, low socioeconomic status (of the family or the community), and violent school environments appear to increase risk as well. The observed patterns of co-occurrence of emotional violence with physical violence by teachers and victimization by peers as well as perpetration of violence against peers and teachers lend support to notions of poly-victimization and cycles of violence in the school settings. Future research should use representative surveys, examine antecedents, and consequences of emotional violence by teachers using longitudinal and experimental designs and evaluate interventions to prevent emotional violence by teachers.

The association between working memory, teacher-student relationship, and academic performance in primary school children

Introduction

Early relationships with teachers play an important role in children's development and significantly influence students' cognitive and academic performance. Studies suggest that working memory (WM) is a strong predictor of academic achievement, especially of reading and arithmetic outcomes. The associations between teacher-student relationship (TSR) quality, children's WM skills and their academic performance have been reported in numerous observational studies. However, the potentially bidirectional and temporal nature of the relationships between these constructs is understudied.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between primary school children's WM and TSR by applying a cross-lagged design and measuring these constructs at three time points throughout the academic year. More exploratively, this study investigated how WM and TSR bidirectionally relate to children's academic performance.

Results

The findings of this study revealed a temporal relationship between WM and TSR: between WM-related problems in the classroom at baseline and conflict at 3-month follow-up, and between closeness at 3-month follow-up and WM-related problems in the classroom at 5-month follow-up. Moreover, the findings showed a bidirectional relationship between arithmetic performance and WM-related problematic behaviour.

Discussion

This study highlights that relationships between the teacher and students play an important role in supporting students' cognitive and academic development. Importantly, this study suggests that children with WM problems may benefit from interventions that focus on improving their relationships with teachers. Additionally, the findings propose that interventions targeting WM may also have positive effects on children's academic performance.

The representation of child-parent relation: validation of the Italian version of the child-parent relationship scale (CPRS-I)

This study proposes a psychometric validation of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) developed by Pianta in 1992. Based on attachment theory, the scale assesses parents' relationship perceptions with their own child and comprises three scales: Closeness, Conflict, and Dependency. A sample of 501 parents (188 fathers and 313 mothers) completed 30 items of the Italian version of the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS-I) online, but only 437 answered 85% of the entire protocol; hence, the analyses only focused on 437 participants. The first analysis of the original theoretical model revealed poor fit, item loadings, and internal consistency. Therefore, a follow-up analysis was conducted. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses with a split sample (EFA = 218; CFA = 219) confirmed the original three-factor structure of the Italian sample, although some items were eliminated. The validity and reliability of the Italian version of the CPRS-I were also verified by correlating the above three factors with measures of adult attachment styles and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The CPRS-I showed significant correlations with all tested constructs, in line with those found by Driscoll and Pianta for the short form of the scale. Our results confirm that the CPRS-I has the same structure as the original scale; therefore, it can be a useful tool for assessing parents' perceptions of their relationship with their children. The implications for educational and clinical settings are also discussed.

A cross-cultural comparison of teacher-student relationship quality in Chinese and Italian teachers and students

Studies comparing teacher-student relationships between Eastern and Western countries are relatively rare. This study compared the affective qualities of teacher-student relationships between Eastern (i.e., China) and Western (i.e., Italy) countries to explore the measurement invariance, latent mean differences, and cultural differences in reporters' (teachers and students) agreement levels. An Italian sample of 31 teachers and 1647 students (46.9% girls; ages 9-14 years) and a Chinese sample of 28 teachers and 1474 students (44% girls; ages 9-14 years) reported on their perceptions of closeness and conflict in the teacher-student relationship. Measures of both student-perceived and teacher-perceived relationships achieved (partial) scalar invariance between the two cultures in the full sample, elementary school subsamples, and junior high school subsamples. Compared to their Chinese peers, the Italian junior high school students reported lower levels of conflict with their teachers, but there was no difference in closeness level. In addition, there was no difference in reporters' agreement across China and Italy in the full sample and in the junior high school subsample, whereas the Italian reporters' agreement on conflict was higher in the elementary school subsample.

Callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors in left-behind preschool children: the role of emotional lability/negativity and positive teacher-child relationship

BACKGROUND

Callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity of young children have been regarded as the markers of externalizing problem behaviors. Based on the sensitivity to threat and affiliative reward model and the general aggression model, emotional lability/negativity may act as a mediator in the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors. Additionally, a positive teacher-child relationship could act as a buffer given the parental absence in left-behind children. However, these links remain unexplored in left-behind preschool children. Therefore, this study explored the link between callous-unemotional traits of left-behind preschool children and externalizing problem behaviors, as well as the mediating role of emotional lability/negativity and the moderating role of a positive teacher-child relationship.

METHOD

Data were collected on 525 left-behind children aged 3 to 6 years from rural kindergartens in China. Preschool teachers reported all data through an online survey platform. Moderated mediation analysis was performed to examine whether the mediated relation between callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problem behaviors was moderated by a positive teacher-child relationship.

RESULTS

The results showed callous-unemotional traits significantly predicted externalizing problem behaviors and lability/negativity acted as a mediator, while a positive teacher-child relationship acted as a protective factor in moderating the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and emotional lability/negativity. This study identified a moderated mediation effect among the four variables in left-behind preschool children in China.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide support for the advancement of theoretical foundations, and provide an avenue for further exploration to support the mental health and overall development of left-behind children during early childhood.

Social avoidance and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of teacher-child relationships

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the moderating role of teacher-child relationships in the relations between social avoidance and social adjustment (i.e., prosocial behavior, peer exclusion, and anxious-fearful behavior) in Chinese migrant preschoolers.

Methods

Participants were 148 migrant children aged 4-6 years (82 boys, M_age = 62.32, SD = 6.67) attending kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Mothers reported children's social avoidance, and teachers rated teacher-child relationships and children's social adjustment.

Results

Results indicated that social avoidance was positively related to peer exclusion and negatively related to prosocial behavior. Teacher-child relationships moderated those associations. Specifically, teacher-child closeness buffered the relationship between social avoidance and peer exclusion, whereas teacher-child conflict exacerbated the relations between social avoidance and peer exclusion and anxious-fearful behavior.

Conclusion

The current finding informs us of the importance of improving teacher-child closeness and reducing teacher-child conflict to buffer the negative adjustment among socially avoidant young children who migrated from rural-to-urban China. The findings also highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of social avoidance for migrant preschoolers in Chinese culture.

Teacher-child one-on-one playtime: Teachers' non-intrusiveness predicts developmental outcomes of children with developmental delay

The contribution of dyadic teacher-child interactions to the development of children with special needs has received little research attention. This study examined whether teachers' non-intrusiveness during one-on-one playtime predicts developmental outcomes of children with developmental delay. Participants were 47 teachers and one of their kindergarteners diagnosed with developmental delay. At Time 1, teachers' non-intrusiveness during teacher-child play interactions was assessed. At Time 1 and 12 months later, kindergarten therapists reported on children's adaptive behavior, school performance, and internalizing and externalizing problems. Teachers' non-intrusiveness predicted children's increased adaptive behavior, improved school performance, and decreased externalizing problems across the year. Findings highlight the importance of supporting teachers' non-intrusiveness and including one-on-one teacher-child play as an integral part of special education kindergartens' curriculum.

Teacher-Student Relationships in Childhood as a Protective Factor against Adolescent Delinquency up to Age 17: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

In this paper we examined the impact of the quality of teacher-student relationships at age 10 on young people's delinquency at ages 13, 15, and 17 utilizing propensity-score matching. The young people were matched based on 105 characteristics, measured at ages 7 to 10. The sample comprised 1483 (49.4% female) adolescents representing around 80 different countries of origin, residing in Zurich, Switzerland. We found that young people who reported a better relationship with their teacher at age 10, engaged in fewer delinquent acts at ages 13, 15, and 17. These findings suggest that when young people perceive a better relationship with their teachers this serves as a protective factor against their engagement in delinquency up to 7 years later.

Psychometric Properties of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form in a Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Context

The Student-Teacher Relationship Scale-Short Form (STRS-SF) is one of the most frequently used instruments globally to measure professional caregivers’ perceptions of the relationship quality with a specific child. However, its psychometric properties for children younger than 3 years of age enrolled in early childhood education and care (ECEC) centers are largely unknown. Thus, this study aimed to investigate and evaluate the factorial validity of the STRS-SF and measurement invariance across children’s gender and age by combining two large Norwegian community samples ( N = 2900), covering the full age range of children enrolled in ECEC (1–6 years olds). Our findings indicate promising psychometric properties for the STRS-SF; thus, its applicability is supported for both younger and older children indiscriminate of their gender. However, some caution is advised when comparing latent means between older and younger ECEC children because professional caregivers interpret the STRS-SF differently based on children’s age.

The relationship between preschool teacher trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality: the chain mediating role of emotional intelligence and empathy

The teacher-child relationship plays an important role in children's future development. However, the existing research mainly focuses on the influence of preschool teachers' external conditions on the teacher-student relationship, while the research on the influence of teachers' internal psychological characteristics on the teacher-student relationship is relatively lacking. In this study, three hundred and seventeen preschool teachers were tested were tested with Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Emotional Intelligence Scale, Chinese Interpersonal Response Index, and Teacher-student Relationship Scale. The results showed that trait mindfulness positively predicted the quality of parent-teacher relationship (β = 0.173, p = 0.026). Emotional intelligence played a mediating role in trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality (β = 0.118, p = 0.004), and empathy played a mediating role in trait mindfulness and teacher-child relationship quality (β = 0.112, p = 0.001). Meanwhile, emotional intelligence and empathy played a chain mediating role in trait mindfulness and parent-teacher relationship quality (β = 0.044, p = 0.038). On the one hand, this study enriches attachment theory. The conclusions of this study verify the diversity of proximal factors in attachment theory, and confirm the influence of teachers' own characteristics and abilities on the teacher-child relationship quality. On the other hand, by exploring the factors affecting the teacher-child relationship quality, we can find ways to improve teacher-child relationship from a new perspective, and then provide some new methods and approaches for improving the quality of preschool teacher-child relationship.

Associations among teacher-child interaction, children's executive function and children's comprehensible vocabulary

Objective

To understand the working mechanism and the relationships among the quality of teacher-child interaction (TCI), children's comprehensible vocabulary (CV) and executive function (EF).

Methods

Using stratified sampling, 900 children (boys 50.2%) and 60 preschool teachers were recruited from 4 places in China for testing, and five measurement tools, including the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-R), the Stroop test, a card sorting task, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), were used.

Results

For every additional unit of TCI, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of EF, CV increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, TCI increases by 0.38 units; For every additional unit of TCI, CV increases by 0.38 units. In the Model of TCI-EF-CV, the estimated value of TCI and the total effect of comprehensible vocabulary is 0.18; Z = 9.84, which is significantly greater than 1.96 at the bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and at the percentile 95% confidence interval (0.15, 0.23), both of which do not contain 0. The direct effect of TCI and CV is significant and indirect effects account for 39%. In the Model of TCI-CV-EF, the total effect of TCI on executive function is 0.09 (Z = 6.14), the direct effect is not significant with bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and 95% confidence interval (-0.01, 0.03), both of which include 0.

Conclusion

There are two-way effects among children's EF and CV, TCI and CV. EF plays a mediating role in the influence of TCI on CV. TCI positively predicts children's EF, but this mainly depends on CV. Therefore, TCI plays a positive role in the development of children's CV and EF.

The Quality of Early Caregiving and Teacher-Student Relationships in Grade School Independently Predict Adolescent Academic Achievement

Prior research has demonstrated that teacher-student relationships characterized by high levels of closeness and low levels of conflict are associated with higher levels of academic achievement among children. At the same time: (a) some research suggests that the quality of teacher-student relationships in part reflects the quality of early caregiving; and (b) the observed quality of early care by primary caregivers robustly predicts subsequent academic achievement. Given the potential for associations between the quality of teacher-student relationship quality and academic achievement to thus be confounded by the quality of early parenting experiences, the present study examined to what extent children's experiences in early life with primary caregivers (i.e., ages 3 to 42 months) and relationships with teachers during grade school (i.e., Kindergarten to Grade 6) were uniquely associated with an objective assessment of academic achievement at age 16 years in a sample born into poverty (N = 169; 45% female; 70% White/non-Hispanic; 38% of mothers did not complete high school). Early maternal sensitivity, though a strong predictor of later academic achievement, was not reliably associated with either teacher-reports or interview-based assessments of teacher-student relationship quality in grade school. Nonetheless, early maternal sensitivity and teacher-student relationship quality were each uniquely associated with later academic achievement, above and beyond key demographic variables. Taken together, the present results highlight that the quality of children's relationships with adults at home and at school independently, but not interactively, predicted later academic achievement in a high-risk sample.

Understanding academic readiness for kindergarten: The interactive role of emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness

One goal of this study was to test the role of emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness and conflict in predicting academic readiness for kindergarten over and above demographic factors and executive functioning skills (especially inhibitory control) known to predict readiness. Another goal was to test teacher-child closeness as a moderator of the association between emotion knowledge or executive functioning and academic readiness. A total of 141 4- and 5-year-old children completed emotion knowledge, academic readiness, and inhibitory control measures. Preschool teachers reported their perceived relationship closeness and conflict with individual students. Accounting for child age in months, family income, and inhibitory control, emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness were positively associated with academic readiness. Teacher-child closeness moderated the relationship between emotion knowledge and academic readiness, suggesting that teacher-child closeness may be especially important in promoting academic readiness for preschool students with low emotion knowledge.

