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Changes in teacher stress through participation in pre‐referral intervention teams
Author(s) -
Lhospital Ann Shargo,
Gregory Anne
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/pits.20455
Subject(s) - referral , psychological intervention , psychology , distress , intervention (counseling) , medical education , stress management , special education , stress (linguistics) , nursing , clinical psychology , medicine , pedagogy , psychiatry , linguistics , philosophy
Teachers today face high stress that can compromise their well‐being, longevity in the profession, and the quality of their interactions with students. Pre‐referral interventions, which address individual student difficulties before consideration for special education, may help buffer teacher stress through student interventions and team support. Yet, little is known about how teacher stress changes across pre‐referral interventions. This study followed 33 elementary education teachers prospectively through their participation in a pre‐referral intervention team (PIT) program. Hierarchical linear modeling indicated that, across the pre‐referral process, teachers felt less distress related to referred students' needs, termed “dyadic stress.” Teachers' dyadic stress was partially accounted for by student progress on referral concerns. Teachers' experience of PIT support was also linked to reductions in stress and lower dyadic stress after pre‐referral interventions were implemented. The findings have implications for how school practitioners consult with teachers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.