Participation, Teacher–Child Interactions Quality, and Length of Exposure to the Early Childhood Education Teacher Are Associated with Friendship Quality in Early Childhood Education Settings

Participation practices, teacher–child interactions quality, and length of exposure to the early childhood education teacher in early childhood education (ECE) settings are associated with children’s friendship quality. These are findings from a study conducted at Iscte-Lisbon University Institute and recently published in the scientific journal Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

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Friendships are generally defined as mutual or reciprocal relationships that are important for human development, providing social support throughout life. The development of friendships begins early in life and plays a fundamental role in children’s social-emotional development. During childhood, friendships contribute to adjustment to new environments and contexts and support the development of social skills. Friendship quality is particularly important, as it reflects how children interact with one another. In ECE settings, peer interactions are influenced by the ECE teacher and by the quality of both their practices and the interactions they establish with children.

According to Nadine Correia, first author of the study and professor at the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon, the existing literature suggests that “positive, high-quality teacher-child interactions and practices that promote children’s right to participation, allowing children to express themselves, make decisions, and take part in decision-making, are associated with the development of friendships characterized by positive involvement and mutual support.” In this study, the research team, also including the researchers Helena Carvalho (Center for Research and Studies in Sociology, CIES-Iscte) and Cecília Aguiar (Center for Psychological Research and Social Intervention, CIS-Iscte), examined the associations between participation practices ensured by the ECE teachers, teacher-child interactions quality, and children's friendship quality in ECE settings. The study further examined how these associations vary as a function of the length of exposure to the ECE teacher.

Participation practices refer to teachers’ actions and strategies aimed at supporting children's active engagement, choice, and autonomy (e.g., practices encouraging children to express their perspectives and involving them in shared decision-making), considering their contributions and informing them about decisions taken. Teacher-child interactions quality can be analyzed across three specific domains, namely emotional support (e.g., sensitivity to children’s characteristics and needs), organizational support (e.g., consistent rules and structured routines), and instructional support (e.g., fostering concept development, reasoning, and language skills). Friendship quality describes the nature of peer interactions and is characterized by varying levels of closeness (mutual affection, trust) and conflict (negative or hostile interactions). Finally, the length of exposure to the ECE teacher can be defined by the number of months a child has accumulated with the same teacher, reflecting relational stability and continuity of exposure to specific practices and interactions patterns.

The study involved 336 children from 58 ECE classrooms in the Lisbon metropolitan area, and the respective 58 ECE teachers. Data were collected at three different time points throughout the school year, within a total of two years of data collection. Overall, the results suggest that the length of exposure to the ECE teacher is associated with friendship quality in ECE settings. “Our data suggest that participation practices and high-quality teacher-child interactions, when stable over time, seem to be important for children’s friendship quality in ECE settings” as Nadine Correia refers.

More specifically, the study results indicated when children spent more months with the ECE teacher, participation practices were associated with lower levels of conflict in friendships. Regarding teacher-child interactions quality, higher levels of instructional support were associated with greater closeness in children’s friendships, when children spent more months with the ECE teacher. In addition, the length of exposure to the ECE teacher moderated the negative association between emotional support and conflict in children's friendships. As Helena Carvalho notes, this means that “children who spend more time with teachers that provide higher levels of emotional support, show fewer conflicts in their friendships.” Organizational support was also associated with conflict: "Higher levels of organizational support were associated with higher levels of conflict, when the length of exposure to the ECE teacher was lower. We were surprised to find that these practices were associated with more conflict in situations of shorter accumulated time with the teacher”, clarifies Cecília Aguiar, emphasizing the importance of the overall quality of teacher-child interactions.

The researchers emphasize that the observed effects are small and should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, these findings are consistent with previous research, particularly regarding the combined positive effect of high-quality practices and sustained exposure to the ECE teacher on children's socioemotional development. The practical implications for ECE teachers and for educational policy are clear: in ECE settings, it is important to support child participation and to ensure daily high-quality practices encompassing emotional, organizational, and instructional support. At the instructional level, for instance, teachers should encourage complex thinking, model children’s language, and providing contingent and appropriate feedback. These are competences that seem to contribute to children’s friendship quality”, advances Cecília Aguiar. At the policy level, the authors conclude that it is essential to ensure “policies that reinforce the importance of stable and long-lasting relationships between teachers and children. To this end, it may be important to ensure continuous professional development focused on teacher-child interactions and child participation.”

Text written by Pedro Simão Mendes (Science Communication Manager)