Longitudinal associations between teacher-child relationships, resilience, and behavioral problems among preschool...

In preschool children, teacher-child relationships and psychological resilience-particularly its self-regulation component-have been identified as important correlates of behavioral problems. However, the nature of their relationship and the mechanism of their interaction still require further understanding and exploration.

Drawing on teacher-reported questionnaires, this two-wave longitudinal study (N = 240 Chinese left-behind preschool children, 1-year interval) assessed teacher-child relationships (closeness and conflict), three facets of resilience (initiative, self-regulation, and attachment/relationships), and behavioral problems. Cross-lagged panel models were employed to examine the longitudinal associations between teacher-child relationships and resilience, and mediation analyses tested whether self-regulation mediated the link between teacher-child relationships and behavioral problems.

Contrary to expectations, the cross-lagged effects were unidirectional: children's resilience (as reported by teachers) was longitudinally associated with subsequent teacher-child relationships, but not the reverse. Self-regulation mediated both concurrent and longitudinal associations between teacher-child closeness/conflict and behavioral problems.

These findings suggest that self-regulation may serve as a mechanism linking teacher-child relationship quality to behavioral outcomes in left-behind preschool children, although the correlational design precludes causal inferences.