Scholarlink

<p>Collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are vital for children’s development. Daily drop-off moments in preschool provide recurring opportunities to build trust and continuity between home and preschool, yet these interactions are often brief and fragmented. Guided by theories of cognitive overload and triadic interaction, this study examined how situational demands during morning transitions are associated with the quality of parent-professional interactions. Between June 2024 and April 2025, 309 parent–child dyads in 62 preschools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, were observed during drop-off. Interaction quality was rated across three dimensions—<i>willingness to interact</i>, <i>communication strategies</i>, and <i>farewell quality </i>— while situational demands such as child support needs, group supervision, and organizational tasks were coded. On average, interactions lasted 63&#xa0;s, with only 40% including conversations beyond greetings. Professionals showed higher willingness to interact and higher quality farewells when engaging simultaneously with the parent and child, but intensive child-focused engagement was linked to lower-quality communication with parents. General classroom and organizational demands showed no significant effects. Importantly, interaction quality was highest when multiple professionals shared responsibility. Findings highlight the cognitive and relational complexity of drop-off interactions. Shared professional responsibility appears to buffer competing demands, supporting stronger and more consistent partnerships between families and early childhood settings.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Parent–Professional Interaction Under Multiple Demands: An Observational Study of Drop-Off Moments in Preschools

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月26日

查看全文
  • Theresia G. Hummel,
  • Sandra Mathers,
  • Lars Malmberg,
  • Yvonne Anders

摘要

Collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are vital for children’s development. Daily drop-off moments in preschool provide recurring opportunities to build trust and continuity between home and preschool, yet these interactions are often brief and fragmented. Guided by theories of cognitive overload and triadic interaction, this study examined how situational demands during morning transitions are associated with the quality of parent-professional interactions. Between June 2024 and April 2025, 309 parent–child dyads in 62 preschools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, were observed during drop-off. Interaction quality was rated across three dimensions—willingness to interact, communication strategies, and farewell quality — while situational demands such as child support needs, group supervision, and organizational tasks were coded. On average, interactions lasted 63 s, with only 40% including conversations beyond greetings. Professionals showed higher willingness to interact and higher quality farewells when engaging simultaneously with the parent and child, but intensive child-focused engagement was linked to lower-quality communication with parents. General classroom and organizational demands showed no significant effects. Importantly, interaction quality was highest when multiple professionals shared responsibility. Findings highlight the cognitive and relational complexity of drop-off interactions. Shared professional responsibility appears to buffer competing demands, supporting stronger and more consistent partnerships between families and early childhood settings.