Child-Teacher Relationship Training Exclusively in the Classroom: Impact on Teacher Attitudes and Behaviors

Teachers often report a lack of training on effective ways to support the emotional needs of children. Working in schools where students experience poverty, as well as low student achievement, can be stressful for teachers. This study examined the impact of child-teacher relationship training (CTRT) on teachers' professional quality of life, attitudes aligned with the values of CTRT, attitudes about trauma-informed care, and the ability to demonstrate the CTRT skills in the classroom. This third and final year of the project focused solely on teachers' classroom training and behaviors, completely omitting the playroom as a training tool. The results indicate that the intervention had a significant impact on teachers' child-centered knowledge and skills aligned with the training, as well as their ability to demonstrate the CTRT skills in classrooms. Limitations, directions for future research, and implications for school-based play therapists, school counselors, and counselor educators are discussed.