Assessing the Self-Efficacy of Elementary School Teachers with Asthma Management

Roxanne Barrett, Gardner-Webb University

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the self-efficacy of elementary school teachers with asthma management and to establish if there is a relationship between the number of years of teaching experience and self-efficacy of asthma management. The study included 53 elementary school teachers who completed a three question demographics sheet and the Teacher Asthma Management Self-Efficacy tool, a 12 item questionnaire using a six point Likert scale. A descriptive study using the survey method was utilized to quantitatively investigate the self-efficacy of elementary school teachers with managing students with asthma and to determine if there is a relationship between years of teaching experience and self-efficacy. Results indicated that teachers demonstrated self-efficacy for some aspects of asthma management in the classroom such as medication administration, correct use of medication, directions for giving medication, avoidance of allergens, access to inhalers, and helping the student stay calm. Teachers demonstrated decreased self-efficacy when asked about helping the child prevent a serious breathing problem, controlling the breathing problem at school, keeping the asthma from worsening, identifying the correct medications to use, knowing when the breathing problem can be controlled at school and knowing when to send the child to the emergency room. Teaching experience appears to have a positive impact on teacher self-efficacy when managing asthma in the classroom. Teachers with more experience had more confidence with controlling a serious breathing problem at school rather than taking the child to the ER than teachers with less experience.