The Irie Classrooms Toolbox

• Register: ISRCTN
• Last refreshed on: 8 March 2021
• Main ID: ISRCTN11968472
• Date of registration: 19/02/2015
• Prospective Registration: Yes
• Primary sponsor: University of the West Indies
• Public title: The Irie Classrooms Toolbox
• Scientific title: The Irie Classrooms Toolbox: a cluster randomised trial of a universal violence prevention programme in Jamaican preschools.
• Date of first enrolment: 01/03/2015
• Target sample size: 228
• Recruitment status: Completed
• URL: http://isrctn.com/ISRCTN11968472
• Study type: Interventional
• Study design: Two-arm, single-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial with parallel assignment (Prevention)
• Phase: Not Applicable

Countries of recruitment

Jamaica

Contacts

• Name: Helen Baker-Henningham

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria:
1. Schools: Preschools situated in specified urban areas in Kingston & St. Andrew, Jamaica (with 2-4 classrooms and an average of at least 10 children per class)
2. Teachers: All teachers in the selected preschools
3. Children: A random sample of children from the 4 year old class in the selected preschools

Exclusion criteria:
1. Preschools with less than two and more than four classrooms/teachers
2. Children with identified developmental disability or delay
3. Children with attendance less than 50%



Age minimum:
Age maximum:
Gender: Both

Health Condition(s) or Problem(s) studied

Violence, mental health, quality of preschool environment
Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Intervention(s)

The intervention involves training preschool teachers using ‘The Irie Classroom Toolbox’. The Toolbox consists of three modules:
1. Creating an emotional supportive classroom environment,
2. Using classroom rules and routines to prevent behaviour problems and to maximise children’s engagement in learning activities
3. Teaching social and emotional skills to children.
The training will be delivered through training workshops, monthly in-class coaching (approx. 1 hour /month in each class) over 2 school terms and weekly text messaging over a school year. Each class will be provided with a small amount of play materials (e.g. building blocks) to facilitate their use of the strategies. Teachers in control schools will receive the same educational materials at the same time as intervention schools. They will attend the routine teacher training days provided for preschool teachers but will not be trained in ‘The Irie Classrooms Toolbox’ or receive the in-class coaching and text messages.

The effect of the intervention will be evaluated at the end of the intervention period and at one-year follow-up. After the one-year follow up data has been collected, teachers in control schools will also be trained in ‘The Irie Classrooms Toolbox’ using the same training protocols as for the intervention teachers.

Primary Outcome(s)

We have two primary outcome measures:
1. Violence against children by teachers: measured by direct observation over 2 school days in each class. Event recording will be used to record use of corporal punishment and verbal abuse (e.g. threats, name-calling) by teachers.
2. Aggression at the classroom level: measured by observer ratings of the level of children’s interpersonal aggression and destructive behaviours in 20-minute intervals over 1 school day.

Both primary outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-test and one year follow-up.

Secondary Outcome(s)

We have secondary outcome measures at the level of the classroom, the teacher and the child. Classroom and teacher level outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-test and one year follow-up, child level outcomes will be measured at baseline and post-test only.
1. Classroom level outcomes
1.1. Observer ratings of children’s pro-social behaviour at the classroom level and observer ratings of the quality of the classroom environment using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System – Pre-K.
2. Teacher level outcomes:
2.1. Depressive symptoms (using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale)
2.2. Teaching self-efficacy (using 3 subscales from Bandura’s Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale
2.3. Disciplinary efficacy
2.4. Enlisting parent involvement and creating a positive school climate)
2.5. Teacher burn-out (using the Teacher Burnout scale) by teacher report using interviewer administered questionnaires
3. Child level outcomes:
3.1. Child mental health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire by teacher report
3.2. Children’s inhibitory control by direct testing and child attendance from school records

Secondary ID(s)

MR/M007553/1

Source(s) of Monetary Support

Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Department for International Development, UK Government

Ethics review

Status:
Approval date:
Contact:

1. School of Psychology Ethics and Research Committee, Bangor University, 29/10/2014, ref: 2014-14167 2. University of the West Indies/University Hospital of the West Indies Ethics Committee, 19/01/2015, ref: ECP 50, 14/15

Results

• Results available: Yes
• Date Completed: 30/06/2018