INFLUENCES ON CHILDRENS COMPETENCE IN EARLY-CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS

The purpose of the study was to examine the contributions of classroom context (activity settings, teacher behavior, contact with peers and teachers) to children's cognitive and social competence in early child hood classrooms. One-hundred fourteen children (61 girls; M age = 51.7 months) were observed in their early childhood classrooms during free play time. Children's cognitive and social competence were measured b y observing their interactions with peers and objects. A preliminary a nalysis revealed that teacher behavior was negatively related to one c hild characteristic, cognitive competence, but was unrelated to childr en's age, sex, or social competence. A multiple regression analysis sh owed that, when child age and cognitive competence were controlled, ch ildren's social competence was positively related to peer contact and teacher involvement and negatively related to teacher contact. Childre n's cognitive competence was positively related to participation in '' high yield'' activities and negatively related to teacher contact, wit h age controlled. These results are discussed in light of current rese arch and theory on classroom practices designed to enhance children's development.