The Examination of the Relationship between the Quality of Teacher-Child Interaction and Children's Self-Regulation Skills

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) in Turkey and analyze the relationship between the quality of teacher-child interaction and children’s self-regulation skills. 120 preschool classrooms were observed in 2012-2013 Academic Year in Ankara and it was seen that fit indices of CLASS were at an appropriate level. It was seen that the quality of teacher-child interaction was at medium level in emotional support and classroom organization domains, and at low level in instructional support domain. It was found that the quality of teacher-child interaction varies by experience and the number of professional development courses taken by teachers. It was also seen that the children‘s self-regulation skills showed positive and high correlation with teacher-child interaction in the attention-impulse control sub-dimension and low correlation in the positive emotion sub-dimension. Teachers need additional assistance to improve the quality of their interactions with children, especially in instructional support. It is suggested that the quality of teacher-child interaction can be improved with a coaching system supporting teachers.