Exploring the effects of a universal classroom management training programme on teacher and child behaviour: A group randomised controlled trial and cost analysis

Abstract

Teachers frequently struggle to cope with conduct problems in the classroom. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme for improving teacher competencies and child adjustment. The study involved a group randomised controlled trial which included 22 teachers and 217 children (102 boys and 115 girls). The average age of children included in the study was 5.3 years (standard deviation = 0.89). Teachers were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 11 teachers; 110 children) or a waiting-list control group (n = 11; 107 children). The sample also included 63 'high-risk' children (33 intervention; 30 control), who scored above the cut-off (>12) on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for abnormal socioemotional and behavioural difficulties. Teacher and child behaviours were assessed at baseline and 6 months later using psychometric and observational measures. Programme delivery costs were also analysed. Results showed positive changes in teachers' selfreported use of positive classroom management strategies (effect size = 0.56), as well as negative classroom management strategies (effect size = −0.43). Teacher reports also highlight improvements in the classroom behaviour of the high-risk group of children, while the estimated cost of delivering the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme was modest. However, analyses of teacher and child observations were largely non-significant. A need for further research exploring the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Training Programme is indicated.

Mixed methods systematic review on effectiveness and experiences of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme

“…Only two records met inclusion criteria for both quantitative and qualitative strands of this review (McGilloway et al, 2010;Leckey et al, 2016). Studies in the quantitative strand took place in Jamaica (Baker-Henningham et al, 2012;Baker-Henningham & Walker, 2018), Limerick, Ireland (McGilloway et al, 2010Hickey et al, 2015;Leckey et al, 2016), Missouri, USA (Reinke et al, 2014(Reinke et al, , 2016Herman & Reinke, 2017), North Carolina, USA (Murray et al, 2012;Murray et al, 2014;Murray et al, 2018), Rhode Island, USA (Shepard et al, 2008), and Wales (Martin, 2009;Hutchings et al, 2013). Studies in the qualitative strand took place in Dublin, Ireland (Davenport & Tansey, 2009;Kennedy, 638 E. Nye et al 2016), England (Marlow et al, 2015), Jamaica (Baker-Henningham & Walker, 2009), Limerick, Ireland (McGilloway et al, 2010, 2012Hyland, 2014;Leckey et al, 2016) and Wales (Hutchings et al, 2007).…”

Training teachers in classroom management to improve mental health in primary school children: the STARS cluster RCT

“…We identified four RCTs of TCM as a stand-alone intervention that have explored the impact of TCM on primary school-aged pupils and their teachers. [38][39][40][41] A summary of these trials is given in Table 2.…”

“…Those who had high baseline social or behavioural difficulties improved relative to those in the control group Ireland, Hickey et al 39 201722 teachers (one intervention and one control from each of the 11 participating schools); 12 children from each class T-POT 42 Teacher-completed SDQ 36…”

“…The current study was needed to demonstrate whether or not TCM may be an effective universal intervention for child and teacher mental health in the context of the UK primary school system. Existing studies of TCM conducted in Wales and Ireland 38,39 are limited by small sample sizes (12 and 22 teachers in total), and, to date, there are only four RCTs of TCM applied in the primary school context. [38][39][40][41] Academic outcomes of children whose teachers have received the TCM training have been studied on only one other occasion 35 and no study has investigated cost-effectiveness.…”

The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management programme and its impact on teachers’ professional self‐efficacy, work‐related stress, and general well‐being: Results from theSTARSrandomized controlled trial

“…This study did not include a control group, but teachers’ scores on the Teachers Sense of Efficacy scale (Tschannen‐Moran & Wollfolk, ) suggested perceived improvements in classroom management (mean change pre‐ to post‐: 2.1, 95% CI: 0.4 to 3.8) and in professional efficacy on the Maslach Burnout Inventory (mean change pre‐ to post‐: 2.3, 95% CI: −0.3 to 4.9). No other randomized trials of TCM have measured the potential impact on teachers’ mental health or professional confidence (Hickey et al ., ; Hutchings, Martin‐Forbes, Daley, & Williams, ; Martin, ; Murray et al ., ; Reinke, Herman, & Dong, ).…”