Cross-cultural examination of teacher-child dependency and relationship quality across Greece and China

Abstract

This cross-cultural study investigated the factorial structure and the measurement invariance of the Teacher-Child Dependency Scale (TCDS) and Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS-SF) in Greece and China. The sample consisted of 346 children (Greece: 170, China: 176) and 44 teachers across 18 Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. A two-factor structure of the TCDS - emotional dependency and physical dependency was supported and found to be invariant across cultures. Chinese teachers reported higher levels of closeness and physical dependency than their Greek counterparts, whereas emotional dependency was similar across countries. Teacher-child closeness negatively predicted internalizing and externalizing problems in both contexts. However, cultural differences emerged: emotional dependency significantly predicted behavioral issues in Greek children, whereas physical dependency played a more prominent role in internalizing issues for Chinese children. These results highlight the role of cultural contexts in shaping teacher-child relationships and suggest the need for culturally tailored practices and interventions in ECEC.