Social interaction and gender as factors affecting the trajectories of children's engagement and hyperactive behaviour in preschool

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Social interactions in preschool and a child's gender are, in cross‐sectional studies, related to the child's overall levels of hyperactive behaviour and engagement in preschool activities. However, whether social interaction and gender can predict children's engagement and hyperactivity is not thoroughly investigated. This study aims to investigate the longitudinal influence of gender, child‐to‐child interaction, and teacher responsiveness on the association between trajectories of children's levels of core engagement and hyperactive behaviour. It was hypothesized that peer‐to‐child interaction and teacher responsiveness in preschool settings are related to positive change in engagement among children with hyperactive behaviour, especially for boys. SAMPLE AND METHODS: Swedish preschool staff completed questionnaires assessing the variables of interest for children aged 1–5 (N = 203). Data were collected on three occasions over a two‐year period. Latent growth curve (LGC) models were used to explore whether teacher responsiveness, peer‐to‐child interaction, and gender predict trajectories of engagement and hyperactivity. RESULTS: The results revealed that high levels of hyperactivity were associated with lower levels of engagement on the first occasion. Positive peer‐to‐child interactions and responsive teachers were significant predictors of an increased level of engagement and decreased level of hyperactive behaviour, especially for boys. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the need to improve social interactions, especially peer‐to‐child interactions, to improve engagement in children with hyperactive behaviour, especially boys. Implications for practices and research are discussed.