Teacher-Child Interaction Training: A Pilot Study With Random Assignment.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Classroom Management
• Behavioral Interventions

Background:

• Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) is adapted from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).
• TCIT aims to enhance teacher behavior management skills for positive teacher-student relationships and improved classroom environments.
• Previous research has limited reporting on TCIT's effectiveness in diverse classroom settings and with older children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of TCIT in a larger number of classrooms and with older children (kindergarten and first grade).
• To assess TCIT's impact on teacher behavior and student disruptive behavior using random assignment.
• To examine teacher skill acquisition, student behavior changes, and teacher satisfaction with the TCIT program.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 11 kindergarten and first-grade classrooms (118 students) from three urban schools.
• Five classrooms were randomly assigned to receive TCIT, while six served as a no-TCIT control group.
• Teacher skills were observed, and teacher reports on student behavior were collected pre-training, during, and post-training. Teacher satisfaction was also assessed.

Main Results:

• Teachers trained in TCIT significantly increased positive attention and decreased negative attention towards students.
• Teachers reported a significant reduction in distress associated with student disruptive behavior.
• High teacher satisfaction with the TCIT program was reported post-training.

Conclusions:

• TCIT is a promising intervention for training teachers in positive behavior management strategies.
• The program effectively improves student disruptive behavior within the classroom setting.
• TCIT demonstrates feasibility and positive outcomes in urban elementary school classrooms.