Classroom observations of teacher–child relationships among racially symmetrical and racially asymmetrical teacher–child dyads

Literature suggests that teachers are more likely to have conflictual relationship with children from racially/ethnically diverse background in comparison to white children. One may argue that children from racially/ethnically diverse background may be at disadvantage because the teacher–child relationship in early childhood is a significant predictor of later school achievement. This study examined the intertwined relations between child behavior, teacher behavior, and teacher–child interaction to understand how these variables interact and shape the quality of the teacher–child relationships. The aim was to understand whether teacher–child race match matters to the quality of teacher–child relationships. Four culturally and linguistically diverse Head Start classrooms including 41 children and eight female teachers participated in the study. The observational data and teacher ratings of child social-emotional competence were collected. Findings suggested that race does play a role in the process of building teacher–child relationships. The implications for practice and limitation are also discussed.