TY - JOUR
T1 - The association between preschool classroom quality and children's social-emotional problems
AU - Hassan Hemdan Mohamed, Ahmed
AU - Marzouk, Samah Abd Al Fatah Mohamed
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Taylor & Francis.
PY - 2016/8/2
Y1 - 2016/8/2
N2 - This study examined the association between early childhood classroom quality and preschool children's social skills and emotional problems. Teachers completed the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment-Clinical Form (DECA-C). Participants included 141 preschool children from 10 kindergartens and 28 classrooms in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The study used a mixed-methods approach to explore quantitative and qualitative data. For the qualitative data, focus groups were used to interview a group of female preschool teachers in the schools where observations were conducted. The quantitative results of the study indicated that all the ECERS-R subscales were acceptable expect for the parents and staff subscale. For the DECA-C, the Total Protective Factors (TPF) composite score (including the attachment, self-control, and initiative subscales) was above the mean, which indicates acceptable levels of social functioning. The Total Behavioural Concerns (TBC) composite score (including attention problems, aggression problems, emotional-control problems, and withdrawal/depression problems subscales) was below the mean, which refers to low levels of behavioural problems. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that two subscales of the ECERS-R, namely space and furnishing, and language and reasoning predicted the TPF composite score. Also, two subscales of the ECERS-R, namely activities and interaction, significantly predicted the TBC composite score, while programme structure and parents and staff negatively predicted the TBC composite score.
AB - This study examined the association between early childhood classroom quality and preschool children's social skills and emotional problems. Teachers completed the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment-Clinical Form (DECA-C). Participants included 141 preschool children from 10 kindergartens and 28 classrooms in Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The study used a mixed-methods approach to explore quantitative and qualitative data. For the qualitative data, focus groups were used to interview a group of female preschool teachers in the schools where observations were conducted. The quantitative results of the study indicated that all the ECERS-R subscales were acceptable expect for the parents and staff subscale. For the DECA-C, the Total Protective Factors (TPF) composite score (including the attachment, self-control, and initiative subscales) was above the mean, which indicates acceptable levels of social functioning. The Total Behavioural Concerns (TBC) composite score (including attention problems, aggression problems, emotional-control problems, and withdrawal/depression problems subscales) was below the mean, which refers to low levels of behavioural problems. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that two subscales of the ECERS-R, namely space and furnishing, and language and reasoning predicted the TPF composite score. Also, two subscales of the ECERS-R, namely activities and interaction, significantly predicted the TBC composite score, while programme structure and parents and staff negatively predicted the TBC composite score.
KW - DECA-C
KW - ECERS-R
KW - behavioural problems
KW - preschool children
KW - quality
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U2 - 10.1080/03004430.2015.1092140
DO - 10.1080/03004430.2015.1092140
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84945205301
SN - 0300-4430
VL - 186
SP - 1302
EP - 1315
JO - Early Child Development and Care
JF - Early Child Development and Care
IS - 8
ER -