Attitude, Knowledge, and Practice of Safety and Related Factors of Teachers in Child Care Centers

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the attitude, knowledge, and practice of safety and related factors of teachers in child care centers.

METHODS: The total sample consisted of 116 teachers from child care centers in Kyunggi Province. A questionnaire and checklist were used to collect data, which was analyzed with SPSS 11.5 Win program.

RESULTS: Most of the teachers were anxious about child accidents, and thought of safety as a primary concern. The mean score for knowledge on safety was 10.23, and the rate of correct answers ranged from 34.8% to 98.3%. The mean score on practice of safety was 42.01. Teachers with higher education showed significantly higher scores in safety efficacy. Teacher´s knowledge on safety was significantly different depending on the experience of safety education, but this did not apply to safety practice. Safety practice was significantly related to confidence in safety performance, health beliefs on safety, stress, and social support, but not related to knowledge of safety.

CONCLUSION: Psychosocial factors were found to be important in safety practice. Related factors found in this study should be considered when providing safety programs for child care centers.