Teacher emotional support in relation to social competence in preschool classrooms
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the associations between teachers’ observed emotional support and social competence among Finnish pre-schoolers (6-year-olds). The quality of emotional support was observed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System Pre-K in 47 preschool classrooms twice across the preschool year. Teachers rated children’s social competence in autumn and again in spring, using the Multisource Assessment of Social Competence Scale (MASCS), which produced sum scores for cooperating skills, empathy, impulsivity, and disruptiveness. Consistent with the transactional model, we specified reciprocal (auto-regressive and cross-lagged) relationships within a Multilevel Structural Equation Models (MSEM) framework. The results showed that higher quality of emotional support in preschool autumn was related to more prosocial behaviours typical of the classroom during spring of the preschool year. Children’s antisocial behaviours typical of the preschool classroom were not associated with quality of emotional support or vice versa. The results emphasize the importance of responsive and sensitive classroom interactions in promoting prosocial behaviours.
Main Authors
Format
Articles
Research article
Published
2020
Series
Subjects
Publication in research information system
Publisher
Routledge
The permanent address of the publication
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202007155328Käytä tätä linkitykseen.
Review status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1743-727X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2020.1791815
Language
English
Published in
International Journal of Research and Method in Education
Citation
- Pakarinen, E., Lerkkanen, M.-K., & von Suchodoletz, A. (2020). Teacher emotional support in relation to social competence in preschool classrooms. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 43(4), 444-460. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727x.2020.1791815
Funder(s)
Ella ja Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation
Research Council of Finland
Funding program(s)
Others
Academy Project, AoF
Muut
Akatemiahanke, SA
![Research Council of Finland Research Council of Finland](/jyx/themes/jyx/images/funders/sa_logo.jpg?_=1739278984)
Additional information about funding
This work was supported by Academy of Finland (No. 317610), Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation and University of Jyväskylä (Department of Teacher Education). The data collection was partly funded by New York University Abu Dhabi Faculty Research Fund.
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