Everyday interactions between staff and children aged 1-5 in Norwegian ECEC

Abstract

High-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) is related to childrens’ socioemotional and cognitive development, and the most important aspect regarding quality in ECEC is staff’s interpersonal or interactive skills. Despite this, research on staff’s interactive skills is currently sparse in Norway. This study uses the Caregiver Interaction Profile (CIP) scales to evaluate staff’s interactions with children aged 1–5, asking whether staff interact differently with children aged 3–5, compared to those aged under 3. 19 staff members participated in the study. Videos of individual staff members interacting with groups of children were recorded, coded and analysed in accordance with CIP scales. The main findings show that staff score adequate-to-good for basic interactions (sensitivity responsiveness, respect for auton- omy, structuring and limit setting) and inadequate for educational interactions (verbal communication, developmental stimulation, fos- tering positive peer inetractions) during free play and routine situa- tions. Similar patterns are found for staff regardless of children’s age. Limitations and implications are discussed, proposing further research on interaction quality in Norwegian ECEC contexts.