Shyness and School Adjustment Among Chinese Preschool Children: Examining the Moderating Effect of Gender and Teacher–Child Relationship

Abstract

Research Findings: The current study examined the moderating effects of gender and teacher–child relationship on the association between shyness and school adjustment (school liking and avoidance, cooperative and independent participation). The sample consisted of 524 preschool students from 3 cities of Shandong province in northern China. Mothers reported children's shyness, school liking, and school avoidance, whereas teachers rated children's cooperative and independent participation and reported perceived teacher–child relationships. Overall, findings indicated that shyness was associated with lower teacher–child closeness, lower school liking, and higher school avoidance. Child gender moderated the relationship between shyness and teacher–child dependency. Moreover, teacher–child relationship and child gender moderated the shyness–adjustment relationships. Practice or Policy: These findings point to the potential for improving teacher–child relationships to facilitate shy preschoolers’ school adjustment and the importance of taking child gender into consideration in such intervention programs.