Implementing implementation science in a randomized controlled trial in Norwegian early childhood education and care

The emerging interest in implementation processes in the social, health, and educational sciences has increased the recognition of implementation science. Still, the literature provides limited practical insights on how to successfully develop and conduct interventions within educational settings in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in line with implementation science. This paper uses the Agder RCT study to provide such insights. We describe how the theory of change and implementation framework supported systematic tailoring and implementation of a new Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) intervention. The paper contributes to the emerging use of implementation science in education in general, and more specifically in ECEC. Finally, we discuss how implementation science also needs to be utilized during the upscaling of the project.publishedVersio

Teachers’ participation in evaluating a web-based tool to monitor intervention fidelity

Background When educational interventions are carried out, it is important that they are undertaken in a way that is aligned with the intervention plan: in other words, that they demonstrate fidelity to the intervention. A significant research issue is how fidelity can be monitored in a time-efficient and cost-effective way in classrooms and whether technology could help to provide innovative solutions in this regard. Purpose Through collaboration with teachers, this exploratory study sought to ascertain the usability of a web-based fidelity application (WFA). The WFA was being developed as a checklist tool to help teachers monitor the implementation fidelity of a social and emotional learning intervention for 14- to 15-year-old students in Norway. Method For this qualitative study, data were collected at two time points: (i) through a focus group interview with six teachers who had piloted the WFA prior to the initiation of the intervention; and (ii) via individual interviews with five teachers in the intervention group who had used the WFA during the implementation process. The data were analysed thematically. Findings According to the analysis, the teachers considered that the WFA’s features (e.g. layout and registration process) could help support the ease and efficiency of fidelity reporting. They felt that it provided a highly recognisable link with the intervention material. In addition, the teachers provided ideas for further development and potential improvements. In all, the WFA was perceived as having high usability, suggesting its potential value as a useful tool for the collection of fidelity data. Conclusion This paper highlights the crucial role of teacher participation and the importance of fidelity data in the conduct of educational interventions. It draws attention to the need for user-friendly tools to support teachers to monitor fidelity in ways that do not involve high time and cost burdens. Similar WFAs could be of potential use in many different kinds of educational interventions in classroom settings internationally.publishedVersio

Patterns of teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes toward inclusive education associated with teacher emotional support, collective teacher efficacy, and collegial collaboration

Teacher self-reports were used to investigate patterns of their self-efficacy and attitudes toward inclusive education in association with teacher emotional support, collective teacher efficacy, and collegial collaboration. Data included a sample of 100 Norwegian upper secondary school teachers from a mixed-methods cluster randomised controlled trial study. Latent profile analysis identified four subgroups: Low Self-Efficacy, Mid Attitudes (n = 19); High in All (n = 15); Mid Self-Efficacy, Low Attitudes (n = 36); and High Self-Efficacy, Mid Attitudes (n = 30). Teachers in the High in All profile reported being the most emotionally supportive, while the highest levels of collective efficacy and collegial collaboration were reported by teachers belonging to the High Self-Efficacy, Mid Attitudes profile. Teachers in the Low Self-Efficacy, Mid Attitudes profile reported the lowest levels of emotional support, collective efficacy, and collegial collaboration. The results provide a deeper understanding of the association between teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes toward inclusive education by investigating distinct teacher profiles with diverse self-efficacy and attitude characteristics, leading to more targeted and effective strategies in inclusive education research, practice, and policy.publishedVersio

Exploring improvement in teachers' instrucional support: classifying and anazlying patterns of change in a national intitative on classroom management

What teachers do in the classroom is a key determinant of student learning processes and outcomes. The current study explores the levels of and improvement in teachers’ instructional support throughout a school-wide initiative that aimed to develop classroom management in Norwegian lower secondary schools. The sample contained 227 teachers from nine schools. The results of growth mixture modeling (GMM) indicate that the majority of teachers did not improve. The teachers who did improve reported higher initial instructional support levels than the non-improving teachers. The improving teachers also reported higher job satisfaction and less stress from student behavior. No significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to emotional exhaustion and stress from workload. The study illustrates an approach relevant for evaluating improvement in teachers’ practice within specific interventions as well as in ongoing professional development. The results may have implications for the length, focus and content of professional development for teachers. The study provides knowledge that may be relevant to school and district leaders initiating improvement efforts in their school(s).publishedVersio

Integrating data in a complex mixed-methods classroom interaction study

Mixed‐methods (MM) designs have gained increasing interest in educational research. Still, many studies collect quantitative and qualitative data but report these data separately and do not attempt to integrate them in practice. The aim of this article is to discuss the purposes and processes of integrating qualitative and quantitative data in an MM classroom interaction study. Issues regarding mixing and integration, including how to overcome integration barriers, are discussed. Based on this outline, the study then presents details about the various integration processes adopted in a recent MM study on classroom interaction in Norway. The possibilities and challenges of integration to produce new knowledge and a deeper understanding throughout the research process in classroom studies are illustrated with a specific focus on points of interface. A key issue is whether the new knowledge obtained in an MM study is more than the sum of the individual quantitative and qualitative parts. Using selected questions from the MM alphabet proved a helpful heuristic for guiding the iterative processes of integration and provided richer explanations and an enhanced understanding of the implementation and impact of a complex classroom intervention initiative. The study provides a new methodological contribution to the MM literature by examining the integration processes and challenges faced in a specific study.publishedVersio

