Longitudinal trajectories of children’s peer play interactions and their predictors: Effects on children’s externalizing behaviors

Abstract

This study investigates the longitudinal trajectories of children’s peer play interactions and their predictors, including teacher variables (teacher efficacy, teacher–child interactions, classroom environment) and child individual variables (temperament, gender), and their effects on children’s externalizing behaviors. The data were drawn from the fourth to seventh waves of the Panel Study on Korean Children conducted by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. Using latent growth modeling (LGM) and structural equation modeling (SEM), the results reveal three key findings: (1) children’s peer play interactions follow a quadratic pattern, increasing over time but at a decreasing rate; (2) teacher–child interactions had the most consistent influence on these trajectories compared to other predictors; and (3) the trajectories of peer play interactions in children aged 3 to 6 significantly predict externalizing behaviors at age 6. These findings underscore the importance of high-quality teacher–child interactions in early childhood and provide insights for early intervention strategies to prevent externalizing behaviors.