Good interaction processes in daycare centers have been shown to have a positive impact on children's social and cognitive development (Mashburn et al. 2008; Roßbach et al. 2008; Textor 2007). Daycare centers are often considered to play a key role in this regard, as they enable the acquisition of social-emotional and linguistic-cognitive competencies at a particularly early and learning-sensitive age. Against this backdrop, the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Coblenz-Landau (campus Landau) is investigating how children shape interactions with kindergarten teachers and other children, and to what extent they succeed in overcoming challenges in everyday kindergarten life. In 60 kindergartens in the Palatinate region, around 240 children aged three were observed in the fall of 2017. Children with a migration background were explicitly included.

About one year later, the same children were observed again to find out how their interaction behavior had developed in the meantime. Among others, the inCLASS (Booren et al. 2012) is used as a standardized observation instrument. The observations of the children were supplemented by interviews with early childhood professionals and parents. The study promises both to expand the state of research on the topic of children's interaction processes in kindergarten and to provide practical suggestions for supporting children. The first evaluations took place in spring 2018.

Project lead:

• Univ.-Prof. Dr. Katharina Kluczniok
• Dr. Thilo Schmidt (Universität Koblenz-Landau)
• Magdalena Riedmeier (Projektkoordinatorin)

 

Project period:

01.04.2017 – 31.03.2022

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)