A dynamic systems examination of the impact of peers on educator–infant synchrony within joint attention interactions in an early childhood room

Joint attention is a crucial component of quality practice in infant–toddler early childhood education. Joint attention defines a social interaction in which infant and caregiver coordinate attention to engage with an object of interest. Mutual responsiveness within coordinated and creative joint action supports language and cognitive development. However, most joint attention research involves mother–infant dyads in laboratory playrooms or home environments with few distractions. Limited research in early childhood centres suggests joint attention is difficult to sustain in group settings. This study used a dynamic systems approach to operationalise educator–infant synchrony within dyadic and group joint attention interactions. Mutual responsiveness was coded as dyadic co-regulation states. Quantitative analysis of educator–infant co-regulation in relation to number of peers present identified symmetrical co-regulation as the preferred state of the system; however, its strength as an attractor diminished as group size increased. State space grid analysis of temporal dynamics within each interaction provided a more nuanced understanding of peers as perturbations. The structure of group activities and how educators divided their attention among infants were also influential factors. Increasing educators' awareness of the micro-dynamics of joint attention can enhance their ability to provide opportunities for collaborative learning experiences.