Teacher Experience and Level of Training as Predictors of Teacher-Child Interactions in Preschool Classrooms

Researchers have recognized that quality early education programs yield positive long-term benefits, but have failed to examine the relationships between these teacher characteristics and teacher-child interactions. This quantitative study was nonexperimental with data gathered through naturalistic observation. The extent to which years of early childhood teaching experience and level of training in early childhood education predicted the quality of teacher-child interactions in preschool environments was investigated. Teacher-participants were recruited from publicly and privately funded preschools in New York. The participants were observed by a rater who was certified as an observer on the implementation of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). The types of teacher-child interactions measured through the use of the CLASS instrument were emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support. Emotional support referred to the climate and sensitivity of the teacher in the classroom; classroom organization pertained to classroom processes that result in the organization and management of student's behavior, time, and attention; and instructional support examined the way teachers promote concept development, provide feedback that extends student thinking, and facilitate the use of language. Additionally, the participants responded to demographic questions identifying their years of teaching experience and the level of training in early education. Multiple regression results indicated that neither years of teacher experience nor level of teacher training explained a significant proportion of variance in the level of emotional support in teacher-child interactions, R² = .05, F(5, 63) = .64, p > .05. In the domain of classroom organization, the criterion variable was not statistically significant, R² = .08, F(5, 63) = 1.11, p > .05. Neither years of teaching experience nor level of teacher training indicated a significant proportion of variance in the level of instructional support, R² = .05, F(5, 63) = .59, p > .05. Future research should be conducted with regards to the relationship between types of leadership and instructional practice that will serve to improve preschool education and address standards of quality in relation to No Child Left Behind.