Teacher-led Self-regulation Programs in the Early Years as Cultural Adaptations: Findings from an Australian Feasibility Study

Abstract Teacher-led self-regulation (SR) interventions in the early years offer strong potential for sustainability, but their success depends on more than curriculum design. This paper focuses on the Creating Connections Australia feasibility study (known as ‘Brain Train’ by participants) to examine three interconnected dimensions shaping outcomes: teachers as interventionists, program design, and parental partnerships. The study was implemented through a mixed-methods, pre–post design with non-randomised comparison groups, delivered in a kindergarten in 2024 ( n = 20 preschoolers, n = 20 parents, n = 3 educators) and two primary schools in 2025 ( n = 80 children, n = 1 teacher, n = 5 teacher aides). Children completed researcher-administered SR tasks and caregivers completed surveys, followed by semi-structured interviews to assess acceptability and social validity. Descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis were utilised to analyse the data, with findings examined through a convergent lens across datasets. Evidence highlights that teachers are best positioned to embed SR strategies into everyday practice, provided their wellbeing, confidence, and readiness to change are supported. Program design requires a balance between structured core components and flexibility for local adaptation, as rigid curricula risk undermining adoption, while adaptive models strengthen ecological validity and stakeholders’ ownership. Parental engagement, though consistently recognised as beneficial, remains underutilised; participation is often hindered by structural barriers, mistrust, and limited accessibility. Lessons from the study reinforce that interventions must address teacher capacity, timing, and contextual fit, while also planning pragmatic systems for parent involvement. Importantly, cultural adaptation steps and contextual factors should not be viewed solely as tools to maximise effectiveness but as integral components of the intervention itself, processes that can generate positive changes, learning, and discoveries beyond the specific program’s outcomes.