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Using Data-Driven, Video-Based Early Childhood Consultation with Teachers to Reduce Children’s Challenging Behaviors and Improve Engagement in Preschool Classrooms

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Abstract

Consultation to teachers can be an effective intervention for reducing young children’s challenging behaviors within the classroom, yet there is a need for more efficient approaches that provide data-driven, video-based support to enhance and expand teacher and child impacts. This paper focuses on a newly developed early childhood consultation model, called Learning to Objectively Observe Kids (LOOK), which involves the use of data from validated measures about children, and video-based feedback, to guide teachers’ selection and implementation of behavioral strategies. Results from a small randomized controlled trial demonstrate LOOK impacts on teachers’ use of social–emotional teaching strategies and self-efficacy, as well as children’s positive and negative engagement with teachers, peers, and learning activities in preschool classrooms.

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Acknowledgements

The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305A120323-14 to the University of Virginia. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education. Special thanks to Sandra Ampudia, Dunia Villanueva, Krystal Bichay, and Erik Ruzek for their contributions to implementing LOOK and preparing this manuscript, as well as to the participating teachers, children, and families.

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  1. Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning, University of Virginia, PO Box 800784, Charlottesville, VA, 22908-0784, USA

    Jason T. Downer, Amanda P. Williford, Virginia E. Vitiello, Shannon Reilly & Ann Lhospital

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Rebecca J. Bulotsky-Shearer & Johayra Bouza

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  1. Jason T. Downer
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Correspondence to Jason T. Downer.

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Jason Downer, Amanda Williford, and Rebecca Bulotksy-Shearer were coinvestigators on the research grant from the Institute of Education Sciences that funded this study. All other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Downer, J.T., Williford, A.P., Bulotsky-Shearer, R.J. et al. Using Data-Driven, Video-Based Early Childhood Consultation with Teachers to Reduce Children’s Challenging Behaviors and Improve Engagement in Preschool Classrooms. School Mental Health 10, 226–242 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-017-9237-0

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