Using relationship-focused reflection to improve teacher-child relationships and teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy

Bosman, R.J. (Rianne)¹, Zee, M. (Marjolein)¹, De Jong, P.F. (Peter)¹, Koomen, H.M.Y (Helma)^1
1University of Amsterdam, Nederland

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 116, 10-07-2019, 13:30 - 15:00

Keywords

Teacher-child relationships, Student-specific self-efficacy, mental representations, attachment, intervention.

Summary

We evaluated the extent to which the Relationship-Focused Reflection Program (RFRP), an intervention targeted at teachers’ mental representations, is effective in improving teacher-child relationships and student-specific teacher self-efficacy beliefs in elementary school. Three groups were compared: an intervention group comprising 46 teachers who received RFRP about their relationship with two specific children (N = 92 teacher-child dyads), an intervention-transfer group, in which the same teachers reported about children who were not included in the RFRP (N = 81 teacher-child dyads), and a control group comprising 32 teachers who did not receive the RFRP (N = 88 teacher-child dyads). Teachers completed relationship questionnaires at pretest, posttest, and follow-up, and teachers reported on their student-specific self-efficacy. Multilevel analyses revealed that teachers in the intervention group reported larger decreases in teacher-child conflict compared to the control group. Transfer effects were found for teacher-child dyads that were not subject of RFRP. Additionally, teachers in the intervention group reported larger increases in their student-specific self-efficacy for behavior management and emotional support compared to the control group. Again, transfer effects were found. This study showed that RFRP is successful in improving teacher-reported relationship quality and teachers’ student-specific self-efficacy for teacher-child dyads in elementary school.

Auteurs