01
02
03
Institute for Effective Education, University of York: PEP programme may relieve the burden of problem behaviours
04
05
15
16
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
31
32
33
34
The Prevention Program for Externalizing Problem Behavior (PEP) includes a module for teachers (PEP-TE) that aims to help them deal effectively with problem behaviours in young children, such as hyperactivity and oppositional and aggressive behaviours.
A study in kindergartens in Germany (attended by children aged 3 to 6) enrolled 144 teachers of various ages and experience into PEP-TE. Each teacher identified a child who they considered to show problem behaviours. The study followed each teacher and child for three months before the intervention and analysed child and teacher behaviours before, during, and after the training.
The intervention consisted of 11 weekly group training sessions where teachers would discuss and then apply their responses to the child’s behaviour. The study authors described how problem behaviours reduced slightly during the run-up to the intervention, reduced further during the intervention, and were stable during follow-up at three and 12 months. The authors concluded that the training resulted in improvements in teacher reactions to problem behaviours, reductions in problem behaviours, and teacher burdens. They acknowledged methodological problems with the study including that before-and-after studies are less robust than randomised controlled trials, potential for overestimated effect sizes and reporting bias, and a high drop-out rate.
Source: Effectiveness of a Teacher-Based Indicated Prevention Program for Preschool Children with Externalizing Problem Behavior (2015), Prevention Science.