Teacher–Child Relationship Building: Trainers’ Perceptions of a Play-Based Intervention

PLAYING-2-GETHER: can brief in-service training influence preschool teachers’ awareness of play-based strategies for improving relationships?

“…As mentioned in the literature, most PD is focused on academic content (e.g. Koles, O'Connor, and Mccartney 2009;Lindo et al 2019), which may explain the fact that some teachers in the present study focus mainly on academic areas in their discourses, rather than relationship-related aspects and the intersections between these aspects. Similarly, few and inconsistent changes were found in the amount of relationshiprelated language (both increase and decrease), teacheŕs attention to both verbal and non-verbal aspects of interactions (increase), and to play-based strategies (decrease) in participants' discourses.…”

“…Aguiar, Moiteiro, and Pimentel 2010;Coelho et al 2019;Hamre et al 2012;Mashburn et al 2008), and the need for professional development (PD) programs focusing on improving such relationships has been underlined (e.g. Hamre et al 2012;Lindo et al 2019).…”

“…However, Koles, O'Connor, and Mccartney (2009) underline that most PD programs are focused on academic content rather than on building positive relationships, despite the latter being recognised as having a potential high benefit both for teachers and children. In a recent study, teachers' increased awareness of their target child needs and experienced improved teacher-child relationships, after attending a PD program designed to strengthen the teacher-child relationship (Lindo et al 2019). Authorś also noted that using play-based language and skills to build relationships with children can help teachers to improve classroom management and support all children in the classroom.…”

“…Authorś also noted that using play-based language and skills to build relationships with children can help teachers to improve classroom management and support all children in the classroom. However, the in-service training described by Lindo et al (2019) is an individual training that took place across several weeks, thus implying several human (certified trainers) and/or economic resources, as well as teacheŕs availability to engage in long in-service training programs. Time and funding are often pointed as barriers to the attendance of PD due to school/centre budgets as well as teacher schedules.…”