Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2019 TEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, INTERACTIONS, AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS EXAMINING BI-DIRECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Rachel Kunemund Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.edu/etd © Rachel Kunemund Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.edu/etd/5979 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact libcompass@vcu. Kunemund 2019 All rights reserved.
TEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, INTERACTIONS, AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS EXAMINING BI-DIRECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University by Rachel L. Kunemund Bachelor of Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Masters of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Directors: Kevin S. Professor Department of Counseling and Special Education Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA June, 2019 ii Acknowledgement As I am wrapping up this Ph. journey there are several people I would like to acknowledge for their support during the past four years.
First, my chair and advisor, Kevin Sutherland. Kevin, you have supported me throughout the past four years and have been an amazing mentor. You have guided me through this Ph. process and given me every opportunity to be successful, I will always be grateful for your endless support.
I would also like to thank Kristen Granger, you have been an incredible, mentor and friend. You have helped guide me through this dissertation process and made the seemingly insurmountable dissertation become possible. Thank you to my committee members Yaoying Xu, Bryce McLeod, and Michael Broda. Your feedback, direction, and encouragement have helped me become a better researcher and scholar.
My dissertation is stronger for it. Next I would like to thank some of the strong and amazing women in my life who have become credible friends and family. Shannon Nemer, one of my closest friends and office mate in the SNaRK lab. We have spent a lot of time together in that tiny office built for one and off on travelling adventures.
I will forever be grateful for your friendship and in admiration of your thoughtfulness and willingness to listen, stay out of the forest. Next, Lauren Bruno, over the past four years you have become my family. You have been there through it all, and are a true friend in every sense of the word, thank you. Many thanks to Kim McKnight, a fantastic mentor and friend.
You have supported me in all aspects of life—school, work, and momming, thank you for your guidance and friendship. iii Finally, I would like to thank my dad and sister. Adrian, we have gone through our own Ph. journeys at the same time and have somehow come out on the other side.
You are an amazing sister and I am so very proud of you. Dad, thank you for always being there and cheering me on throughout the past 31 years, you have always been a great support and I can truly not thank you enough. iv Dedication For Ava, Shane, and mom. You have made this all possible.
v Table of Contents List of Tables…………………………………………………………………………………….vii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………….1 Teacher-child Relationships……………………………………………………………….6 Teacher-child Relationships and Gender………………………………………………….7 Teacher-child Interactions……………………………………………………………….12 Statement of Purpose…………………………………………………………………….…19 Purpose of Meta-analysis…………………………………………………………….……22 Selection of Studies………………………………………………………………22 Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria…………………………………………………22 Coding of Studies…………………………………………………………….25 vi Results……………………………………………………………………………………25 Literature Review……………………………………………………………….25 Sample……………………………………………………………………………26 Data Analyses………………………………………….39 Implication and Limitations…………………………………………………….41 Future Directions and Dissertation Analysis…………………………………….45 BEST in CLASS…………………………………………………………………………45 Participants………………………………………………………………………………47 Measures…………………………………………………………………………………47 Data Analysis Plan……………………………………………………………………….50 Results……………………………………………………………………………………………56 Preliminary Analysis……………………………………….56 Study Variable Descriptives…………………………………………………………….57 Model Fit…………………………………………………………………………………58 BEST in CLASS Group Model………………………………………………………….59 Business as Usual Group Model……………………………………………….62 Comparison of Two Groups…………………………………………………………….65 Problem Behavior and Teacher-child Relationships…………………………………….67 Positive Teacher-child Interactions and Problem Behavior………….…69 Positive Teacher-Child Interactions and Teacher-child Relationships………………….74 Implications and Future Directions………………………………………………………76 References………………………………………………………………….……………80 Appendices Appendix A: Publication Bias Test Figures……………………………………………52 viii List of Tables 1. Study Descriptives and Effect Size Presence 2. BEST in CLASS Study Variable Descriptives and Bivariate Correlations 3. Business as Usual Study Variable Descriptives and Bivariate Correlations 4.
Model path results with confidence intervals ix List of Figures 1. Literature Review Results PRISMA Chart 3. Forest Plot of Association Between Closeness and Problem Behavior 4. Forest Plot of Association Between Problem Behavior and Closeness 5.
Forest Plot of Association Between Conflict and Problem Behavior 6. Forest Plot of Association Between Problem Behavior and Conflict 7. Funnel Plot Examining Distribution of Individual Study Effect Sizes and Standard Errors for Closeness Predicting Problem Behavior 8. Eggers Test Examining Publication Bias for Closeness Predicting Problem Behavior 9.
Funnel Plot from Trim and Fill Analysis for Closeness Predicting Problem Behavior 10. Funnel Plot Examining Distribution of Individual Study Effect Sizes and Standard Errors for Problem Behavior Predicting Closeness 11. Egger’s Test Examining Publication Bias for Problem Behavior Predicting Closeness 12. Funnel Plot from Trim and Fill Analysis for Problem Behavior Predicting Closeness 13.
Funnel Plot Examining Distribution of Individual Study Effect Sizes and Standard Errors for Conflict Predicting Problem Behavior 14. Egger’s Test Examining Publication Bias for Conflict Predicting Publication Bias 15. Funnel Plot from Trim and Fill Analysis for Conflict Predicting Publication Bias x 16. Funnel Plot Examining Distribution of Individual Study Effect Sizes and Standard Errors for Problem Behavior Predicting Conflict 17.
