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Abstract
Children’s school readiness, especially in the early school years, is a significant indicator for school success as it establishes a positive school trajectory. However, less is known about the generalizability of these findings to contexts outside the United States. The present study examined kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of school readiness in China. We surveyed 101 third-year preschool teachers and 160 first-grade teachers in China, asking about their perceptions of school readiness. Results suggested that third-year preschool and first grade teachers in China viewed many of their students as not ready for school and also thought that the students had difficulties with academic and social–emotional skills. In addition, Chinese teachers placed a higher value on social–emotional skills versus academic skills. Our interpretation of the current findings also includes preliminary comparisons between our data set and one from 531 American kindergarten teachers using the same survey.
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Author biographies
Xiaozhu An is a doctoral candidate in the Applied Developmental Psychology Program at George Mason University. Her research focuses on teacher–student interactions and relationships, classroom quality, and child behaviors. Prior to the doctoral program, she completed her Master’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology at George Mason University in 2014. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Psychology at Qingdao University, China, in 2012.
Timothy W. Curby is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Applied Developmental Psychology Program at George Mason University in Northern Virginia. Dr Curby’s work focuses on examining the role teacher–student interactions have in promoting children’s development, particularly in regards to children’s social–emotional development. His work applies advanced statistical models to school-based research. His PhD in Educational Psychology is from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education.
Qingyuan Xie is a graduate student of the Applied Developmental Psychology Program at George Mason University. Qingyuan’s research interest is looking at the role of self-regulation and social-emotional learning on teacher–student interactions, children’s development and academic outcomes. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Washington State University.
