Date
3-22-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Laura Rolen
Keywords
parent-child attachment, teacher-child relationship, self-regulation
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Arnold, Elaina, "Parent and Teacher Perspectives on Attachment/Relationships and Children's Self-Regulation" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5286.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5286
Abstract
Parent-child attachment and teacher-child relationships had individually shown an impact on children’s self-regulation. There has been little research, however, showing the impact of the parents’ and teachers’ attachment/relationship on children’s self-regulation at both home and school. This qualitative descriptive study examined the relationship between both the parent and teacher attachment/relationship with self-regulation in children 1-4 years old. Participants included 6 parents (mothers and fathers) with a child in childcare and 5 teachers of these children. Participants took part in a 30–40-minute semi-structured interview that was transcribed. The parents’ and teachers’ descriptions and perceptions of their relationship/attachment with the child, the child’s self-regulation, and the impact of the relationships on the child’s self-regulation were assessed. This research provides parent and teacher perspectives on the importance of communication and reveals that parent and teacher behaviors vary in responding to the child’s needs in times of stress. A common theme was consistency and routines. Teachers were found to engage in closer interactions and conversation for longer periods of time throughout the day, which may suggest that both relationships need to be secure for strong self-regulation to form, although further research is needed to substantiate this. This research justifies the importance of these relationships and skills currently being used with positive results at home and school, and it establishes a connection between both parent and teacher perspectives on relationships and self-regulation. It supports prior research findings and theories including attachment and bioecological theory along with biblical foundations. It can aid in the development of parental and teacher trainings focusing on attachment and the importance of modeling on self-regulation skills.