Kunnskapsoppsummering og klassifisering av tiltaket Olweus programmet (OBPP) – et skoleomfattende program mot mobbing og antisosial atferd (2. Utg)

Bakgrunn Olweus programmet (Olweus Bully Prevention Program; OBPP) skal redusere mobbing og antisosial atferd i skolen gjennom å skape et trygt og godt læringsmiljø for alle. Denne artikkelen er en kunnskapsoppsummering om effekter av det forebyggende og skoleomfattende OBPP mot mobbing og antisosial atferd i grunnskolen, en vurdering av om tiltaket er virksomt og anbefalt til bruk i norske skoler. Metode Kunnskapsoppsummeringen bygger på systematiske litteratursøk i ulike databaser som Embase, Medline, Psykinfo, Norart, Cochrane, Cristin, Nora, Scopus, Campbell og Blueprint. I tillegg er informasjon innhentet fra tiltakseier. Resultater Det ble identifisert seks norske effektstudier, tre egne effektstudier fra USA og to uavhengige studier fra USA, to internasjonale meta-analyser og en internasjonal vurdering (Blueprint, som viser at OPBB oppfyller kravene til såkalt Blueprint- eller modellprogram). Resultatene inkluderer en vurdering av programmets beskrivelse, effektstudier, kvalitet av forskningsmetoder og implementeringskvalitet. Programmet er svært godt beskrevet og har svært gode system for å styrke implementeringskvalitet. Effekten av OBPP er godt beskrevet og dokumentert. Samtidig vil norske effektstudier som i større grad oppfyller dagens krav til dokumentasjon, som omfatter en bredere alderssammensetning og dermed større deler av målgruppen, som er elever i grunnskolen og flere uavhengige studier, styrke dokumentasjonen ytterligere. Resultatene må ses i lys av at utvikling og implementering av OBPP også har etablert et helt nytt fagfelt og forsking innen dette feltet, og representerer et arbeid som strekker seg tilbake til 1970-tallet. Konklusjon OBPP klassifiseres etter Ungsinn.no sine kriterier som et dokumentert virksomt tiltak på evidensnivå 5: Tiltak med sterk dokumentasjon på effekt.publishedVersio

Patterns of teachers’ instructional support quality and the association with job satisfaction and collegial collaboration

Classroom observations and teacher reports were used to investigate patterns of instructional support quality and the association with job satisfaction and collegial collaboration. Eighty-one Norwegian lower secondary schoolteachers participated in the study. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified five profiles: confident (n = 21), low-quality (n = 21), less confident (n = 18), high-quality (n = 9), and low analysis and inquiry (AI) and instructional dialogue (ID; n = 12). The results indicated that the low-quality profile teachers were less satisfied with their job compared with the high-quality and low AI and ID profile teachers. By gaining more knowledge about patterns of instructional support quality and the associations with teachers’ job satisfaction and collegial collaboration, actions to support teachers’ professional development can be tailored to individual teachers’ needs.publishedVersio

Implementation of physically active lessons: a 2-year follow-up

Combining physical activity and academic content is a promising way to improve health and academic learning in schoolchildren. This paper examined the continuation of physically active lessons (PAL) in five Norwegian elementary schools, two years after a 10-month intervention period, which consisted of weekly minimum 2 x 45 min of PAL. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine teachers and five school leaders. The Level of Use instrument was used to assess how the teachers integrated PAL into the school day. Two years after the intervention period, seven of nine teachers conducted PAL regularly, on average one lesson per week. Teachers’ implementation progress varied from struggling with logistics, to stable routine and creative adaption. Perceived benefits for the children, active leadership, and ongoing implementation support seem important for continuation. Introduction of PAL as a school development project, systematic planning from the onset and a gradual introduction of PAL, can be an effective strategy for continuation and long-term sustainability. In addition, the Level of Use instrument was useful to better understand which support mechanisms are needed at different stages in the implementation of PAL.publishedVersio

Associations between observed patterns of classroom interactions and teacher wellbeing in lower secondary school

Classroom observations and teacher self-reports were used to examine the relationships between patterns of teacherestudent interactions and the wellbeing of Norwegian lower secondary school teachers. Latent profile analysis identified four subgroups. Teacherestudent interactions and the teachers' wellbeing were inter-related in that teachers who were observed to be high in all the interaction domains (Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support) perceived themselves as having high job satisfaction. The results showed that improving teachers’ wellbeing has the potential to improve teacherestudent interactions and vice versa. The study also discusses the use of classroom observations to facilitate teacherestudent interactions in teacher training.peerReviewe

Enhancing upper secondary students’ engagement and learning through the INTERACT online, video-based teacher coaching intervention: Protocol for a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial and process evaluation

This protocol outlines a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) in upper secondary schools that will investigate how video-based online coaching can support teachers’ competences in teacher-student interactions (TSIs) and thereby improve student engagement and learning. The intervention will take place over a school year with at least 100 teachers and 2,000 of their students. During the implementation and one-year follow-up, we will conduct an extensive implementation and process evaluation (IPE) to understand the intervention's effects on TSI and student engagement and learning outcomes. This protocol outlines the background, design, intervention, and primary and secondary outcome measures as well as moderators