The Effects of 'The Teachability Factor' Professional Development Workshop on Teachers' Perceptions of Challenging Children in their Classroom

Abstract

Within the extensive research literature on attachment neurobiology there is little empirical research on it’s application to education. The research suggests there is a significant relationship between being securely attached and one’s behavioural and academic outcomes, so the benefits of such an approach are potentially significant. While teachers have an increasing awareness of the importance of brain processes, neuroscience research has not been readily available to educators because it is such a new field. In this vacuum neuromyths have flourished based on pseudoscience and lack scientific validity. Therefore the need for an accurate translation of the empirical attachment research findings to education is urgently needed.

This research tests whether The Teachability Factor, an eight week session professional development course developed by the Neufeld Institute, is able to translate attachment neuroscience findings into an effective, evidence-based program for early childhood teachers.

Using the BASC-2 and Index of Teaching Stress, there are significant effects in the student domains of attention, aggression, ADHD, hyperactivity, and highly significant effects in teacher domains of stress, sense of competence, and satisfaction from teaching. Thus significant benefits are shown from teaching evidence-based attachment neuroscience to teachers.