Child-specific interaction quality at the first and last year of preschool and its relationship to preschool, child, and family characteristics – an empirical perspective using the inCLASS

ABSTRACT

Interaction processes in preschools have been mostly studied at group-level and not at child-level – which means that interactions of whole groups of children have been investigated, but not individual children’s experiences. Therefore, this paper analyses child-specific interaction processes, the individual child experiences at first and last preschool year, and which aspects (preschool, child and family characteristics) are associated with these child-specific processes. Information on child-specific processes 160 children experienced at age 3.5 years (t1) and 5.5 years (t2) in German preschools were used. The child-specific interaction quality was measured with a standardized observation instrument – the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Information on preschool, child and family characteristics were assessed via teacher questionnaires and parent interviews. Results demonstrate children experience slightly different levels of child-specific interaction in their first and last preschool years, and that preschool characteristics are of different importance for child-specific interaction quality in the first and last preschool year.

KEYWORDS:

• Child-specific interaction quality
• inCLASS
• preconditions
• preschool
• early childhood education

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1 The regions were chosen, because the team conducting the study is located at the University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau Campus

2 Please note that we did not consider teacher-child ratio, as it is highly correlated with group size.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation under [grant number KL 3042/1-1] and [grant number SCHM 3052/4-1].

Notes on contributors

Molina Ramirez

Molina Ramirez is a researcher at the Department of Early Childhood Education, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany. Her research focuses on the impact of early years learning environments.

Anja Linberg

Anja Linberg is a postdoc researcher at German Youth Institute (DJI, Munich, Germany). In her research she focusses on the quality, structure and impact of home and institutional early childhood learning environments.