title: Understanding influences on teachers' uptake and use of behaviour management strategies within the STARS trial: process evaluation protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 'Supporting Teachers And childRen in Schools' (STARS) study is a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (TCM) programme as a public health intervention. TCM is a 6 day training course delivered to groups of 8-12 teachers. The STARS trial will investigate whether TCM can improve children's behaviour, attainment and wellbeing, reduce teachers' stress and improve their self-efficacy. This protocol describes the methodology of the process evaluation embedded within the main trial, which aims to examine the uptake and implementation of TCM strategies within the classroom plus the wider school environment and improve the understanding of outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The STARS trial will work with eighty teachers of children aged 4-9 years from eighty schools. Teachers will be randomised to attend the TCM course (intervention arm) or to "teach as normal" (control arm) and attend the course a year later. The process evaluation will use quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess fidelity to model, as well as explore headteachers' and teachers' experiences of TCM and investigate school factors that influence the translation of skills learnt to practice. Four of the eight groups of teachers (n = 40) will be invited to participate in focus groups within one month of completing the TCM course, and again a year later, while 45 of the 80 headteachers will be invited to take part in telephone interviews. Standardised checklists will be completed by group leaders and each training session will be videotaped to assess fidelity to model. Teachers will also complete standardised session evaluations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study will provide important information about whether the Teacher Classroom Management course influences child and teacher mental health and well-being in both the short and long term. The process evaluation will provide valuable insights into factors that may facilitate or impede any impact.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The trial has been registered with ISCTRN (Controlled Trials Ltd) and assigned an ISRCTN number ISRCTN84130388 . Date assigned: 15 May 2012.
authors.affiliation: Child Mental Health Research Group, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. l.j.hansford@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hansford
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Group, Plymouth University Peninsula School of Medicine & Dentistry (PUPSMD) N32, ITTCC Building Davy Road Tamar Science Park, Derriford, Plymouth, PL6 88X, UK. siobhan.sharkey@plymouth.ac.uk.|Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for the South West Peninsula, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. siobhan.sharkey@plymouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharkey
authors.affiliation: Child Mental Health Research Group, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. v.j.edwards@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for the South West Peninsula, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. o.c.ukoumunne@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Obioha
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ukoumunne
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Economics of Mental and Physical Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. s.byford@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Byford
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2 LU, UK. b.norwich@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Brahm
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Norwich
authors.affiliation: Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for the South West Peninsula, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. stuart.logan@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.affiliation: Child Mental Health Research Group, University of Exeter Medical School, Veysey Building, Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter, EX2 4SG, UK. t.j.ford@exeter.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tamsin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*