Child Behavior Problems,Teacher Executive Functions,and Teacher Stress in Head Start Classrooms

Research Findings: The current article explores the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of child behavior problems and preschool teacher job stress, as well as the possibility that teachers’ executive functions moderate this relationship. Data came from 69 preschool teachers in 31 early childhood classrooms in 4 Head Start centers and were collected using Web-based surveys and Web-based direct assessment tasks. Multilevel models revealed that higher levels of teachers’ perceptions of child behavior problems were associated with higher levels of teacher job stress and that higher teacher executive function skills were related to lower job stress. However, findings did not yield evidence for teacher executive functions as a statistical moderator. Practice or Policy: Many early childhood teachers do not receive sufficient training for handling children's challenging behaviors. Child behavior problems increase a teacher's workload and consequently may contribute to feelings of stress. However, teachers’ executive function abilities may enable them to use effective, cognitive-based behavior management and instructional strategies during interactions with students, which may reduce stress. Providing teachers with training on managing challenging behaviors and enhancing executive functions may reduce their stress and facilitate their use of effective classroom practices, which is important for children's school readiness skills and teachers’ health.     

Prenatal Risk Predicts Preschooler Executive Function: A Cascade Model

Little research has considered whether prenatal experience contributes to executive function (EF) development above and beyond postnatal experience. This study tests direct, mediated, and moderated associations between prenatal risk factors and preschool EF and IQ in a longitudinal sample of 1,292 children from the Family Life Project. A composite of prenatal risk factors (i.e., low birth weight, prematurity, maternal emotional problems, maternal prepregnancy obesity, and obstetric complications) significantly predicted EF and IQ at age 3, above quality of the postnatal environment. This relationship was indirect, mediated through infant general cognitive abilities. Quality of the postnatal home and child-care environments did not moderate the cascade model. These findings highlight the role of prenatal experience as a contributor to individual differences in cognitive development.     

Links Between School Absenteeism and Child Poverty

This article reports a study, undertaken in London Boroughs, which aimed to explore the link between school absenteeism and child poverty. The writer begins by exploring issues of definitions of child poverty and school absenteeism in the last fifty years. He then goes on to describe the design of this study and to report his findings. His conclusions are that school absenteeism is strongly associated with child poverty, with pupils at primary school being much more likely to be affected by an area's economics and employment deprivation than their counterparts at secondary schools. School absentees normally start the habit of non–attendance when they are at primary school, with child poverty as a main associated factor. Addressing family welfare issues early is seen as a key intervention.     

Teacher Stress over a School Year

Abstract: Mäkinen, R. & Kinnunen, U. 1986. Teacher Stress over a School Year. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 30, 55‐70. The accumulation of and recovery from stress among teachers was studied longitudinally over a period of 14 months. Variables related to psychological state and health together with hours of work, free time and night time rest, and the quality of interpersonal relations were measured repeatedly (17 times) in a group of 187 teachers. The results indicate accumulation of stress during the autumn term with the result that weekend recovery disappears in November‐December. The Christmas, mid‐winter and Easter holidays seem to prevent stress accumulation during the spring term. As to inter‐individual differences in stress indicators, moderate concurrent correlations with time budget variables (up to .40) as well as with social relations (up to .59) were revealed. True predictive correlations from the autumn term to the spring term, however, were shown only by the quality of teacher/pupil relations.     

