A randomized-control trial for the teachers’ diploma programme on psychosocial care, support and protection in Zambian government primary schools

Abstract

Orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) experience poverty, stigma, and abuse resulting in poor physical, emotional, and psychological outcomes. The Teachers' Diploma Programme on Psychosocial Care, Support, and Protection is a child-centered 15-month long-distance learning program focused on providing teachers with the knowledge and skills to enhance their school environments, foster psychosocial support, and facilitate school-community relationships. A randomized controlled trial was implemented in 2013-2014. Both teachers (n=325) and students (n=1378) were assessed at baseline and 15-months post-intervention from randomly assigned primary schools in Lusaka and Eastern Provinces, Zambia. Multilevel linear mixed models (MLM) indicate positive significant changes for intervention teachers on outcomes related to self-care, teaching resources, safety, social support, and gender equity. Positive outcomes for intervention students related to future orientation, respect, support, safety, sexual abuse, and bullying. Outcomes support the hypothesis that teachers and students benefit from a program designed to enhance teachers' psychosocial skills and knowledge.

Examining the Effectiveness of School-Bullying Intervention Programs Globally: a Meta-analysis

“…Of the 100 evaluations included in our meta-analysis of school-based anti-bullying programs, the majority (80 for perpetration, 84 for victimization) were conducted in one of 12 different countries (i.e., Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, UK, USA). We also identified singular evaluations conducted in Austria (Yanagida et al 2016);Brazil (da Silva et al 2016); China (Ju et al 2009); Czechoslovakia (modern day Czech Republic and Slovakia; Rican, Ondrova, and Svatos 1996); Hong Kong (Wong et al 2011); Ireland (O'Moore and Minton 2004); Malaysia (Yaakub et al 2010); Romania (Trip et al 2015); Sweden (Kimber et al 2008); South Africa (Meyer and Lesch 2000); Switzerland (Alsaker and Valkanover 2001); and Zambia (Kaljee et al 2017).…”

The ‘Teachers Diploma Program’ in Zambian Government Schools: A Baseline Qualitative Assessment of Teachers’ and Students’ Strengths and Challenges in the Context of a School-Based Psychosocial Support Program

“…Furthermore, these data show program changes that teachers are making in their classrooms and schools. These qualitative data in combination with the randomized controlled trial data (Kaljee et al, 2016) support the need for school-based psychosocial support systems as a part of broader community-based interventions to facilitate teachers' abilities to support students and their families and increase child resiliency.…”

“…Outcomes from the trial indicate that intervention teachers reported positive change in relation to emotional self-care, use of teaching resources, classroom and school safety, school physical environment, social support, and gender equity for boys and girls. Intervention student data indicate positive changes for future orientation, school respect and support, school safety, school physical environment, response to sexual abuse, and bullying behaviors (Kaljee et al, 2016).…”

Special aspects of 12-14 yrs children’s psychological protection

“…A number of authors [2,13,24,32] studied psychological protection mechanisms of adolescents with different behavioral styles in conflict. The authors determined that leading mechanisms of psychological protection are replacement and intellectualization.…”