The Relationship of Teacher Behavior and Young Children s Social Interaction with Peers

Through a selective review of the research literature, this study explores the relationship of teacher behavior andchildren`s social interaction with peers. The two resources of the empirical research literature are examined: observational & intervention(coaching) studies. First, the studies in each literature resource are introduced individually in terms of specific teacher behavior and its effects on, or relations to children`s peer interaction. Taking the individual studies together, several issues, then are discussed. The issues include the intensity vs. the frequency of teacher behavior, the relationship of teacher behavior and thought process, changes in teacher behavior over time, teacher behavior with children of different peer status, adaptation of the coaching approach into the classroom, and so on. Implications for future research and for teaching practices are provided.