学校变革进程中的教师压力管理

随着基础教育课程改革的不断深化以及各项教育改革措施的大力推动,我国的教育体制、教育生态、校园权力结构、课程、教材与教法等均呈现出新的景象,学校组织也经历了实质性的变革。这些变化对学校教师造成了相当程度的冲击,给他们带来了不可小视的压力。有关研究表明,教师的压力会影响到教师的情绪,而教师的情绪又直接影响到教师的教学效能。因此,协助教师纾解压力,使之转化为教师进步成长的动力,从而提升教师的教学效能,就成为研究者和改革实践者必须关注的重要课题。一、学校变革节奏的加快与加强“变革”的英文是change,其本意指的是一种…     

Pathways to School Readiness: Executive Functioning Predicts Academic and Social–Emotional Aspects of School Readiness

The current study specified the extent to which hot and cool aspects of executive functioning predicted academic and social‐emotional indicators of school readiness. It was unique in focusing on positive aspects of social–emotional readiness, rather than problem behaviors. One hundred four 3–5‐year‐old children completed tasks measuring executive functioning, social–emotional readiness, academic readiness, and vocabulary. As expected, age predicted executive functioning components and social–emotional readiness. Moreover, working memory and inhibitory control directly predicted academic readiness, whereas delay of gratification predicted social–emotional readiness. Working memory and inhibitory control predicted delay of gratification, consistent with the notion that simpler executive functions may set the stage for more complex executive functions. Interestingly, social–emotional readiness predicted academic readiness. These findings confirm that hot and cool aspects of executive functioning are related to social–emotional and academic school readiness.     

Expressive Vocabulary Predicts Nonverbal Executive Function: A 2-year Longitudinal Study of Deaf and Hearing Children

Numerous studies suggest an association between language and executive function (EF), but evidence of a developmental relationship remains inconclusive. Data were collected from 75 deaf/hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and 82 hearing age-matched controls. Children were 6–11 years old at first time of testing and completed a battery of nonverbal EF tasks and a test of expressive vocabulary. These tasks were completed again 2 years later. Both groups improved their scores on all tasks over this period. DHH children performed significantly less well than hearing peers on some EF tasks and the vocabulary test at both time points. Cross-lagged panel models showed that vocabulary at Time 1 predicted change in EF scores for both DHH and hearing children but not the reverse.     

Preschool‐Age Problem Behavior and Teacher–Child Conflict in School: Direct and Moderation Effects by Preschool Organization

The hypothesis was tested that the new open‐group Norwegian day‐care centers would more than traditionally organized centers negatively affect (a) current and (b) future teacher–child relationships, and (c) the developmental legacy of preschool problem behavior. The focus was on eight hundred and fifty 4‐year‐olds from 153 centers who were followed up in first grade. Results of this natural quasi‐experiment revealed that children from open‐group centers (a) experienced less teacher–child closeness in preschool and (b) more teacher–child conflict in first grade, and (c) that high levels of preschool problem behavior forecast especially high levels of future teacher–child conflict, but only for children from open‐group centers. Results highlight the importance of spatial and social organization of day care and their translational implications.     

Family Turbulence and Child Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: Moderation of Effects by Race

This study examined the impact of residential instability and family structure transitions on the development of internalizing and externalizing problems from age 2 through 10.5. Child's race was examined as a moderator. Caregiver reports of internalizing and externalizing behaviors were obtained on 665 children at ages 5 and 10.5. Early-childhood residential and family structure transitions predicted elevated internalizing and externalizing problems at ages 5 and 10.5, but only for Caucasian children. These findings suggest that residential and family structure instability during early childhood independently contribute to children's later emotional and behavioral development, but vary as a function of the child's race. Community organizations (e.g., Women, Infant, and Children) can connect turbulent families with resources to attenuate effects of residential and family structure instability.     

How Parents Feel About Their Child’s Teacher/School: Implications for Early Childhood Professionals

The purpose of this article is to describe the effects that parent perceptions of their relationships with teachers have on parent involvement. After providing a brief review of literature identifying the importance of parent–teacher relationship formation, the authors provide suggestions for early childhood educators that will help them establish and maintain productive relationships with the families that they serve.     

