This comparative study investigated how teachers’ perceptions of their relationships with children relate to children’s self-regulation in kindergarten settings in Thailand and Japan. Focusing on teachers’ perspectives, the study examined two key dimensions of teacher–child relationships—closeness and conflict—and their associations with teachers’ assessments of children’s capacity for behavioral, emotional, and attentional regulation. Convenience sampling was used in this study. The sample consisted of 169 children aged 4-8 years, including 108 participants from Japan and 61 from Thailand. Data collected through questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive analysis and hierarchical regression. Findings revealed that teachers who perceived closer relationships with their students tended to rate those children as more self-regulated, while higher levels of perceived conflict were associated with lower self-regulation. These associations were consistent across both cultural contexts, underscoring the critical role of emotionally supportive relationships in fostering young children’s self-regulatory development. While teachers in Thailand and Japan reported comparable levels of relational closeness, Japanese teachers perceived somewhat higher levels of conflict, which may reflect cultural differences in classroom management norms and expectations for child behavior. The study highlights the importance of teachers’ emotional attunement and relationship-building skills as integral components of early childhood education. It also underscores the need for culturally responsive professional development that helps teachers recognize and manage relational dynamics in ways that support children’s self-regulation and classroom adjustment. By focusing on teacher perceptions, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how educators’ relational experiences influence developmental outcomes across cultural contexts.

Authors:
Noritsugu Kamata, Tokyo Denki University, Japan
Ravinder Koul, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
Yuwarat Srisupawong, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Dr.Noritsugu Kamata,(Ph.D.KMUTT / Lecturer, Tokyo Denki University)
Noritsugu Kamata was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1979.
He received his B.Eng. degree in Electrical Engineering from Tokyo Denki University, Japan, in 2002, and his M.Eng. degree in Electrical Engineering from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand, in 2018.
He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Denki University, Japan,
and a Ph.D. student in Learning Innovation and Technology at KMUTT, Thailand, in 2025. His research interests include engineering education, educational technology, science learning motivation, and teacher–student relationships in early childhood and primary education, as well as topics related to plasma science and electrical engineering.
Dr.Kamata is a member of The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan (IEEJ), The Japan Society of Technology Education (JSTE), and The Institute of Electrical Installation Engineers of Japan (IEIEJ).
E-mail (Japan): [email protected] (Thailand): [email protected]

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/noritsugu-kamata-69b6b51b9

Connect on ResearchGate
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Noritsugu-Kamata?ev=hdr_xprf

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