Clinical trial NCT04075071: A Pilot Study of Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal in Head Start
Official title: A Pilot Study of Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal in Head Start
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Child Behavior
Child Development
Child Behavior Problem
Keywords: Teacher-Child Interaction Training
teacher-child relationships
child behavior
child social-emotional skills
preschool
teaching self-efficacy
teacher behavior
Lead sponsor: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: PNC Foundation
First posted: 2019-08-30
Enrollment: 70
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This pilot study aims to implement and evaluate Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal (TCIT-U), an empirically-supported classroom-based intervention aimed at improving child behavior and social-emotional skills through strengthening teacher-child relationships at a preschool that serves children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk for behavioral health difficulties. The main objectives are to (a) examine TCIT-U's effects on teacher behavior, teachers' sense of efficacy, and child behavior problems and social-emotional skills compared to usual care (UC) and (b) explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing TCIT-U at a diverse urban preschool.

Detailed description: Disruptive behaviors and social-emotional skill deficits are common problems in early education settings and contribute to the high rates of preschool suspensions and expulsions. While teachers serve a critical role in children's behavioral health, they often lack evidence-based training in strategies that could improve child behavior and promote social-emotional skills. The goal of this project is to implement and evaluate Teacher-Child Interaction Training - Universal (TCIT-U), an empirically-supported classroom-based intervention aimed at improving child behavior and social-emotional skills through strengthening teacher-child relationships at a preschool that serves children from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk for behavioral health difficulties.

The main objectives are to (a) examine TCIT-U's effects on teacher behavior, teachers' sense of efficacy, and child behavior problems and social-emotional skills compared to usual care (UC) and (b) explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing TCIT-U at a diverse urban preschool.

This pilot study is a nonrandomized clinical trial comparing TCIT-U to a UC control group at urban preschool. Teachers in the intervention group will participate in TCIT-U. TCIT-U and UC teachers will complete measures at baseline, post-intervention, and end-of-the-school-year follow-up. All teachers will be observed for their TCIT-U skill use at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with educational staff at follow-up to examine feasibility and acceptability data.

Participants will be eight teachers and approximately 80 children from four preschool classrooms in Philadelphia. Educational staff will also be invited to participate in qualitative interviews. Staff must speak English to participate. There is no exclusion criteria for children.

Four teachers from two Head Start classrooms will participate in TCIT-U. TCIT-U is an empirically-supported intervention aimed at strengthening teacher-child relationships and improving child behavior and social-emotional skills. TCIT-U includes group didactic and individualized coaching sessions. Four teachers from two other classrooms will serve as the UC control group.

Teacher behavior will be coded during live classroom observations. Teacher-reported questionnaires will measure teachers' sense of efficacy and child behavior and social-emotional skills. Qualitative interviews and satisfaction surveys will explore the feasibility and acceptability of implementing TCIT-U. Fidelity checklists will be completed by the TCIT-U Trainer and expert consultants to document intervention fidelity.

Eligibility criteria: Teachers' Inclusion Criteria:

* Serve as a head, co-, and/or assistant teacher in a Head Start or PreK Counts classroom at the participating early childhood education center.
* Speak and read English proficiently.
* Provide written informed consent.

Teachers' Exclusion Criteria: Do not speak and read English proficiently.

Children's Inclusion Criteria:

* Enrolled in one of the participating Head Start or PreK Counts classrooms prior to baseline evaluations.
* Aged 3 through 5 years old.
* Provided an informational letter about the study to their parents.

Children's Exclusion Criteria: There are no exclusion criteria for children.

Educational Staff's Inclusion Criteria (qualitative interviews):

* Participated in or observed TCIT-U training and/or serve as a classroom-based (e.g., assistant, behavioral specialist) or administrative (e.g., center director) staff for the classrooms participating in TCIT-U.
* Speak and read English proficiently.
* Provide written informed consent.

Educational Staff's Exclusion Criteria (qualitative interviews): Do not speak and read English proficiently.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Changes in Teacher-Child Interaction Coding System (TCICS)
timeFrame: Week 1, Week 6-8, Week 12, and Month 10
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES)
timeFrame: Week 1, Week 12, and Month 10
measure: Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers, 2nd Edition (DECA-P2)
timeFrame: Week 1, Week 12, and Month 10
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Philadelphia
country: United States
facility: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
name: Rebecca M Kanine, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: