Teachers’ competence promote close relationships to children with externalising problems and conflictual relationships

Abstract

This study explored longitudinal associations between student-teacher closeness in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) at 5 years of age and children’s externalising problems at 3, 5 and 8 years, and its potential dependency on teachers’ perceived competence regarding children’s behavioural and social problems. We applied structural equation modelling to data from 7478 children (50.2% boys) from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child Cohort study. Results show that teachers’ reports of close relationships in ECEC are beneficial for reduced externalising problems at 8 years, as reported by mothers. Yet, early externalising problems at 3 years compose a risk for low closeness in ECEC. Insufficient competence among teachers about children’s social and behavioural problems increases this risk, especially in the presence of student-teacher conflict. When teachers perceive their competence as sufficient, the risk of low closeness is reduced for these children.

Keywords:

• Mental health development
• student-teacher relationship
• teacher competence
• early childhood education
• MoBa

Acknowledgements

The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research. We are grateful to all the participating families in Norway who take part in this on-going cohort study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Norwegian Research Council under grant no. 273707.