Early education teachers’ conceptualizations and strategies for managing closeness in child care: The personal domain

This study investigated teachers’ experiences of closeness during interactions with children in child care. Structured interviews were conducted with 24 female teachers who were teaching children between the ages of three and five (mean age = 3.9) regarding their conceptions of closeness, and their perceptions of their own and the child’s contributions to close interactions. Qualitative analyses of the interviews revealed a relational model of...