A Randomized Controlled Trial of Trauma-awareness Training for Early Childhood Educators
- Conditions
- Burnout, Professional
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Enhancing Trauma Awareness (Diane Wagenhals, MEd-Lakeside Global Institute)
- Registration Number
- NCT03303482
- Lead Sponsor
- Temple University
- Brief Summary
Background. To increase school readiness, Pre-K programs for low-income children must be responsive to the role of trauma in the lives of children, families, and staff. In 2017-2018, the School District of Philadelphia's (SDP) Office of Early Childhood Education will help Pre-K teachers support children's social-emotional and behavioral health, which is essential for early learning, by offering teachers a professional development course called Enhancing Trauma Awareness (ETA).
Purpose. To determine whether teachers who take ETA will have: 1) better work functioning; 2) more trusting work relationships; and 3) better health.
Population. Pre-K classroom teachers (n=128) working in centers under SDP auspice that serve exclusively low-income (≤300 % of poverty) children.
Intervention. A 12-week professional development course-Enhancing Trauma Awareness-will delivered by Lakeside Global Institute in 6 group sessions, with 16 teachers per group and each session lasting 2.5 hours.
Design. Consenting teachers will be randomly assigned by classroom (lead teacher and/or assistant teacher) to receive the ETA course in either fall 2017 (intervention groups) or spring 2018 (wait-list control groups).
Data collection and analysis. An external evaluation team (Temple University) will administer a confidential, online survey to all 128 teachers in fall 2017 (before fall course), winter 2017 (after fall course), and spring 2018 (after spring course). Teacher-children relationship quality will be the a priori primary outcome, and secondary outcomes will be assessed across the domains of work functioning, trust, and health.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 96
Preschool classroom teacher who works in a center that is under the auspice of the School District of Philadelphia and serves exclusively low-income (≤300 % of poverty) children.
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Intervention Group Enhancing Trauma Awareness (Diane Wagenhals, MEd-Lakeside Global Institute) -
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in teacher-children relationship quality (specifically, levels of perceived conflict) at 3 months The teacher-children relationship quality measurement will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). A modified version of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) conflict subscale will be used to allow each teacher to provide one global or aggregated assessment of her/his relationships with all the children in the classroom. The conflict subscale includes eight items to assess negative, insecure, and hostile aspects of relationships.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in mindfulness (Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in emotion regulation (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in compassion satisfaction (Professional Quality of Life Scale) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in attitudes about trauma-informed care (Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in trust in relationships with parents, supervisors, and other staff members (adapted from Trust in Schools Instruments) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in mentally and physically unhealthy days (CDC Health-Related Quality of Life Healthy Days Core Module) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in job satisfaction (adapted from Gallup Well-Being Work Index) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory General) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course). Change in quality and duration of nighttime sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) at 3 months The measure will be assessed for all 128 teachers through online surveys at baseline (before the fall course) and at 3 months (after the fall course).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Temple University
🇺🇸Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States