Research Notes: Does the Classroom Contribute to Behavioral Problems?

Children with emotional and behavioral problems are likely to experience a host of difficulties in preschool that can interfere with their ability to learn and to develop peer relationships. But the classroom itself is a complex social and working environment that demands a lot of kids and can sometimes increase the likelihood of behavior problems.

In "An Investigation of Classroom Situational Dimensions of Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment and Cognitive and Social Outcomes for Head Start Children," Rebecca Bulotsky-Shearer, John Fantuzzo, and Paul McDermott describe how multiple classroom contexts (and what they demand of children) differentially influence developmental outcomes.  The team conducted two empirical studies to identify the relationship between behavioral problems in classroom situations and school readiness outcomes for low-income preschool students. The first study found three situational dimensions (problems in structured learning, in peer interaction, and in teacher interaction) that are connected to emotional and behavioral problems, while the second study connected these three dimensions with a set of school readiness outcomes. In particular, they found that structured learning is important to children's social competency and learning outcomes, and also early problems in peer or teacher interactions are linked to end-of-year social difficulties.

"Empirical research...," write the authors, "captures these complex processes for young children and provides rich data to inform future intervention efforts."

This article appears in Developmental Psychology, 44(1).