Transition to Preschool: Paving the Way for Preschool Teacher and Family Relationship-Building

Background

Previous research suggests that interactions between preschool teachers and children in early care and educational contexts can contribute to the child's positive attachment development and socioemotional adjustment.

Objective

Investigate how the transition process to preschool is organized and whether various ways of organizing it may differently influence family-teacher relationship-building and child adjustment.

Methods

Conducted a mixed methods study of quantitative and qualitative survey data from Swedish preschool professionals (N = 535).

Results

Preschool introduction varied across preschools in several structural aspects such as introduction length and intensity, timing for first child-parent separation, and number of children and teachers involved in the introduction process. Results moreover suggested that different introduction models were associated with different ways of engaging the parent, where the "parent-active" model was characterized by a high level of parental participation during the introductory activities. This was perceived by preschool professionals as positively influencing the family-teacher relational formation.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that inviting parents to participate actively in preschool transition may help better engage them in the introduction process, which in turn may positively influence family-teacher relationship-building. Future research should focus in more detail on how child-teacher and parent-teacher interactions, respectively, influence family-teacher relationship-building and child adjustment during, and after, the introduction period.

Meeting in school: Cultural diversity approaches of teachers and intergroup contact among ethnic minority and majority adolescents

This study investigated the associations between cultural diversity approaches endorsed by teachers and adolescents' positive and negative intergroup contact in schools. Participants were 984 adolescents (M_age  = 14.66; 62.7% female; 24.8% ethnic minority) involved in a three-wave longitudinal study between 2019 and 2020. Results highlighted that perceived equal treatment by teachers was related to higher positive and lower negative contact over time. However, perceived support for contact and cooperation and interest of teachers in children's cultural background were not related to either positive or negative contact over time. Importantly, the results were replicated across ethnic minority and majority adolescents. This study provides novel insights into the key role that teachers can play in promoting cultural diversity approaches to facilitate harmonious intergroup interactions in schools.

The longitudinal associations between perceived maternal parenting practices, mother-adolescent relationship quality, and friendship quality

INTRODUCTION

As adolescents begin to expand their social networks beyond their family, they turn increasingly to their peers for support. Parenting practices present in the parent-child dyad are likely to extend to peer dyads. However, when considering the process involved in the transmission from parenting practices to friendships, the mediating role of parent-child relationships remains unclear. The current study explored the mediating effect of mother-adolescent relationship quality in the association between perceived maternal parenting practices (i.e., autonomy support and psychological control) and friendship quality using a three-wave longitudinal design, and also examined whether adolescents' gender moderates these associations.

METHODS

A sample of 344 Chinese adolescents (12.01 to 15-year-old at Wave 1, M = 13.08, SD = 0.39; 153 boys and 191 girls) filled out questionnaires on perceived maternal parenting practices, mother-adolescent relationship quality, and friendship quality, separately in three waves.

RESULTS

Perceived maternal autonomy support was associated with positive friendship quality through positive mother-adolescent relationship quality. However, perceived maternal psychological control was not associated with negative friendship quality. Moreover, marginal gender differences were only found in the associations between autonomy support and positive mother-adolescent relationship quality.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the spillover effects existed only between autonomy support and positive friendship quality, and highlight the importance of positive mother-adolescent relationship quality when promoting positive friendship quality.

Ambivalent bonds, positive and negative emotions, and expectations in teachers’ perceptions of relationship with their students with ADHD

A growing body of research has been focusing recently on the life and well-being of students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and also on the well-being of their teachers. However, there is a need for in-depth, qualitative insights into ADHD issues from the teachers’ perspectives. Therefore, the main aim of this qualitative study was to use thematic analysis to explore how teachers perceive the relationship with students with ADHD and the factors that influence the quality of this relationship. Sixteen teachers working with adolescent ADHD students were interviewed for this purpose. The results indicate that the quality of the teacher-ADHD student relationship is associated with the ADHD students related behaviours, ambivalent emotions of the teacher, the teacher’s beliefs about ADHD and the beliefs about the determinants of the behaviour of the students with ADHD and the teacher’s approaches and methods of work in the classroom. Furthermore, the results suggest that increasing the quality of the teachers’ well-being is associated with knowledge of ADHD determinants, regulation of ambivalent emotions, empathy, teachers’ ability to perceive positive qualities and the potentials of the students with ADHD and their motivation to teach ADHD students.

