ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study is to prompt reflection on teacher–child relationship assessment and attachment theory on one hand, and the influence of cultural contexts in the development and interpretation of this relationship on the other hand. More specifically, it tackles the question about the central role sociocultural processes and cultural contexts play in the way teacher–child relationships are assessed and interpreted in different cultural settings. The chapter describes key findings about the significance of teacher–child relationships, especially in early childhood settings. It presents the most common techniques for assessing early teacher–child relationships and introduces key aspects of attachment theory to demonstrate the central role it holds in conceptualizing teacher–child relationships. Afterward it describes main points of criticism regarding the universality of attachment theory and also summarizes in brief literature findings about the influence, the role and the characteristics of cultural contexts. In addition, it presents the example of the construct of dependency in order to build the case for the influence of the cultural context, while measuring teacher–child relationships. Finally, it discusses some conclusions and proposals for future research efforts.
