Implementation in the "real world" of an evidence-based social and emotional learning program for teachers: effects on children social, emotional, behavioral and problem solving skills.

Introduction: The delivery of social and emotional learning (SEL) programs that are developmentally school-based and evidence-based has the potential to benefit many children, and as such, greater efforts are needed to disseminate these programs more widely within the community. The Incredible Years® Teacher Classroom Management (IY-TCM) has shown promising results when applied by teachers in preschool centers and primary schools, as seen in several randomized control trials conducted worldwide, including in Portugal. Methods: The current study presents a model of the implementation of the program within the framework of a nationwide initiative undertaken in Portugal: the Academias Gulbenkian do Conhecimento. Additionally, results of the program's impact on children were explored using ANOVA, which compared pre- to post- treatment outcomes. To assess which factors affected the efficacy of the intervention, moderation analyses were conducted using the MEMORE macro. Ninety teachers and 535 children (2 to 10 years old) were assessed. Results: Results revealed that children showed significant increases in social and emotional skills (e.g., social adjustment, empathy) and significant reductions in problem behavior when assessed by their teachers, and in social-cognitive problem solving strategies as evaluated by a set of problem-solving tasks. Moderation analyses showed that, in general, interaction effects were not found, meaning that the intervention was effective for almost all conditions. Nevertheless, significant moderation effects were found for factors pertaining to the child and the mother with respect to pro-social and emotional skills (children who benefited most from the intervention exhibited more behavioral difficulties at the baseline according to the teachers' perceptions and had mothers without a university degree; children attending primary school took less benefit from the intervention than those attending pre-school). Discussion: The findings contribute both to the reinforcement of the effectiveness of the IY-TCM program as a universal intervention in "real world" schools and to the development of some guidelines for the promotion of effective scaling up and sustainability of program effects.

Observação da interação professor-aluno no jardim de infância: O Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool / Observation of teacher-student interaction in preschool: the teacher-pupil observation tool / Observación de la interacción profesor-alumno en la educación infantil: el teacher-pupil observation tool

Este estudo teve como objetivo apresentar a versão portuguesa do Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT), no que diz respeito ao acordo e fidedignidade entre observadores e às categorias de comportamentos observadas nos professores na sua utilização em contexto pré-escolar. Três observadores receberam treinamento na cotação de 11 categorias de comportamentos do professor do T-POT. Posteriormente, 65 professoras de jardim de infância foram observadas durante 25 minutos, numa situação de interação nas suas salas com um pequeno grupo de crianças. Obteve-se uma média de acordo entre observadores de 74% nas sessões de treinamento e coeficientes de correlação intraclasse de 0,90-0,99. Os resultados indicam que as categorias do T-POT mais utilizadas pelas professoras nas suas interações com as crianças são questões, confirmações e ordens. A discussão salienta as implicações para a prática e a pesquisa da utilização de medidas de observação na avaliação da interação professor-aluno nas salas de jardim de infância. (AU)

The purpose of this study was to present the Portuguese version of the Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT), in terms of agreement and reliability among observers and the categories of behaviors observed in teachers when used in preschool setting. Three observers were trained in scoring 11 T-POT teacher's behavior categories. Subsequently, 65 preschool teachers were observed with T-POT during 25 minutes, while interacting in their classrooms with a small group of children. A mean of 74% of agreement was reached between observers for the training sessions and intraclass correlation coefficients of 0,90-0,99. The results indicate that the T-POT categories most used by teachers in their interactions with children are questions, acknowledgments and commands. The discussion highlights the implications for practice and research on the use of observation measures in the assessment of teacher-student interaction in preschool classrooms. (AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo presentar la versión portuguesa del Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (T-POT), en lo que se refiere al acuerdo y la confiabilidad entre observadores y, por otro lado, las categorías de comportamiento observadas en los profesores en la utilización del test en el contexto preescolar. Tres observadores recibieron entrenamiento en la cotización de 11 categorías de comportamiento del profesor del T-POT. Posteriormente, 65 profesoras de la educación infantil fueron observadas utilizando el T-POT durante 25 minutos, en una situación de interacción en sus aulas con un pequeño grupo de niños. Se obtuvo un acuerdo medio del 74% entre observadores en las sesiones de entrenamiento y coeficientes de correlación intraclase de 0,90-0,99. Los resultados indican que las categorías del T-POT más utilizadas por las profesoras en sus interacciones con los niños son cuestiones, confirmaciones y órdenes. La discusión destaca las implicaciones para la práctica y la investigación de la utilización de medidas de observación en la evaluación de la interacción profesor-alumno en la educación infantil. (AU)

A parent-based intervention programme involving preschoolers with AD/HD behaviours: are children's and mothers' effects sustained over time?

To evaluate the 12-month efficacy of a parent-based intervention programme on children's and mothers' outcomes in a sample of Portuguese preschoolers displaying early hyperactive and inattentive behaviours (AD/HD behaviours), 52 preschool children whose mothers had received the Incredible Years basic parent training (IY) were followed from baseline to 12 months of follow-up. Reported and observational measures were used. Effects were found in the children's reported AD/HD behaviours at home and at school after 12 months. Large effect sizes were also found in mothers' variables: a decrease in self-reported dysfunctional parenting practices and an improved sense of competence and observed positive parenting. However, the improvements in coaching skills that have been observed after 6 months of follow-up decreased over time. No other significant differences were found between 6 and 12 months follow-up, with small effect sizes indicating that the significant post-intervention changes in child and parenting measures were maintained. After 12 months of follow-up, there was a clinically important reduction of over 30 % in reported AD/HD behaviours in 59 % of children. The sustained effects observed both for children and their mothers suggest long-term benefits of IY. Therefore, efforts should be made by Portuguese policy makers and professionals to deliver IY as an early preventive intervention for children displaying early AD/HD behaviours.