Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management

Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management is a universal teacher-training intervention for teachers of children between 4 and 8 years. It is delivered by practitioners with an education or psychology background to groups of teachers in six full-day sessions in monthly or weekly meetings.

The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.

Population characteristics as evaluated

4 to 8 years old

Level of need: Universal
Race and ethnicities: African American, White

Model characteristics

Group

Setting: Primary school
Workforce: Group leaders with a background in child development, social learning theory, adult group leadership skills, and classroom teaching experience who have completed Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme Group Leader Training
Evidence rating:
Cost rating:

Child outcomes:

  • Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour
    • Increased positive social behaviour
    • Reduced child negative behaviours to teacher
    • Reduced child off-task behaviour
  • Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing
    • Improved emotional self-regulation
    • Improved social competence with peers.
    • Reduced emotional symptoms

UK available

UK tested

Published: April 2025
Last reviewed: September 2021

Model description

Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management is a universal teacher-training intervention for teachers of children aged between 4 to 8 years old. It is delivered by practitioners with an education or psychology background to groups of teachers in six full-day sessions, in monthly or weekly meetings.

Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY-TCM) aims to improve teachers’ competencies in supporting children in the classroom and developing children’s social, emotional, and problem-solving skills. Incredible Years group leaders work with teachers to develop specific skills including non-aversive disciplining strategies such as using encouragement and incentives and ignoring negative behaviour, giving praise and attention to prosocial behaviour, and using predictable schedules, as well as developing teacher competencies in facilitating child-directed play and cooperative learning opportunities.

IY-TCM workshops use video modelling to teach new skills; in each workshop teachers watch recordings of effective teaching strategies and then role play the use of the strategies, receiving feedback from facilitators and other teachers in the session. The workshops build on content from previous sessions, and are designed to be adaptable to the skill levels, experiences, and cultural backgrounds of participating teachers. Learning is also supported through the use of group discussions and verbal and written assignments.

IY-TCM also incorporates coaching; as teachers learn and implement the skills covered in the workshops they are supported by a coach, who observes lessons, provides feedback, and assists with problem solving, goal setting and implementing workshop strategies on a one-to-one basis.

IY-TCM can be described as evidence-based: it has evidence from at least one rigorously conducted RCT or QED demonstrating a statistically significant positive impact on at least one child outcome.

Age of child

4 to 8 years old

Target population

Teachers of children aged 4 to 8 years old.

Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.

Why?

Science-based assumption

Social, emotional, and behavioural problems in young school children can pose a risk to their learning and academic achievement, as well as increase the likelihood of antisocial and problem behaviour in adolescence.

Science-based assumption

Effective classroom management strategies for teachers promote children’s prosocial behaviour and readiness to learn, and reduce children’s antisocial behaviour and problems with peers.

Who?

Science-based assumption

Teachers who lack effective classroom management strategies may increase the risk of problem behaviours among children in their classroom.

How?

Intervention

Teachers learn effective classroom management and non-aversive disciplining strategies such as:

Using encouragement and incentives

Ignoring negative behaviour

Giving praise and attention to prosocial behaviour

Using predictable schedules

Facilitating child-directed play and cooperative learning opportunities.

What?

Short-term

Improved teacher strategies to manage problem behaviour and help children improve social behaviour

Increased child social and emotional competence, problem-solving skills, and academic readiness, focused behaviours and cooperation with peers; reduced problem behaviours.

Medium-term

Reduced child antisocial behaviour, including reduced aggressive and destructive behaviour, inattention, and conduct problems.

Long-term

Reduced SEND referrals

Reduced likelihood of dropping out of school

Increased academic achievement

Reduced likelihood in involvement in criminal activities and substance misuse.

Who is eligible?

Teachers of children aged 4 to 8 years old.

How is it delivered?

Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management is delivered in six sessions of seven hours’ duration each by two practitioners, to groups of teachers.

What happens during the intervention?

In IY-TCM workshops, video modelling, role-play, and group discussion are used to teach strategies for managing problem behaviour and increasing social competence of students. IY-TCM participants are supported in implementing strategies by a coach.

Who can deliver it?

The practitioners who deliver this intervention are professionals with an education or psychology background.

What are the training requirements?

The practitioners have approximately 16 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.

How are the practitioners supervised?

It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by two host-agency supervisors with two days of intervention training.

It is also recommended that practitioners are supervised by three intervention developer mentors and trainers with two days of intervention training.

What are the systems for maintaining fidelity?

Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:

  • Training manual
  • Other printed material
  • Other online material
  • Video or DVD training
  • Face-to-face training
  • Fidelity monitoring
  • An accreditation process.

Is there a licensing requirement?

Yes

Contact details*

*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.

Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management’s most rigorous evidence comes from an RCT which was conducted in Wales. This study observed statistically significant improvements consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 threshold in child off-task behaviour and child negative behaviours to the teacher.

This intervention also has evidence from two additional RCTs, consistent with Foundations’ Level 2 threshold. The first study, conducted in Ireland, observed statistically significant reductions in children’s emotional symptoms, and the second study, conducted in the United States with a primarily African American population, observed statistically significant improvements in children’s emotional self-regulation, social competence, and prosocial behaviour.

Child outcomes

Reduced child off-task behaviour

post-intervention

Improvement index

+18

Interpretation

1.45-point improvement on the TeacherPupil Observation Tool – off-task behaviour – coded observation

Study

1

Reduced child negative behaviours to teacher

post-intervention

Improvement index

+16

Interpretation

1.28-point improvement on the TeacherPupil Observation Tool – negative behaviours towards the teacher – coded observation

Study

1

Reduced teacher commands

Improvement index

+18

Interpretation

10.22-point improvement on the Teacher-Pupil Observation Tool (teacher commands – coded observation)

Study

1

Search and review

Identified in search16
Studies reviewed3
Meeting the L2 threshold2
Meeting the L3 threshold1
Contributing to the L4 threshold0
Ineligible13

Study 1

Study designRCT
CountryWales
Sample characteristics

107 children aged three to seven in Welsh speaking classrooms, across 12 female teachers

Race, ethnicities, and nationalities

100% White

Population risk factors
  • Percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals ranged from 4% to 27% per school
  • 75% of children had baseline scores in the low scoring range on the Teacher version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (TSDQ).
Timing
  • Baseline
  • Post-intervention (one month after completion of teacher training).
Child outcomes
  • Reduced child off-task behaviour (independent observation)
  • Reduced child negative behaviours to teacher (independent observation).
Other outcomes
  • Reduced class off-task behaviour (independent observation)
  • Reduced teacher commands (independent observation)
  • Reduced teacher negatives to index child (independent observation).
Study rating3
Citations

Hutchings, J., Martin-Forbes, P., Daley, D. & Williams, M. E. (2013) A randomized controlled trial of the impact of a teacher classroom management program on the classroom behavior of children with and without behavior problems. Journal of School Psychology. 51 (5), 571–585.

Study 2

Study designRCT
CountryIreland
Sample characteristics

231 children (mean age of 5.3 years) balanced in terms of low, medium, and high levels of behavioural problems on the SDQ

Race, ethnicities, and nationalities

Not stated

Population risk factors

29% of sample were identified as ‘high risk’ at baseline (score of 12 or more on SDQ ‘total difficulties’ scale)

Timing

Baseline and post-intervention (6 months after baseline)

Child outcomes

Reduced emotional symptoms (teacher report)

Other outcomes
  • Increased frequency of positive classroom strategy use by teachers (teacher report)
  • Increased perceived usefulness of positive classroom strategies (teacher report)
  • Decreased frequency of inappropriate classroom strategy use by teachers (teacher report)
  • Reduction in negative teaching behaviours (independent observation)
  • Reduction in teachers providing child with no opportunity to respond (independent observation).
Study rating2+
Citations

Hickey, G., McGilloway, S., Hyland, L., Leckey, Y., Kelly, P., Bywater, T., Comiskey. C., Lodge, A., Donnelly, M. & O’Neill, D. (2015) Exploring the effects of a universal classroom management training programme on teacher and child behaviour: A group randomised controlled trial and cost analysis. Journal of Early Childhood Research. 15 (2), 174–194.

Study 3

Study designRCT
CountryUnited States
Sample characteristics

1,817 students in kindergarten to third grade from schools serving primarily African American students

Race, ethnicities, and nationalities
  • 75% Black
  • 23% White.
Population risk factors
  • 61% of the children were eligible for free or reduced lunch
  • 9% of the children received special education services.
Timing
  • Baseline
  • Post-intervention (one academic year after baseline)
Child outcomes
  • Improved emotional self-regulation (teacher report)
  • Improved social competence (teacher report)
  • Improved prosocial behaviour (teacher report).
Other outcomes

None reported

Study rating2+
Citations

Reinke, W. M., Herman, K. C. & Dong, N. (2018) The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Program: Outcomes from a group randomized trial. Prevention Science. 19 (8), 1043–1054.

The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.

Baker-Henningham, H., Scott, S., Jones, K. & Walker, S. (2012) Reducing child conduct problems and promoting social skills in a middle-income country: Cluster randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 201 (2), 101–108.

Davenport, J. & Tansey, A. (2009) Outcomes of an Incredible Years Classroom Management Programme with teachers from multiple schools. Trinity College Dublin/National Educational Psychological Service.

Ford, T., Edwards, V., Sharkey, S., Ukoumunne, O. C., Byford, S., Norwich, B. & Logan, S. (2012) ‘upporting teachers and children in schools: The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the incredible years teacher classroom management programme in primary school children: A cluster randomised controlled trial, with parallel economic and process evaluations. BMC Public Health. 12 (1), 719.

Hsueh, J., Lowenstein, A. E., Morris, P., Mattera, S. K. & Bangser, M. (2014) Impacts of social-emotional curricula on three-year-olds: Exploratory findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration. OPRE Report 2014-78. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hutchings, J., Bywater, T., Gridley, N., Whitaker, C. J., Martin-Forbes, P. & Gruffydd, S. (2012) The incredible years therapeutic social and emotional skills programme: A pilot study. School Psychology International. 33 (3), 285–293.

Hutchings, J., Daley, D., Jones, K., Martin, P., Bywater, T. & Gwyn, R. (2007) Early results from developing and researching the Webster-Stratton incredible years teacher classroom management training programme in North West Wales. Journal of Children’s Services. 2 (3), 15–26.

McGilloway, S., Bywater, T., Mhaille, G. N., Furlong, M., O’Neill, D., Comiskey, C., … & Donnelly, M. (2009). Proving the power of positive parenting. Archways.

McGilloway, S., Lynda, H., Mháille, G. N., Lodge, A., Kelly, P., Leckey, Y., … & Donnelly, M. (2010) Positive classrooms, positive children: A randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of the Incredible Years Teaching Classroom Management Programme in an Irish context. Incredible Years.

McGilloway, S., Mhaille, G. N., Bywater, T., Furlong, M., Leckey, Y., Kelly, P., … & Donnelly, M. (2012) A parenting intervention for childhood behavioral problems: A randomized controlled trial in disadvantaged community-based settings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 80 (1), 116–127.

Morris, P., Mattera, S. K., Castells, N., Bangser, M., Bierman, K. & Raver, C. (2014) Impact findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration: National evaluation of three approaches to improving preschoolers’ social and emotional competence. Executive Summary. OPRE Report 2014-44.

Raver, C. C., Jones, S. M., Li-Grining, C. P., Metzger, M., Champion, K. M. & Sardin, L. (2008) Improving preschool classroom processes: Preliminary findings from a randomized trial implemented in Head Start settings. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 23 (1), 10–26.

Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M. J., & Hammond, M. (2001) Preventing conduct problems, promoting social competence: A parent and teacher training partnership in Head Start. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology. 30 (3), 283–302.

Webster-Stratton, C., Reid, M. J. & Hammond, M. (2004) Treating children with early-onset conduct problems: Intervention outcomes for parent, child, and teacher training. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. 33 (1), 105–124.

Webster‐Stratton, C., Jamila Reid, M. & Stoolmiller, M. (2008) Preventing conduct problems and improving school readiness: Evaluation of the incredible years teacher and child training programs in high‐risk schools. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 49 (5), 471–488.

Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.

Cost ratings:

Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.

Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.

Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.

Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.

Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.

Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.

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Child Outcomes:

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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.

Evidence ratings:

Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.

Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.

Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.

Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.

Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.

Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.

Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.

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