Abstract
Teacher-child relationship quality (i.e., closeness and conflict) is fundamental for children’s academic success, emotional and behavioral regulation, and forming positive internal working models of future relationships. Children who exhibit externalizing behavior, which is characterized by aggression and hyperactivity, are more likely to have a conflictual relationship with their teacher. Conflictual teacher-child relationships have been linked to underdeveloped social skills, poor academic achievements, and negative life outcomes. This mixed-methods study investigates how children’s externalizing behavior relates to teacher-child relationships. A total of 635 preschoolers and their 129 teachers in Head Start participated in the quantitative survey study, and two Head Start teachers completed the qualitative interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using multi-level regression, and qualitative data were analyzed through a grounded theory approach. Quantitative data analysis indicated that externalizing behavior was negatively and weakly associated with teacher-child closeness, and positively and strongly associated with teacher-child conflict. Qualitative results revealed factors that might enable teachers to maintain a close relationship with children despite their externalizing behavior, namely, knowledge of externalizing behavior, intentional relationship building, and behavior support strategies. Furthermore, teachers reported that professional development training and funding would be beneficial for fostering and maintaining positive relationships with their children. Findings of his study could inform the development and improvement of professional development programs and behavioral interventions.