Teachers’ beliefs about children and children’s literacy development: The mediating role of responsive teaching

Many prior studies have shown that teachers’ child-centered beliefs are positively associated with children’s literacy development, but the mechanism driving this association is not well understood. The aim of the study was to examine whether teachers’ responsive teaching, a general factor of teacher–child interactions, served as a mediator between teachers’ beliefs about children and children’s literacy outcomes. A sample of 656 4-year old preschool children and their 59 head teachers was recruited. Children’s literacy assessments were conducted at baseline and six months later. The quality of responsive teaching was measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) near the baseline time point. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that the effects of teachers’ child-centered beliefs on children’s literacy development were fully mediated by responsive teaching. The finding offers insights into classroom practices and teacher training.