Egger’s Test Examining Publication Bias for Problem Behavior Predicting Conflict 18. Funnel Plot from Trim and Fill Analysis for Problem Behavior Predicting Conflict 19. Data Collection Timeline 20. Overview of Model 21.
BEST in CLASS Group Cross-lagged Model with Significant Paths 22. Business as Usual Group Cross-lagged Model with Significant Paths 23. Hypothesized Associations Between Problem Behavior and Teacher-child Relationships 24. Hypothesized Associations Between Problem Behavior and Teacher-child Interactions 25.
Hypothesized Associations Between Teacher-child Interactions and Teacher-child Relationships Abstract TEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, INTERACTIONS, AND PROBLEM BEHAVIOR: A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS EXAMINING BI-DIRECTIONAL ASSOCIATIONS By Rachel L. Kunemund A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2019 Director: Kevin S. Professor Department of Counseling and Special Education A number of preschool children engage in consistent problem behaviors that place them at-risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. These problem behaviors have been associated with poorer short and long-term outcomes for young children.
Teacher-child relationships (i. conflict and closeness) and positive interactions between teachers and children may be reciprocally associated with problem behavior (e. teacher-child closeness reducing problem behavior). The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal bi-directional relations between teacher-child relationships, teacher-child interactions, and problem behavior over a single school year.
Using a cross-lagged panel model, data from a larger randomized control trial of the BEST in CLASS program, was examined across three time points, and differences based on intervention participation were examined. Results indicated that there were far fewer paths in the business as usual group compared to the BEST in CLASS group. As expected, in the comparison group, problem behavior at Time 1 predicted lower levels of closeness at Time 2, however, this relation was not significant in the BEST in CLASS group. In the BEST in CLASS model problem behavior at Time 1 negatively predicted Time 2 positive interactions and there was a cross-lagged association with problem behavior at Time 1 predicting higher levels of conflict at Time, which in turn predicted higher levels of problem behavior at Time 3.
Additional findings, limitations and implications for intervention work, practice, and policy are discussed. Chapter 1 Importance A number of children in preschool and early elementary school display elevated levels of problem behavior (Barbarin 2007; Forness, Freeman, Paparella, Kauffman, & Walker, 2012). These young children, who are frequently at-risk for developing emotional and behavior disorders (EBD), often have difficulties that extend beyond the classroom. Additionally, as problem behaviors persist, these children often have increased negative outcomes later in school and life (O’Conner et al.
Preschool and the transition into early elementary school is a critical time of development during which intervention can improve outcomes. To reduce the risk and negative outcomes of EBD, it is important to identify factors associated with improved child behavior at a young age. To this end, I aimed to investigate the longitudinal bidirectional relationships between problem behavior, teacher-child relationships, and teacher-child interactions for preschool children and their teachers. Prevalence of EBD.
While many children engage in problem behaviors, there is a lack of consistency in identifying and determining the prevalence of EBD (Brauner & Stephens, 2006; Ringeisen et al. Some researchers approximate the occurrence of EBD anywhere from 3- 6% (Kauffman & Landrum, 2013) to 12% (Forness et al., 2012) with some reports as high nearly 23% of preschool children (Barbarin 2007). Both the mental health and education fields have had difficulty in determining the prevalence of EBD; this is likely due to inconsistent definitions of EBD in the literature (Brauner & Stephens, 2006). Brauner and Stephens reported that the 1 number of children with EBD varied throughout the mental health literature based on how inclusive defined “cut offs” were in the definitions of EBD.
Estimates ranged from 5 to 26% of preschoolers at-risk for EBD; studies with more inclusive cut-offs reported higher prevalence rates. In a separate study, Forness and colleagues (2012) used related psychological disorders (e., conduct disorder, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder) as their criteria for EBD. Landrum (2017) explained that there is not a standard definition and refers to the “flawed” IDEA (2004) definition of Emotional Disturbance as this is what is frequently used in school-based settings (p. Emotional disturbance is defined by IDEA (2004) as: (i) Emotional disturbance means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
(ii) Emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance under paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section. While this definition refers to several aspects of emotional disorders, Landrum (2017) highlights the vagueness and lack of clarification within the definition, opening itself to inconsistency in application. Relatedly, without a consistent definition of EBD, identification of children in school settings with EBD becomes an issue (Brauner & Stephens, 2006; Forness et al.
For example, Forness et al. (2012) estimated that while 12% of the school aged population have EBD only 1% are identified as specifically having emotional disturbance. It is likely that this 1% are those students with the most significant disability (Forness et al. 2 Yet, Kauffman and Landrum (2013) discuss the identification of EBD outside of diagnosed disorders in the mental health field and more so in terms of school-based identification (e., for special education or response to intervention services) when estimating their 3-6% prevalence rate.
One issue is that there are a number of methods for identifying students as having an EBD. Many studies or school personnel rely on teacher, observer, or parent report measures (e., Systematic Screening for Behavioral Disorders; Walker & Severson, 1992) to identify students with increased rates of behavior problems or emotional difficulties, particularly in terms of identification for special education (Landrum, 2017). Despite the difficulty surrounding identification, most recent estimates from Ringeisen and colleagues (2017) concluded that between 9-13% of youth in the United States are identified as have a “serious emotional disorder”. These more current estimates demonstrate the need for research and the identification of supports for young children with EBD.
For the purposes of this paper, EBD included both externalizing (e., disruptive to others, aggressive, and/or defiance or noncompliance with teacher demands; Conroy et al., 2015), and internalizing behaviors (e., withdrawal, shyness; Landrum, 2017).