Preschool Children's Observed Interactions with Teachers: Implications for Understanding Teacher-Child Relationships

Theory and research point to the daily interactions between individual children and teachers as formative to teacher-child relationships, yet observed dyadic teacher-child interactions in preschool classrooms have largely been overlooked. This study provides a descriptive examination of the quality of individual children's interactions with their teacher as a basis for understanding one source of information theorized to inform children's and teachers' perceptions of their relationships with each other. Children's dyadic interactions with teachers, including their positive engagement, communication, and conflict, were observed across a large and racially/ethnically diverse sample of 767 preschool children (M = 4.39 years) at three time points in the year. On average, most children displayed low-to-moderate levels of positive engagement (78%), while nearly all children showed rare communication (81%) and conflict (99%) with the teacher. Boys demonstrated lower positive engagement and higher conflict with the teacher than girls. Black children were observed to demonstrate higher positive engagement with the teacher compared to White children. No differences in interaction quality were observed for Black children with a White teacher compared to White child-White teacher or Black child-Black teacher pairs. Results advance our understanding of dyadic teacher-child interactions in preschool classrooms and raise new questions to expand our knowledge of how teacher-child relationships are established, maintained, and modified, to ultimately support teachers in building strong relationships with each and every preschooler.

Longitudinal Associations between Teacher-Student Relationships and Prosocial Behavior in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Basic Need Satisfaction

The quality of teacher-student relationships has been shown to relate to adolescents' prosocial behavior, but the motivational mechanisms underlying this association remained unclear. Based on relationships motivation theory (RMT), we examined whether the associations between teacher-student relationships (closeness and conflict) and prosocial behavior are bidirectional, and the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction) in these links. Data were collected from a sample of 438 secondary school students who completed a survey at two-time points over eight months. The cross-lagged autoregressive model revealed that the relation between close teacher-student relationship and prosocial behavior was bidirectional over time. Moreover, relatedness need satisfaction mediated the positive effect of close teacher-student relationship and the negative effect of teacher-student relationship conflict on adolescents' prosocial behavior. This study highlights the importance of close teacher-student relationship and relatedness need satisfaction to foster adolescents' prosocial behavior.

Teacher Feedback, Student ADHD Behavior, and the Teacher–Student Relationship: Are These Related?

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare positive and corrective teacher feedback toward children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing children, and to examine whether the quality of the teacher–student relationship moderated associations between child behavior and teacher feedback. We observed and coded classroom ADHD behaviors of 55 children with ADHD and 34 typically developing children (TDC; 6–12 years), as well as the levels of positive and corrective teacher feedback they received. Teachers rated closeness and conflict using the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale in the ADHD group. Multilevel analyses revealed that teachers provided significantly more corrective feedback to children in the ADHD compared to the TDC group. Children in the ADHD group received more corrective than positive feedback, but this pattern was reversed for the TDC group. Multiple regression analyses in the ADHD group indicated that lower levels of positive feedback were related to higher levels of motor hyperactivity. Higher levels of corrective feedback were associated with higher levels of verbal hyperactivity. Closeness moderated this association: Corrective feedback was related to levels of verbal hyperactivity only if teachers experienced less closeness in the relationship with the child. None of the other moderation effects were significant. Teachers provided more corrective feedback to children with ADHD than to typically developing children, and teacher feedback toward children with ADHD was associated with levels of hyperactivity. A close teacher–student relationship may serve as protective factor for the receipt of corrective feedback in this group, but experimental studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Preschool children’s negative affect and social skills in China: The moderating effect of the teacher–child relationship

Negative affect is an important temperament in children, influencing their social skills. However, the evidence for this association in preschool children is limited. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms that explain the relationship between preschool children’s negative affect and social skills remain less understood. Thus, the primary goal of this study was to examine the moderating role of the teacher–child relationship in the associations between negative affect and social skills of Chinese preschoolers. A sample of 198 preschool children (Mage = 58.64 ± 3.83 months, 53% boys), recruited from 13 classes in two public kindergartens in Shanghai, China, participated in this 1-year longitudinal study. The mothers reported children’s negative affect, while the teachers reported children’s social skills and the teacher–child relationship. Results of a series of moderating effect analyses showed that (1) T1 negative affect could significantly negatively predict T2 social skills (cooperation, self-control, and assertion), and (2) the associations between negative affect and social skills were moderated by the teacher–child relationship (including teacher–child closeness and conflict). Specifically, a high level of teacher–child closeness buffered the prediction of negative affect on social skills, while a high level of teacher–child conflict aggravated the said prediction. The findings highlight the importance of the teacher–child relationship in the development of children’s social skills during preschool age when they have a high level of negative affect. This has important implications for the development of interventions to improve teacher–child relationships and children’s social skills.

