A contextual approach to the characteristics of a preschooler’s temperament: The role of the educational environment

Abstract

According to numerous past and contemporary studies, biological factors (such as maturation of the nervous system) and a number of environmental factors influence the development of temperament. It has been demonstrated that, among other environmental factors that influence the manifestation of temperamental characteristics, the relationships between parents and children can be viewed as an indicator of the social environment. When a child transitions from the family environment to the educational environment, the quality of which is a significant element in the continued development of preschoolers, the child’s temperament characteristics begin to play an increasingly essential role in the process of socialization. In this regard, it is important to investigate whether there is a correlation between the characteristics of temperament and the structural and procedural aspects of the educational environment. According to previous studies, the characteristics of the educational milieu are related to the temperamental characteristics of a child. More research has been conducted on the relationship between a child’s temperament and the procedural characteristics of the environment, i. e. the interactions and relationships between the child and the teacher. One of the principal conclusions is that this relationship is reciprocal: the teacher’s attitude toward the child influences the manifestation of temperamental traits, and the child’s temperament influences the quality of the relationship. The structure of the educational environment is also related to a child’s temperament; however, data on this relationship have been collected for a very long time and are extremely limited, necessitating further empirical research to validate the results obtained. This paper examines the relationship between temperament and the parameters of the educational environment, taking into consideration its interactivity (M. Rothbart), the goodness of fit (A. Thomas, S. Chess), the niche picking (S. Scarr, C. McCarthy), the differential susceptibility hypothesis (B. Ellis), and sensitive periods of the development of temperament properties. The possibilities of considering children’s temperament into the implementation of educational programs in preschool institutions are discussed.