Violence, mental health, quality of preschool environment Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Conditions
Interventions
The intervention involves training preschool teachers using ‘The Irie Classroom Toolbox’. The Toolbox consists of three modules:
1. Creating an emotional supportive classroom environme
Sponsors
University of the West Indies
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Schools: Preschools situated in specified urban areas in Kingston & St. Andrew, Jamaica (with 2-4 classrooms and an average of at least 10 children per class) 2. Teachers: All teachers in the selected preschools 3. Children: A random sample of children from the 4 year old class in the selected preschools
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Preschools with less than two and more than four classrooms/teachers 2. Children with identified developmental disability or delay 3. Children with attendance less than 50%
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| We have two primary outcome measures: 1. Violence against children by teachers: measured by direct observation over 2 school days in each class. Event recording will be used to record use of corporal punishment and verbal abuse (e.g. threats, name-calling) by teachers. 2. Aggression at the classroom level: measured by observer ratings of the level of children’s interpersonal aggression and destructive behaviours in 20-minute intervals over 1 school day. Both primary outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-test and one year follow-up. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| We have secondary outcome measures at the level of the classroom, the teacher and the child. Classroom and teacher level outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-test and one year follow-up, child level outcomes will be measured at baseline and post-test only. 1. Classroom level outcomes 1.1. Observer ratings of children’s pro-social behaviour at the classroom level and observer ratings of the quality of the classroom environment using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Pre-K. 2. Teacher level outcomes: 2.1. Depressive symptoms (using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) 2.2. Teaching self-efficacy (using 3 subscales from Bandura’s Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale 2.3. Disciplinary efficacy 2.4. Enlisting parent involvement and creating a positive school climate) 2.5. Teacher burn-out (using the Teacher Burnout scale) by teacher report using interviewer administered questionnaires 3. Child level outcomes: 3.1. Child mental health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire by teacher report 3.2. Children’s inhibitory control by direct testing and child attendance from school records | — |
Countries
Jamaica
Outcome results
None listed