A Course on Effective Teacher-Child Interactions

TLDR

A 14‑week course on effective teacher‑child interactions, grounded in the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, was randomly assigned to half of 440 early‑childhood teachers. Teachers who completed the course reported stronger intentional teaching beliefs, greater knowledge and skill in detecting effective interactions, and were observed to display more effective emotional and instructional interactions, with benefits seen across all education levels and implications for improving early‑childhood program quality.

Abstract

Among 440 early childhood teachers, half were randomly assigned to take a 14-week course on effective teacher-child interactions. This course used the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) as the basis to organize, describe, and demonstrate effective teacher-child interactions. Compared to teachers in a control condition, those exposed to the course reported more intentional teaching beliefs and demonstrated greater knowledge of and skills in detecting effective interactions. Furthermore, teachers who took the course were observed to demonstrate more effective emotional and instructional interactions. The course was equally effective across teachers with less than an associate’s degree as well as those with advanced degrees. Results have implications for efforts to improve the quality of early childhood programs through the higher education system.