The interplay of temperament and teacher-child relationships on learning behaviors in colombian preschool children

Abstract

This study intends to: (a) assess how Colombian preschoolers from high-income families' temperaments and teacher-child relationships affect their learning behaviors; (b) investigate how temperamental traits—such as negative affect, surgency, and effortful control—affect motivation, persistence, and attitudes towards learning; and (c) investigate the effects of the quality of the teacher-child relationship, which is characterized by closeness and conflict, on these learning behaviours. Seven teachers and 157 students (Mage = 6.13, SD =.33; 50.3% girls) from two preschools that used the Cambridge educational approach were included in the sample. One school prioritized academic discipline, while the other focused on student autonomy. The Child Behavior Questionnaire, Student-Teacher Relationship Scale, and Preschool Learning Behavior Scale—all validated for Colombia—were used to assess teachers as part of the data gathering process. The hypotheses were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. The findings showed that decreased motivation was linked to more surgency (β = -.282) and more teacher-child conflict (β = -.603). On the other hand, improved task persistence was associated with decreased surgency (β = -.304), less teacher-child conflict (β = -.702), and higher effortful control (β =.295). Higher effortful control (β =.266), lower surgency (β = -.276), and less teacher-child conflict (β = -.553) were all linked to positive attitudes towards learning. There was no discernible moderating influence of the teacher-student interaction between learning behaviours and temperament. These results demonstrate how early childhood characteristics—specifically temperament and teacher-student relationships—have a significant impact on how high-income Colombian preschoolers learn. Better learning outcomes were promoted by active control and constructive teacher-student interactions, whereas negative learning behaviours were associated with excessive surgency and conflict. Children's learning experiences and long-term success may be enhanced by interventions that lessen conflict and encourage self-regulation, according to the study, which sheds light on these dynamics within structured, excellent curriculum in Colombia.