The role of child temperament on low‐income preschool children’s relationships with their parents and teachers

The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings suggest that although reactive temperament potentially undermines closeness in relationships with teachers, regulatory temperament can buffer the influence of reactive temperament on teacher–child closeness. Highlights: • This study examined the association between children’s temperament and their relationships with parents and teachers. • Reactive temperament was positively associated with parent/ teacher–child conflict and negatively associated with parent–child closeness. Regulatory temperament was a moderator for the association between reactive temperament and teacher–child closeness. • Improving children’s regulatory temperament may be helpful for children with the reactive temperament to have better social relationships with their teachers

Approaches to Teaching Young Children Science Concepts and Vocabulary and Scientific Problem-solving Skills and Role of Classroom Environment

The current study was a replication of the study completed by Hong and Diamond (2012) which explored the effectiveness of two approaches to teaching young children science concepts and vocabulary and scientific problem-solving skills related to objects’ sinking and floating: responsive teaching (RT) and responsive teaching combined with explicit instruction (RT + EI). The current study also examined the moderating effects of classroom environment and teacher-specific factors on the relation between teaching approaches and children’s science learning. Participants included 26 (15 girls) four-and five-year old prekindergarten children. Responsive Teaching (RT) mirrors common approaches to teaching (observing and commenting on behaviors, asking questions, modeling, and playing in parallel) and Responsive Teaching plus Explicit Instruction (RT + EI) builds upon the implicit strategies of responsive teaching by utilizing explicit teaching strategies as well. Results revealed that there was a significant association between teaching approaches and children’s outcome of content-specific scientific problem-solving skills. Teacher’s perceptions about their ability to teach science to young children were not a significant moderator of the relation between teaching approaches and children’s science concepts and vocabulary and scientific problem-solving skills. However, there was a significant negative association between teacher’s years of experience and their perception about teaching science. Results also found that classroom environment was not a significant moderator of the relation between teaching approaches and children’s science concepts and vocabulary and scientific problem-solving skills. However, there was a significant association between the science-related classroom environment and children’s outcome of science concepts and vocabulary. Limitations of the current study, future directions, and implications for practice are also discussed. Adviser: Helen Raike

Just Be: A Mindfulness-Based Intervention Pilot Study for Preschool Teachers

Teachers play a vital role in building classroom environments that promote sensitive interactions with their students, engagements between children, and contribute importantly to children’s learning and well-being (Flook, et al., 2013; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Yet, early childhood teachers encounter a variety of challenges that negatively impact their well-being and can lead to burnout (Whitebook et al., 2014, 2018). To address the growing concerns, the current study replicated and extended a study published by Flook et al. (2013) to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in providing strategies and skills for stress management and increasing general well-being among teachers. Within a sample of 28 Nebraska early childhood teachers (intervention group = 9, comparison = 19), three aims were investigated: group differences on teachers’ distress, burnout, mindfulness, well-being, and satisfaction with life; if initial levels of distress, burnout, well-being, and satisfaction with life were associated with changes in mindfulness scores; and if there was an association between the amount of time teachers in the intervention group engaged in mindfulness practices at home and changes in their mindfulness scores post-intervention. Four main findings emerged: (a) teachers in the intervention group had a significant increase in their dispositional mindfulness and well-being from pre-test to post-test relative to teachers in the comparison group; (b) teachers’ initial levels of distress, burnout, well-being, and satisfaction with life did not impact changes in teachers’ mindfulness scores at post-test and 8-week follow up; (c) there was a negative association between changes in intervention group teachers’ dispositional and intrapersonal teaching in mindfulness at post-test and their total minutes of mindfulness practice and total days of at-home practice over the 8-week intervention; and (d) intervention group teachers who participated in the focus groups perceived that the intervention helped them both personally and professionally

The role of child temperament on low‐income preschool children’s relationships with their parents and teachers

The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings The current study examined the associations between low‐income preschool children’s temperament (reactive and regulatory) and their relationships with parents and teachers. In particular, we focused on the moderating role of regulatory temperament on reactive temperament in the prediction of closeness and conflict with parents and teachers. Two hundred ninety‐one children (M = 53.88 months, SD = 6.44 months), their parents, and teachers from 3 different preschools serving low‐income children in 2 midwestern cities in the United States participated. Parents reported on temperament and parent–child relationships, and teachers reported on teacher–child relationships. Hierarchical regression models using SAS PROCMIXED were employed to allow for nesting of children within classrooms. After controlling for child age, gender, ethnicity, and parent education, children’s reactive temperament was negatively associated with parent– child closeness and positively associated with parent–child conflict and teacher–child conflict. Children’s regulatory temperament was positively related to teacher–child closeness and negatively associated with teacher–child conflict. Regulatory temperament moderated the association between reactive temperament and teacher– child closeness. These findings suggest that although reactive temperament potentially undermines closeness in relationships with teachers, regulatory temperament can buffer the influence of reactive temperament on teacher–child closeness. Highlights: • This study examined the association between children’s temperament and their relationships with parents and teachers. • Reactive temperament was positively associated with parent/ teacher–child conflict and negatively associated with parent–child closeness. Regulatory temperament was a moderator for the association between reactive temperament and teacher–child closeness. • Improving children’s regulatory temperament may be helpful for children with the reactive temperament to have better social relationships with their teachers

Gag-p6 Tsg101 Binding Site Duplications in Maternal–Infant HIV Infection

Prevalence and patterns of HIV p6 duplications in HIV-1 mother-to-baby transmission are examined. Resistance genotyping was performed in a multisite U.S. study of antiretroviral resistance in vertical transmission. Sequence data were used in secondary analyses of HIV genetic variation. Two hundred sixty HIV viral RNA samples from HIV-infected pregnant women and their infants were analyzed with a commercial resistance genotyping kit. Chromatograms were examined for variability in the 3\u27 region of gag. From 103 mother-baby sets, 190 samples gave readable p6 sequence. Of 103 mother-baby sets, 20 (19%) showed duplication of between 3 and 12 codons ending at the PTAPP motif of p6. When maternal p6 duplication was present and the p6 sequence was available from both maternal and infant isolates, all (seven of seven) infants had p6 duplications, but two cases showed discordancies between maternal and infant sequences. The prevalence of p6 duplication varied among geographical sites, ranging from 4 of 43 families (9%, Puerto Rico and New York sites) to 16 of 60 families (27%, Massachusetts, Texas, and Illinois). The presence of p6 duplication was not associated with differences in transmission, viral load, or disease progression in the infants, but showed a trend toward association with lower maternal CD4 count. Substantial p6 variation data are generated by resistance genotyping. PTAP duplication is prevalent in this group of HIV-infected women and infants. The duplication is efficiently transmitted from mother to infant, is present at variable prevalence at different geographic sites, and shows no clear association with vertical transmission risks

Ethical and Legal Challenges Posed by mandatory Hurricane Evacuation: Duties and Limits

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005, between 70,000 and 100,000 residents of New Orleans either did not or could not comply with the order that had been issued to evacuate. The events surrounding Katrina raised critical legal and ethical questions about the use of mandatory evacuation orders. We discuss four key ethical issues that must be confronted when considering whether to issue an order of mandatory evacuation: the costs of precautionary action in the face of uncertainty, the duty to provide for people, paternalism and the preemption of individual choice, the acceptability of compulsory measures