Browsing by Author "Bryant, Donna M."
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- Infant child care quality in Portugal: Associations with structural characteristicsPublication . Barros, Silvia; Cadima, Joana; Bryant, Donna M.; Coelho, Vera; Pinto, Ana Isabel; Pessanha, Manuela; Peixoto, CarlaThis study examines the quality of infant center care in Portugal through a multi-measure approach and investigates the associations among process quality dimensions and structural quality indicators. Ninety infant child care classrooms were observed during two full mornings with the ITERS-R, the CLASS-Infant and the CIS. Results revealed that a two-factor structure of process quality with the domains (a) Relationships and (b) Use of Space and Materials provided the best fit to the data. Of the structural indicators that were examined, teacher training showed the most robust relation to both process quality domains. In addition, classrooms with smaller groups and in centers located in non-urban areas were likely to show more sensitive relationships between teachers and infants. These findings have implications for public policy and professional development efforts on infant center care.
- Predictors of parent-teacher communication during infant transition to childcare in PortugalPublication . Coelho, Vera; Barros, Sílvia; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Cadima, Joana; Pessanha, Manuela; Pinto, Ana Isabel; Peixoto, Carla; Bryant, Donna M.Although literature reports associations between parent-teacher communication and childcare quality, little is known about how such communications are related to family, child and childcare characteristics. This study examines whether child, family and childcare experience characteristics predict the level of parent-teacher communication, and differences between parents’ and teachers’ reports of communication. Participants were mothers of 90 infants and their teachers in childcare in Portugal. Results show that both parents and teachers report higher levels of communication in higher-quality programmes. Teachers reported more frequent communication than parents. Teachers, but not parents, reported more frequent communication when children spent fewer hours in childcare. Discussion highlights the relevance of monitoring the quality of childcare contexts, especially in early ages, and to increase parent-teacher communication when children spend more time in childcare. The importance of promoting high-quality childcare and accounting for variables at the mesosystemic level of development in teacher training are also discussed.
- Quality of infant child care and early infant development in Portuguese childcare centersPublication . Pinto, Ana Isabel; Cadima, Joana; Coelho, Vera; Bryant, Donna M.; Peixoto, Carla; Pessanha, Manuela; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Barros, SílviaIn this study, we examine associations between the quality of teacher-child interactions and infant outcomes during their first months in Portuguese childcare centers. Participants were 90 infants, their mothers and their teachers. A set of multiple regression models were conducted to determine whether classroom quality related to active engagement and non-engagement and to adaptive behavior six months later, controlling for important covariates, namely developmental age, child temperament, mothers’ education, and home quality. Results showed that, in higher quality classrooms, infants spent more time actively engaged, less time non-engaged and six months later were rated as having higher levels of adaptive behaviors. Findings provide further evidence for the need to better support teachers in fostering infant active engagement and unfolding capacities as part of high-quality daily experiences in childcare.
- Stability and change in teacher-infant interaction quality over timePublication . Pessanha, Manuela; Peixoto, Carla; Barros, Sílvia; Cadima, Joana; Pinto, Ana Isabel; Coelho, Vera; Bryant, Donna M.Given that an increasing number of infants spend part of the day in center-based childcare in many countries, understanding infants’ education and care experiences in these settings is essential. The aims of this study are to examine change in teacher-infant interaction quality over time, and to determine the extent to which teacher and classroom structural characteristics are associated with change in teacherinfantinteraction quality. Ninety infant childcare classrooms from the greater metropolitan area of Porto, Portugal, participated in this study. Each classroom was observed twice (6-month interval between Time 1 and Time 2) by trained and reliable observers using the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ITERS-R; Harms et al., 2006), the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Infant (CLASS-Infant; Hamre et al., 2014), and the Caregiver Interaction Scale (CIS; Arnett, 1989). Additionally, teachers provided demographic information aboutthemselves and structural characteristics ofthe classroom. Overall results indicated that the quality of teacher-infant interactions changed over time, with a general trend toward lower quality at Time 2. The increase in infant:adult ratio from Time 1 to Time 2 was an important predictor of process quality levels at Time 2, after controlling for prior quality and other structural characteristics. These findings can be informative for policymaking as group size and number of adults per classroom are regulated features of childcare in many countries, including Portugal
- The quality of caregiver–child interactions in infant classrooms in Portugal: the role of caregiver educationPublication . Barros, Sílvia; Cadima, Joana; Pinto, Ana Isabel; Bryant, Donna M.; Pessanha, Manuela; Peixoto, Carla; Coelho, VeraRecent research has shown that caregiver education and training can be important in determining levels of quality in early childhood, but has mainly considered the education and training of the lead teacher. In infant child care, however, classrooms have more than one caregiver with varying levels of education and in Portugal it is less common to have a qualified teacher exclusively assigned to infant classrooms. This study examines the quality of caregiver–child interactions in infant classrooms and its association with caregiver qualifications and training, specifically the level of pre-service education and in-service training of the lead caregiver, whether she is exclusively assigned to an infant classroom or to more classrooms, and the pre-service education of the multiple caregivers in the classroom. Participants were 90 infant classrooms from Porto, Portugal. The CLASS–Infant was used to measure quality of caregiver–infant interactions. Classrooms with one lead caregiver holding at least a bachelor’s degree, whether exclusively assigned to the infant classroom or not, showed higher levels of quality. Few effects were found for in-service training. Results suggest that lead teachers with pre-service education in early childhood are likely to play an important role not only directly by interacting with children but also indirectly through team work.