Comparing Indirect and Combined Effects of Mindfulness and Compassion Practice Among Schoolchildren on Inter- and Intra-personal Abilities

Objectives

During the last decade, mindfulness-based interventions have been implemented in the educational system. Such programs could follow several approaches, including an indirect approach, in which interventions are delivered only to teachers and a combination in which interventions are delivered to both teachers and students. Because of the importance of teacher’s involvement in programs designed to help children, we compared students’ impact of indirect, combined, and control groups over time. The indirect program delivered was the “Call to Care – Israel for Teachers,” and the direct program was the “Call to Care Israel” for students. Both programs employ mindfulness, compassion, and training of social-emotional skills, with a unique emphasis on care.

Methods

Two hundred 4th and 5th grade students were divided into indirect (2 classrooms), combined (3 classrooms), or control groups (3 classrooms). Each condition was implemented in a different school; schools were randomly divided into groups. The interventions were delivered by trained facilitators and included 20 weekly meetings. Outcomes for students were measured before the intervention, after it ended, and 6 months later.

Results

Hierarchical linear models revealed that both the indirect and the combined approaches were effective in improving well-being, anxiety, attention, and teacher’s availability and acceptance, while only the combined approach was effective in improving mindfulness, somatization, classroom atmosphere, and pro-social behavior.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the combined approach is more beneficial than the indirect approach. However, given the scalability and cost of the indirect approach, it should also be considered an effective alternative.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-01955-y.

Attachment anxiety and smartphone addiction among university students during confinement: Teacher–student relationships, student–student relationships and school connectedness as mediators

Learning at home during the COVID-19 confinement might affect students' relationships with their peers, teachers, and schools and increase the possibility of smartphone addiction. We hypothesized that attachment anxiety directly and indirectly affects smartphone addiction, with teacher–student relationships, student–student relationships, and school connectedness as mediators. The participants were 999 university students from different regions of China. The results showed that six of the paths were significant except the one between student–student relationships and smartphone addiction. Also, the association between attachment anxiety and smartphone addiction was mediated by teacher–student relationships and school connectedness not but student–student relationships. The current study highlights the mediating effect of school connectedness and teacher–student relationships in the multiple mediation model, and suggests that universities can alleviate the risk of smartphone addiction in distance teaching by cultivating good teacher–student relationships and strengthening students' sense of belonging to their schools.

Parents' perceptions of children's emotional well-being during spring 2020 COVID-19 restrictions: A qualitative study with parents of young children in England

BACKGROUND

During COVID-19 restrictions in England in spring 2020, early years settings for young children were closed to all but a small percentage of families, social contact was limited and play areas in parks were closed. Concerns were raised about the impact of these restrictions on young children's emotional well-being. The aim of this study was to explore parents' perceptions of young children's emotional well-being during these COVID-19 restrictions.

METHODS

We interviewed 20 parents of children 3-4 years due to begin school in England in September 2020. Interviews were conducted via telephone (n = 18) and video call (n = 2), audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews focused on childcare arrangements, children's behaviour and transition to school. A sample of transcripts were coded line by line to create a coding framework, which was subsequently applied to the remaining transcripts. Coded data were then analysed using a nurture lens to develop themes and further understanding.

RESULTS

Participants were predominantly mothers (n = 16), White British (n = 10) and educated to degree level (n = 13), with half the sample living in the highest deprivation quintile in England (n = 10). Five were single parents. Three themes developed from nurturing principles were identified: creating age-appropriate explanations, understanding children's behaviour and concerns about school transition. Parents reported that their children's emotional well-being was impacted and described attempts to support their young children while looking ahead to their transition to primary school.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is one of the first to examine in-depth perceptions of COVID-19 restrictions on young children's emotional well-being. The longer term impacts are not yet understood. Although young children may be unable to understand in detail what the virus is, they undoubtedly experience the disruption it brings to their lives. The well-being of families and children needs to be nurtured as they recover from the effects of the pandemic to allow them to thrive.