Use of Interview and Observation to Clarify Reported Practices of Head Start Staff Concerning Problem Behavior

Abstract

This study used interviews and classroom observation to follow up a survey of 78 Head Start staff from five programs in the mid-Atlantic region. The purpose of the study was to collect additional details about administrator and staff needs in regard to addressing children’s challenging behavior in order to design a PBS in-service intervention. Interviews were conducted with 45 adults from the same preschool sample, and direct observation occurred in 10 classrooms. Similar to prior survey results, it was found that interview respondents (a) listed externalizing behaviors as the predominant challenging behavior, (b) identified prevention and replacement methods for addressing problem behavior, and (c) indicated that families of children with challenging behavior were given opportunities to be involved in intervention planning and implementation. However, interview and observation results further exposed the use of reactive practices and revealed five primary barriers to addressing children’s challenging behavior. Finally, interview respondents reported that all programs had defined procedures they followed when children exhibited challenging behavior that in most programs was based on a traditional, child-focused, mental health approach rather than on a comprehensive systems approach like positive behavior support.

Maximizing the potential of early childhood education to prevent externalizing behavior problems: A meta-analysis

“…The impetus for offering behavior management training to teachers has come from the high frequencies of externalizing behavior problems that early childhood teachers report and from their identification of the ability to manage challenging child behavior as one of their top training needs (Snell et al, 2012;Yoshikawa & Knitzer, 1997;Yoshikawa & Zigler, 2000). Parent behavior management training programs operating outside of the context of ECE have a longer history (Piquero & Jennings, 2012), but they have only more recently been evaluated as enhancements within ECE settings.…”

Early Childhood Education Centre Director Perceptions of Challenging Behaviour: Promising Practices and Implications for Professional Development

“…When asked to select the types of challenging behaviours they perceived to be most problematic, directors reported behaviours commonly associated with behaviour challenges in the early years, including aggression, acting before thinking, disrupting group activities and temper tantrums. Reflecting the findings of others (Qi and Kaiser, ; Snell and others, ,), participants in our study selected externalising, rather than internalising behaviours, as most problematic. Internalising disorders are often viewed as less of a problem by parents and teachers because they are characterised by quiet, internal distress rather than disruptive or socially negative behaviour and are more difficult to detect in young children who lack the verbal and cognitive skills needed to describe their feelings (Tandon and others, ).…”

“…Bruns and Mogharreban () found that teachers reported having the skills to implement universal intervention strategies but were less confident in their ability to implement more specialised strategies, including behavioural interventions. Similarly, Snell and others () reported that only 14 per cent of survey respondents described using strategies from a social‐emotional curriculum, often an important part of tier two strategies, to prevent challenging behaviours. Finally, Garrity and others () reported that only 14 per cent of programmes had policies that specifically addressed the need for intentional, small‐group teaching strategies targeting social‐emotional development.…”

“…Conroy and others () conducted a review of research on challenging behaviours in preschoolers and reported that 40 per cent of the studies designed individualised interventions based on a functional behavioural assessment. More recently, Snell and others (,) found that ‘determine cause of the problem behaviour' was cited by only 5 per cent of respondents. The relatively high percentage of directors in our study who selected the use of a functional behavioural assessment represents a promising practice and highlights an important way in which directors can support teachers faced with challenging behaviour in the classroom.…”

“…To date, the majority of research on beliefs, knowledge and practices related to children's challenging behaviour in ECE classrooms has focused primarily on the experiences of teachers (Quesenberry and others, ; Snell and others, ; Stanton‐Chapman and others, ). Given the assertion that centre directors are ‘gatekeepers to quality' (Bloom and Sheerer, , p. 138), a better understanding of the perspectives of centre directors currently working in the field may provide insight into how directors may better support teachers and enable more targeted and improved professional development opportunities.…”