The moderating role of the teacher-child relationship in the association between peer rejection and language competence in early childhood education

IF 4.9 1区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Learning and Instruction Pub Date : 2025-08-28 DOI:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102217

Femke van der Wilt , Jantine Spilt , Sharisse van Driel , Hilde Colpin (Prof)

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Early language competence is an important predictor of children's academic and social success, as it underpins cognitive, communicative, and interpersonal skills.

Aims

In the present study, the relation between peer rejection and language competence was investigated in early childhood education. In addition, it was assessed whether the teacher-child relationship moderates this relation.

Sample(s)

In total, N = 328 children and seventeen teachers participated in the study. Children went to Dutch primary schools and were aged four to six years.

Methods

The extent to which children were rejected by peers was measured with a nomination procedure and children's level of language competence was assessed with a subscale of the Nijmegen Test for Pragmatics. The teacher-child relationship was measured by two subscales of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale, indicating the level of teacher-child closeness and teacher-child conflict.

Results

Outcomes of multilevel analyses demonstrated that peer rejection is related to language competence for below-median levels of teacher-child closeness (not above-median) and for above-median levels of teacher-child conflict (not below-median).

Conclusions

These findings extend previous research into the relation between peer rejection and language competence and indicate the need of investigating both teacher-child – and peer relationships to better understand their joint influence on language development.

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幼儿教育中师生关系在同伴排斥与语言能力关系中的调节作用

背景良好的语言能力是儿童学业和社会成功的重要预测指标，因为它是认知、沟通和人际交往能力的基础。目的探讨幼儿教育中同伴排斥与语言能力的关系。此外，我们还评估了师生关系是否会调节这种关系。总共有N = 328名儿童和17名教师参与了研究。孩子们上的是荷兰小学，年龄在4到6岁之间。方法采用提名法测量儿童被同龄人排斥的程度，采用奈梅亨语用学测试子量表评估儿童的语言能力水平。师生关系采用《师生关系量表》的两个子量表进行测量，分别表示师生亲密程度和师生冲突程度。结果：多水平分析的结果表明，同伴拒绝与中位数以下的师生亲密程度（不高于中位数）和中位数以上的师生冲突程度（不低于中位数）的语言能力有关。结论本研究结果拓展了以往关于同伴拒绝与语言能力关系的研究，并表明需要对师生关系和同伴关系进行调查，以更好地了解它们对语言发展的共同影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Learning and Instruction Multiple-

CiteScore

11.30

自引率

4.80%

发文量

109

期刊介绍： As an international, multi-disciplinary, peer-refereed journal, Learning and Instruction provides a platform for the publication of the most advanced scientific research in the areas of learning, development, instruction and teaching. The journal welcomes original empirical investigations. The papers may represent a variety of theoretical perspectives and different methodological approaches. They may refer to any age level, from infants to adults and to a diversity of learning and instructional settings, from laboratory experiments to field studies. The major criteria in the review and the selection process concern the significance of the contribution to the area of learning and instruction, and the rigor of the study.