从应力边界条件推求应力函数

对于矩形截面梁，提出了一种根据主要应力边界条件确定应力函数的方法，该方法克服了设定应力函数的盲目性，并通过例题说明了该方法的正确性及应用方法，对于弹性力学教学具有参考价值。     

Inside Systemic Elementary School Reform: Teacher Effects and Teacher Mobility

In the 1995–96 and 1996–97 school years, 37 elementary schools in Memphis, TN began implementation of 1 of 8 comprehensive school reform designs. The effectiveness and mobility of teachers at these schools were examined longitudinally relative to teachers at 63 nonrestructuring schools. Analyses of teacher effectiveness scores, derived from student “value-added” achievement scores, indicate that the 1995 reform cohort only showed significantly greater gains in effectiveness relative to the nonrestructuring group. This pattern was most strongly pronounced for highly experienced teachers. Teacher mobility was found to increase minimally as a function of restructuring, largely due to district policy changes.     

Effortful Control Predicts Adolescent Antisocial‐Aggressive Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms: Co‐Occurrence and Moderation by Impulsivity

Effortful control is associated with fewer aggressive‐antisocial behaviors (AAB) and depressive symptoms (DEP), but impulsivity may moderate these relations. However, few researchers have considered the effects of AAB‐DEP co‐occurrence. A multi‐informant, multimethod approach assessed 5‐ to 10‐year‐olds’ effortful control and impulsivity and, 5–6 years later, their AAB and DEP (N = 474). Participants were non‐Hispanic Caucasian (59.2%) or Hispanic (27.9%) from a Southwestern U.S. metropolitan area. Low effortful control predicted pure AAB. Low effortful control and low impulsivity predicted pure DEP and co‐occurring AAB‐DEP. An effortful Control × Impulsivity × Age interaction predicted pure AAB and co‐occurring AAB‐DEP. For older adolescents, lower effortful control predicted more symptoms only at average and high impulsivity. Results highlight multiple pathways to pure DEP versus pure AAB or co‐occurring AAB‐DEP.     

Maternal Language and Child Vocabulary Mediate Relations Between Socioeconomic Status and Executive Function During Early Childhood

This article examined longitudinal relations among socioeconomic risk, maternal language input, child vocabulary, and child executive function (EF) in a large sample (N = 1,009) recruited for a prospective longitudinal study. Two measures of maternal language input derived from a parent–child picture book task, vocabulary diversity (VOCD), and language complexity, showed variation by socioeconomic risk at child ages 15, 24, and 36 months. Maternal VOCD at child age 24 months and maternal language complexity at child age 36 months mediated the relation between socioeconomic risk and 48-month child EF, independent of parenting sensitivity. Moreover, 36-month child vocabulary mediated the relation between maternal language input and child EF. These findings provide novel evidence about mechanisms linking socioeconomic risk and child executive function.     

Relationship-Focused Child Care Practices: Quality of Care and Child Outcomes for Children in Poverty

Research Findings: Child care delivery practices promoting continuous, primary caregiver–child relationships (relationship-focused child care) were evaluated for 223 preschool-age children (45% African American, 55% Latino) attending child care centers serving low-income children. Both relationship-focused and non-relationship-focused centers were accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Children in relationship-focused programs received more sensitive, involved, and affectionate caregiving and were more engaged with their caregivers than children in comparison centers, but some differences were greater for African American children. Outcomes associated with relationship-focused care included greater parent-reported child compliance and closer parent–caregiver relations, but no consistent benefits for cognitive school readiness, receptive language, or child behavior problems were found. Follow-up assessments were completed 1 year later for 119 children who remained in their programs. Social and cognitive outcomes improved over time, but some changes were moderated by child race/ethnicity and center type. Over time, parents reported greater child compliance and caregivers reported better parent–caregiver relationships in relationship-focused programs. Practice or Policy: Some social benefits of continuous, primary caregivers were found, but children's cognitive competencies improved with sustained attendance at these accredited programs regardless of the relationship-focused practices.     

