Clinical trial NCT06856408: Power of Growth - Digitally Assisted Intervention for the Early Childhood Educators' Self-efficacy Teamwork and Children's Behavioral Challenges.
Official title: Power of Growth RCT Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: ECE Teachers Self Efficacy
Team Work
Positive Pedagogy
Behavior Problems
Keywords: ECE self efficacy
team work
positive pedagogy
behavior problems
Lead sponsor: University of Turku
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-03-04
Enrollment: 64
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This is an RCT study investigating the efficacy of digital intervention focusing on enhancing positive directing skills for teams of early childhood education (ECE) professionals. The aims are to study 1) changes in the ECEs' self-assessed self-efficacy experience in the intervention group compared to the control group; 2) changes in the behavioral challenges of the children in the ECEs' groups assessed by the parents in the intervention group compared to the control group; and 3) changes in the ECEs' guidance methods in the intervention group compared to the control group. We will also study changes in the wellbeing of ECEs and teamwork in both treatment groups. The sample size will consist of approximately 64 teams of ECEs. Hence, altogether there will be approximately 200 study subjects.

The intervention is aimed at ECE teams and its goal is to strengthen and unify the team positive guidance practices in children's groups. The intervention includes self-learning material and teams online coaching in which the entire team participates simultaneously. The self-material includes 360 videos of everyday situations in the daycare and videos can be watched with VR glasses. The participants practice the skills systematically with their group of children. The duration of the intervention is approximately 12 weeks and team coaching are carried out approximately every two weeks.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Participant is working in a daycare centre team that is participating to the study. Sufficient knowledge in Finnish language.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Primary outcomes:
measure: ECE Teacher Self Efficacy
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Perceptions of Team work
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Behaviour problems of the child
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Burn out
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Confidence in ability to deal with child´s challenging behavior
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Work satisfaction
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Perceived skills
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: Questionnaire on interaction skills: attuned interaction and guidance
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
measure: The workload of guiding the child group
timeFrame: From baseline to 3, 6 months after randomisation
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Municipalities
country: Finland
facility: Early Childhood Education
state: Select
city: Turku
country: Finland
facility: Research Centre of Child Psychiatry
state: Select
Study officials:
References: