Galea, Erika; (2023) Regulating Emotions in the Maltese Classroom to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning in the Early Years. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Regulating Emotions in the Maltese Classrooms to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning in the Early Years - Erika Galea 17143468.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 April 2025. Download (3MB)

Abstract

Children’s mental health has become an international and societal priority; the prevalence of mental health difficulties has continued to increase for various reasons. In Malta, where the present study took place, the development of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts have increased amongst children and youth in the past few years (Richmond Foundation, 2022). There is now a growing body of evidence that demonstrates that emotion regulation (ER) strategies would safeguard against mental/adjustment problems later on in life and promote better effective learning within the classroom leading to improve academic performance. Despite the close conceptual link between ER and mental well-being, there have been relatively few empirical studies that have focused on the impact that the implementation of specific ER strategies has on the classroom environment through an ongoing and universal intervention programme, embedded within the curriculum, within the early years sector. Other ER intervention studies are mainly implemented with young people and adults through individualised training sessions in laboratory settings and test situations, and focus on general aspects of cognitive, behavioural and social development, such as resilience. The current research study aimed to address the aforementioned gaps in the literature through the trialling and testing of the effectiveness of an intervention to support the promotion of ER strategies through systematic co-regulation by teachers within classroom settings, as well as the impact of these strategies on the children’s learning and behaviour. This aimed to strengthen their regulatory ability and teach them how to use specific ER strategies in context-appropriate ways, allowing them to move from learning how to regulate emotions in a strong, explicit, deliberate and controlled way to regulating emotions in an implicit and unconscious manner, leading to self-regulation. The study was carried out with eight early childhood educators – four teachers of KG Two and four teachers of Year One – in one private co-educational primary school. The effectiveness of the ER intervention programme over a four-month period was evaluated in terms of evidence of ER and quality of classroom environment relative to a control sample by video-recorded systematic classroom observations following a three-day teacher training workshop in the ER intervention programme. Following the classroom observations at implementation stage, semi-structured interviews with both the Control and Intervention Group, and a focus group discussion with the Intervention Group, were conducted at post-implementation stage to delve deeper into their perspectives on the ER intervention programme. Baseline observations were held over a span of two weeks prior to the ER teacher training intervention workshop to monitor any ER strategies the participants adopted, if at all, with the pupils within their classroom setting. Strategy effectiveness was examined, revealing that response modulation (suppression of expression and experience of emotion) was adopted by both the Control and Intervention Group at baseline prior to the teacher training workshop taking place and was maintained as the sole strategy adopted by the Control Group at implementation stage. Cognitive change and situation modification were the two strategies most adopted by the Intervention Group at implementation stage. Distraction was used minimally by the Intervention Group. Furthermore, cognitive scaffolding through co-regulation for the Intervention Group was apparent at implementation stage throughout the intervention programme, which resulted in peer and/or self-regulation. In contrast, the Control Group did choose to co-regulate, however, using the response-focused strategy (suppression of expression and experience of emotion); or chose not to engage in co-regulation and ignore the situation at hand. Additionally, the teacher participants in the Intervention Group did report a significant change in the pupils' behaviour and a positive impact in the classroom environment, following the implementation of the ER strategies. Meanwhile, the Control Group thought that, despite the adoption of their own strategies, the same scenarios recurred in the classroom and did not indicate a change in their pupils’ behaviour. This research has clear and important implications for the practice of educators and caregivers across all levels, more specifically in early childhood education, for supporting individual children’s emotional, social and academic development. In light of the growing body of affective research, it is increasingly relevant for schools to consider integrating ER skills within their curriculum. It is anticipated that these findings will encourage educators to engage in co-regulation strategies targeting ER to create or enhance a positive emotional environment within the classroom.

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