A Preliminary Study of BEST in CLASS–Elementary on Teacher Self-Efficacy, Burnout, and Attributions

Student problem behaviors in early elementary school have been associated with increased teacher burnout, negative emotions, and stress, along with negative student outcomes, including increased risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). This study examined the impact of BEST in CLASS–Elementary (BEST in CLASS-E), a teacher-delivered Tier 2 intervention, on teacher self-efficacy, burnout, and attributions for student behavior. Participants in the study were 45 kindergarten to Grade 3 students, identified as at risk of EBD, and their 26 teachers from three elementary schools located in an urban school district. Although changes in teacher self-efficacy and burnout were nonsignificant, results suggest that teachers in the BEST in CLASS-E condition reported less emotional exhaustion than teachers in the control condition and that BEST in CLASS-E had a slight but nonsignificant effect (p = .06) on teachers’ causal attributions of problem behavior. This study highlights the promise of BEST in CLASS-E as a Tier-2 intervention delivered by teachers in impacting elementary teacher outcomes. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.