The Effectiveness of a Classroom-based Intervention Promoting a Prosocial Classroom Climate in Children

Utrecht University

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Child Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: Treatment-as-usual; Behavioral: SterkWerk

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05891067

23-0082 (Other Identifier)

UtrechtU

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a classroom-based program promoting a prosocial classroom climate is more effective than treatment-as-usual (control condition).

Full description

A positive, prosocial classroom climate is associated with improved social competence and academic achievement, as well as decreased internalizing and externalizing problems and antisocial behavior in children. It is expected that motivation to behave prosocially is needed to achieve a prosocial climate in the classroom, and that such motivation can be enhanced through three components of self-determination theory (SDT): competence, relatedness, and autonomy. The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a classroom-based program based on SDT that aims to promote prosocial classroom climate, through a cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). SterkWerk is hypothesized to be more effective than treatment-as-usual (TAU) in creating more prosocial classrooms, through improving prosocial (intrinsic) motivation and behavior, social autonomy, social competence, and social relatedness.

The design of the current study is a cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with two conditions: the intervention condition and a waitlist control condition (TAU: treatment-as-usual). Schools in the intervention condition receive the materials and training to implement the intervention in the school year 2023/2024. Schools in the control group do not receive the intervention (do not receive material or training), and function as normal (TAU). Control schools are requested to not start any social-emotional program during the school year 2023/2024.

Enrollment: 3,360 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Primary school children of grades 5-8 (mostly aged between 8-12 years)
• Teachers and school leaders of participating schools (no age limit)

Exclusion criteria

• No exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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3,360 participants in 2 patient groups

SterkWerk

Experimental group

Description:

SterkWerk is a classroom-based approach (throughout the school year) for primary school groups 5-8 (children aged 8-12 years old) in which children are given specific roles to actively work on responsibility, ownership and prosocial behavior. SterkWerk consists of three main components: meaningful roles, classroom meeting and compliments.

Treatment:

Behavioral: SterkWerk

Treatment-as-usual

Active Comparator group

Description:

Schools in the control group do not receive the intervention (do not receive material or training), and function as normal (treatment-as-usual). Control schools are requested to not start any social-emotional program during the school year 2023/2024.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Treatment-as-usual