Teacher-Preschool Student Relationships and Their Associations with Child Mental Health Problems

Le résumé fourni par la source

Background In low- and middle-income countries, despite increasing early childhood education opportunities, research on quality and monitoring systems remains limited. This includes a lack of validated tools for assessing teacher-student relationships, which are crucial for child development but often characterized by conflict and low closeness in poor settings.Purpose This study aims to validate the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale – Short Form (STRS-SF) in Brazilian preschools and examine its correlation with socioemotional development and mental health symptoms in children aged 4 to 5.Methods Conducted in public preschools in Embu das Artes, the study involved 489 children and used the STRS-SF to assess teacher-student relationships and their impact on children’s emotional and behavioral symptoms through univariate logistic regression analysis.Results Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the scale’s construct validity for the “closeness” and “conflict” dimensions, with factor loadings over 0.40. Significant associations were found between the conflict dimension and externalizing symptoms and delays in socioemotional development among preschoolers.Discussion The findings validate the STRS-SF as an effective tool for evaluating teacher-student relationships in early education settings.Translation to Health Education Practice Regular assessment of teacher-student relationships is essential for early detection and intervention in developmental delays, mental health issues, and social performance challenges.

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