Observed teacher-child interaction quality as a predictor of motor competence in preschoolers: A sex-differentiated analysis.

BACKGROUND

Motor competence in early childhood enables children to engage in physical activity which further benefits academic and social outcomes. While the quality of teacher-child interactions is well established as a determinant of cognitive and social development, its specific association with motor competence remains underexplored.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the association between observed teacher-child interaction quality assessed via Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and motor competence in 5-6-year-old children, with particular attention to sex-specific patterns in the Russian kindergarten context.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was employed involving 202 children (94 girls, 108 boys) from 19 penultimate kindergarten groups. Teacher-child interaction quality was assessed using the CLASS observational framework. Children's motor competence was evaluated using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2) and a standing broad jump test. Linear regression analyses were conducted separately for boys and girls, controlling for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

Among boys, higher Instructional Learning Formats was positively associated with locomotor skill. For girls, Language Modeling was positively associated with object control skills.

CONCLUSION

Teacher-child interaction is associated with motor competence in preschool children. These findings underscore the importance of pedagogical strategies that emphasize engaging instructional formats and rich language input as potential pathways to support motor competence development in early childhood education.