Relationship-Focused Child Care Practices: Quality of Care and Child Outcomes for Children in Poverty

Research Findings: Child care delivery practices promoting continuous, primary caregiver-child relationships (relationship-focused child care) were evaluated for 223 preschool-age children (45% African American, 55% Latino) attending child care centers serving low-income children. Both relationship-focused and non-relationship-focused centers were accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Children in relationship-focused programs received more sensitive, involved, and affectionate caregiving and were more engaged with their caregivers than children in comparison centers, but some differences were greater for African American children. Outcomes associated with relationship-focused care included greater parent-reported child compliance and closer parent-caregiver relations, but no consistent benefits for cognitive school readiness, receptive language, or child behavior problems were found. Follow-up assessments were completed 1 year later for 119 children who remained in their programs. Social and cognitive outcomes improved over time, but some changes were moderated by child race/ethnicity and center type. Over time, parents reported greater child compliance and caregivers reported better parent-caregiver relationships in relationship-focused programs. Practice or Policy: Some social benefits of continuous, primary caregivers were found, but children's cognitive competencies improved with sustained attendance at these accredited programs regardless of the relationship-focused practices.     

The Development of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Primary School: Contributions of Executive Function and Social Competence

This study sought to elucidate the contributions of inferior executive function and social competence to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in primary school. Children (N = 1,115), on average 5.36 years old in first grade, were followed across primary school with measures of multi-method and multi-informant. Results of growth modeling demonstrated that poor executive function in first grade predicted high levels of both problems and a low rate of decline in externalizing problems over time, independent of the co-occurrence of both problems. Moreover, the impact of poor executive function on behavioral problems may be dependent on its association with disruptive social competence. Findings highlighted the interrelations of risk factors to understanding the development of behavioral problems in primary school.     

教师发展学校：营造高校与中小学教师教育共同体

教师发展学校是营造高校与中小学教师教育共同体的重要载体.抓住共同体建设这一核心可以积极主动地应对当前教师教育面临的问题.教师发展学校营造高校与中小学教师教育共同体的突破口在于推进高校与中小学在教师教育上的合作,树立正确的合作理念,形成良性的合作机制,确立合作行动的主要内容与共享双赢的方针.在营造高校与中小学教师教育共同体的过程中,教师发展学校建设借助良好的外部策略环境创设,能彰显其丰富的内在价值.     

中小学教师流动的问题与对策

目前,中小学教师流动出现了一些不合理现象:教师流失严重,流动单向性,流动人事纠纷日增,影响了基础教育全面、健康的发展。为了促进教师合理流动,应该采取以下措施:(一)建立教师定期轮换流动制,构建教师系统内流动机制。(二)广开入口,面向社会广辟师源;疏通出口,建立“竞争—淘汰”机制;建立教师人才市场,搭建教师交流平台,构建教师系统内与系统外之间流动机制。     

The Role of Classroom-Level Child Behavior Problems in Predicting Preschool Teacher Stress and Classroom Emotional Climate

Research Findings: Despite the abundance of research suggesting that preschool classroom quality influences children's social-emotional development, the equally important and related question of how characteristics of children enrolled in a classroom influence classroom quality has rarely been addressed. The current article focuses on this question while also considering teacher stress as a mediator of the relationship between child behavior problems and classroom emotional climate. Data came from 2 low-income samples. Ordinary least squares regression revealed that higher levels of child externalizing behavior problems in the fall predicted higher teacher stress in the spring. Teacher stress was nonlinearly related to classroom emotional climate in the spring: Moderate levels of teacher stress were associated with higher (i.e., more positive) classroom emotional climates, and low and high levels of teacher stress were associated with lower classroom emotional climates. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of child externalizing behavior problems were related to higher classroom emotional climates. There was no evidence that teacher stress mediated this relationship. Practice or Policy: These results are discussed in terms of strategies to reduce the disruptive influence of child behavior problems on the classroom emotional climate as well as strategies to limit high levels of preschool teacher stress.