Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Teacher Efficacy, Resilience, and Teacher-Child Interactions of Kindergarten Teachers

Background/Objectives: It is well known that children gain skills and develop ideas and values from play, which is why play-oriented curricula are based on new understandings of learning through play. However, concerns have been raised about whether children can learn when playing on their own. It has therefore been suggested that early childhood teacher-child interactions should be focused on ensuring that child play is centered on learning and development. To examine this more closely, this study explored the relationships between emotional intelligence, teacher efficacy, resilience, and teacher-child interactions in kindergarten teachers. Methods: The participants; 219 kindergarten teachers in U-city; completed questionnaires on emotional intelligence, teacher efficacy, resilience, and teacher-child interactions. Descriptive statistics were first used to summarize and describe the variables, after which the data were analyzed using correlations and stepwise multiple regressions. Results: Statistically significant positive correlations were found between emotional intelligence, teacher efficacy, resilience, and teacher-child interactions. Emotional interactions were predicted by resilience, teacher efficacy, and the teachers’ emotional intelligence, linguistic interactions were predicted by resilience and teacher efficacy, behavioral interactions were predicted by resilience and teacher efficacy, and teacher- child interactions were predicted by emotional intelligence, teacher efficacy, and teacher resilience. Conclusion/Implications: Resilience has a greater influence on teacher-child interactions than teacher efficacy and emotional intelligence.