Children's temperament and teachers as mediators

Children's temperament and teachers as mediators
 
A new article in Child Development reports on a Finnish study of children's temperament and their math and reading development, focusing on whether teachers' interaction style acts as a mediator between students' temperament characteristics and their skill development. 
 
The study followed 156 Finnish children, each from a different class, during their first year of primary school (equivalent to second grade in the U.S.). The participating children completed math and English tests in October and April, and parents and teachers completed questionnaires about the child's temperament. Teachers also answered daily questionnaires over a one-week period about their interaction style with the target child.
 
There were four components of the child's temperament: Task orientation (activity, persistence, and distractibility); inhibition; positive mood; and negative emotionality. There were three components of teacher's interaction styles: Affection (a positive and warm daily relationship with the child); behavioral control (the degree to which the teacher aimed to directly influence the child's behavior); and psychological control (teachers expressing disappointment and appealing to guilt).
 
The authors found different results for reading and math. Although children's low task orientation and negative emotionality were negatively associated with the children's initial reading skill level at the beginning of the year, temperament did not predict children's subsequent reading skill development during the year. The authors suggest this may reflect the relatively late school starting age and the consistent nature of Finnish orthography.
 
In contrast, the study indicated that for math, temperament does play a role, perhaps reflecting the different learning process. The results showed that the impact of children's low task orientation and negative emotionality on math skill development was mediated by teachers' behavioral control and, among girls, also by psychological control. However, the negative impact of children's inhibition on math skill development was not mediated by teachers' interaction style.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

News Blast

Views: 61

▶ Reply to This

JOIN SL 2.0

SUBSCRIBE TO

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 2.0

Feedspot named School Leadership 2.0 one of the "Top 25 Educational Leadership Blogs"

"School Leadership 2.0 is the premier virtual learning community for school leaders from around the globe."

---------------------------

 Our community is a subscription-based paid service ($19.95/year or only $1.99 per month for a trial membership)  that will provide school leaders with outstanding resources. Learn more about membership to this service by clicking one of our links below.

 

Click HERE to subscribe as an individual.

 

Click HERE to learn about group membership (i.e., association, leadership teams)

__________________

CREATE AN EMPLOYER PROFILE AND GET JOB ALERTS AT 

SCHOOLLEADERSHIPJOBS.COM

New Partnership

image0.jpeg

Mentors.net - a Professional Development Resource

Mentors.net was founded in 1995 as a professional development resource for school administrators leading new teacher induction programs. It soon evolved into a destination where both new and student teachers could reflect on their teaching experiences. Now, nearly thirty years later, Mentors.net has taken on a new direction—serving as a platform for beginning teachers, preservice educators, and

other professionals to share their insights and experiences from the early years of teaching, with a focus on integrating artificial intelligence. We invite you to contribute by sharing your experiences in the form of a journal article, story, reflection, or timely tips, especially on how you incorporate AI into your teaching

practice. Submissions may range from a 500-word personal reflection to a 2,000-word article with formal citations.

© 2026   Created by William Brennan and Michael Keany   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service