Author(s): Pinto, Ana Isabel ; Cadima, Joana ; Coelho, Vera ; Bryant, Donna M. ; Peixoto, Carla ; Pessanha, Manuela ; Burchinal, Margaret R. ; Barros, Sílvia
Date: 2019
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/15906
Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico do Porto
Subject(s): Child care qualityAdaptive; Infants; Engagement; Adaptive behavior; Teacher–infants interactions
In this study, we examine associations between the quality of teacher-child interactions and infantoutcomes during their first months in Portuguese childcare centers. Participants were 90 infants, theirmothers and their teachers. A set of multiple regression models were conducted to determine whetherclassroom quality related to active engagement and non-engagement and to adaptive behavior six monthslater, controlling for important covariates, namely developmental age, child temperament, mothers’ edu-cation, and home quality. Results showed that, in higher quality classrooms, infants spent more timeactively engaged, less time non-engaged and six months later were rated as having higher levels of adap-tive behaviors. Findings provide further evidence for the need to better support teachers in fosteringinfant active engagement and unfolding capacities as part of high-quality daily experiences in childcare.
