Measuring teachers’ perceived interactions with children: A tool for assessing beliefs & intentions

This study examined the relationship between teachers' beliefs and intentions about the importance of teacher-child interactions. The participants were 71 early childhood teachers who had worked with children ages 3-5 for an average of 9 years (range 0-29). Roughly 35% of the teachers had majored in early childhood education, and 63% held at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. In addition, approximately 66% of the sample had taken enough coursework in early childhood education to obtain a permit to work with young children. The results of this study show that beliefs are predictive of intentions. The results also indicate that depth of training influences intentions. It appears that those with the least and most training feel that they are interacting with children most appropriately. Job title was related to perceived ability to practice beliefs. Teacher aides felt more able to practice their beliefs than did teachers.