Quantum mechanics

Scale (ratio)

Communication

Social psychology

Psychological resilience

Mediation

Developmental psychology

Physics

Psychology

Political science

Moderated mediation

Psychotherapist

Left behind

Mental health

Social withdrawal

Affect (linguistics)

Children and Youth Services Review

This study aims to examine the mediating and moderating roles of self-concept and resilience in the relationship between teacher-child relationships and social withdrawal with a sample of 380 Chinese left-behind children in a rural region in Guangdong Province, China. They were measured by using Children's Social Behavioral Scale-Teacher Form, Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschool (DECA-P2), Children's Self-Concept Scale, and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS). The results indicated that: (1) Teacher-child relationships, resilience and self-concept are all negatively correlated to social withdrawal; (2) resilience plays a mediating role between the teacher-child relationships and social withdrawal; (3) self-concept moderates the effect of teacher-child relationships on resilience. This study would enhance the early childhood teachers' understanding of the key factors that affect children's social behaviours, and thus implement appropriate strategies for supporting left-behind children. It confirms the significant role of teachers in left-behind children's development, which has implications for policymakers to prioritize teachers' quality and training in rural preschools.

Teacher-child relationships, self-concept, resilience, and social withdrawal among Chinese left-behind children: A moderated mediation model