An evaluation of an attachment based Early Year's Training Package: a multiple case study

Attachment theory has become widely regarded as the most important and supported framework for understanding social and emotional development (Goldberg, 2000). Evidence suggests that attachment based interventions in early year’s settings will allow for a greater understanding, sensitive response and more effective use of practitioner’s skills when working with children (Kennedy and Kennedy, 2004). This thesis was produced as part of the written requirements for the new full-time Doctoral training in Educational Psychology. Volume one contains four chapters: Chapter one introduces the research study and literature review, providing information on the brokering and relevance of the research area. Chapter two discusses and presents existing attachment based interventions with parents, schools and early year’s settings. Chapter three reports findings from an evaluation an early year’s intervention, based on attachment principles - ‘Building Strong Foundations’. A multiple case study design was adopted. Three settings, where the intervention had been received, were evaluated to provide literal replication, and an additional setting, which had not received the intervention, acted as a comparison, and provided theoretical replication (Yin, 2009). Key positive outcomes and rival explanations are discussed, along with implications and future directions. Chapter four provides some final reflections and conclusions, including limitations in design and methods of the study. The impact which this study makes to the profession of educational psychology is also discussed.