Exploring the complex relationship between developmentally appropriate activities and teacher-child interaction quality in rural Chinese preschools

• Published in: Children and youth services review Vol. 116; p. 105112
• Main Authors: Hu, Bi Ying, Wang, Shuang, Song, Yingquan, LoCasale-Crouch, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Activities; Children; Chinese preschool; Classrooms; Curricula; Day care centers; Emotional support; Emotions; Provision for learning; Teacher-child interactions; Teachers; Activities; Teacher-child interactions; Chinese preschool; Provision for learning
• ISSN: 0190-7409; 1873-7765
• DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105112

•Activities is related to classroom interactions.•Activities mediate the links between structural quality and classroom interactions.•Structural quality moderate the link between Activities and Instructional Support. In this study, the complex association between developmentally appropriate activities and teacher-child interaction quality is explored among 122 teachers from 59 rural preschools in northern China. Specifically, the researchers examined the association between three dimensions of Provisions for Learning (i.e., Space and Furnishing (SF), Curriculum Planning and Implementation (CPI), and Activities) and three domains of teacher-child interaction quality (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support). The results confirmed activities fully mediated the influence from SF to Emotional Support and Instructional Support. Also, Activities fully mediated the association between CPI and Emotional and Instructional Support. Moreover, SF and CPI moderated the association between Activities and Instructional Support. Implications are discussed, particularly in light of the rural preschool context.