Understanding and Improving Classroom Emotional Climate and Behavior Management in the "Real World": The Role of Head Start Teachers' Psychosocial Stressors

Research Findings: This article reports on two studies. Study 1 considered ways in which Head Start teachers' (n = 90) psychosocial stressors are related to teachers' ability to maintain a positive classroom emotional climate and effective behavior management in preschool classrooms. Study...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Early education and development 2010-01, Vol.21 (1), p.65-94
Main Authors: Li Grining, Christine, Raver, C. Cybele, Champion, Kina, Sardin, Latriese, Metzger, Molly, Jones, Stephanie M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior Modification
Classroom Environment
Classroom management
Classroom Techniques
Classrooms
Consultants
Disabilities
Disadvantaged Youth
Early Intervention
Educational Facilities Improvement
Emotional Response
Emotions
Head Start project
Hypothesis Testing
Illinois
Intervention
Mental Health
Psychological Patterns
Social psychology
Stress Variables
Student Behavior
Studies
Teacher Attitudes
Teaching Conditions
Training
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Summary:Research Findings: This article reports on two studies. Study 1 considered ways in which Head Start teachers' (n = 90) psychosocial stressors are related to teachers' ability to maintain a positive classroom emotional climate and effective behavior management in preschool classrooms. Study 2 tested the hypothesis that among teachers randomly assigned to a treatment condition (n = 48), psychosocial stressors serve as important predictors of their use of an intervention designed to improve classroom emotional climate and behavior management. Practice or Policy: Findings from Study 1 were mixed; notably, teachers' personal stressors were moderately predictive of lower use of effective strategies of behavior management in the classroom. Findings from Study 2 suggest that psychosocial stressors are not a barrier to teachers' use of intervention services. Contrary to our expectations, teachers reporting more stressors attended more training sessions than did teachers reporting fewer stressors. Teachers reporting higher levels of stress availed themselves of less support from mental health consultants during classroom consultation visits offered to treatment group classrooms as part of the intervention.
ISSN:1040-9289
1556-6935
DOI:10.1080/10409280902783509