title: Supporting teachers' relationships with disruptive children: the potential of relationship-focused reflection.
abstract: A relationship-focused reflection program (RFRP) was developed that targeted teachers' mental representations of relationships with specific children. Relative effectiveness was examined in a randomized comparative trial with repeated measures. Thirty-two teachers were assigned to the RFRP or the comparison intervention directly aimed at teacher behavior. Per teacher, two children (N = 64) were selected with above-median levels of externalizing behavior. Multilevel growth modeling was used to explore intervention effects on teacher-reported Closeness and Conflict, and observed Teacher Sensitivity and Behavior Management Quality. Teaching Efficacy was included as a moderator. The RFRP yielded changes over time in closeness for about half of the teacher-child dyads. In addition, teachers with high efficacy beliefs were more likely to report declines in conflict than low-efficacy teachers. Lastly, significant increases were found in observed sensitivity. These effects were different from those found in the comparison condition and provided preliminary evidence for the potential of in-depth reflection on specific relationships to promote teacher-child relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Psychology, VU University, The Netherlands. j.l.spilt@vu.nl
authors.forename: Jantine L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Spilt
authors.forename: Helma M Y
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Koomen
authors.forename: Jochem T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Thijs
authors.forename: Aryan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Leij
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D017145:Models, Educational; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009426:Netherlands; D011361:Professional Competence; D011582:Psychological Theory; D002666:Psychology, Child; D011594:Psychometrics; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires