A Study on Teaching Competence and Attitudes of School Nurses for Health Education

학교보건수업에 대한 양호교사의 태도 및 교수능력의 인식도에 관한 조사연구 -서울시 중학교 양호교사를 중심으로-

The purpose of this study is to provide fundamental data supporting facilitation of a formal health education performed by school nurses as health educators. To evaluate the teacher expertise of school nurses as health educators, this study analyzed the present status of health education and the recognition of self-confidence in teaching ability of school nurses. Self addressing questionnaire were mailed out to 340 secondary school nurses in Seoul and out of them 244 nurses (71.8%) responded to the survey. Analysis of the data was made using t-test and ANOVA in SAS program. The major results are as follows : 1. The total health instruction performance rate was 84.6% (204). Regular health instruction was carried out by 66 nurses and the rest of the 155 subjects gave irregular instruction on health education. 2. Regular health education classes was offered as a part of physical education class hour by 89.4% of the respondents whereas only 10.6% of them had formal health education classes. The survey showed that irregular health education classes were mainly held in physical education class hours (70.3%) and 14.8% had opportunities for additional classes on health education. 3. The average class for regular health education was 5 hours per week but for irregular health education classes were only one hour per semester (32.9%). 4. Among the 11 categories of health education, education on drug abuse and body structure and function and physical development occupied 95.6%, 69.6% respectably while physical training, family health, social health occupied 10.8%, 12.7%. 5. Health education was given much more at public schools (88.2%) than at private schools. 6. 232 (95.0%) school nurses agreed with the necessity of formalizing health education classes and 227 (93.1%) wanted to change their status from school nurses to formal health teachers. 7. There is a tendency to change the status from school nurse to formal health teacher, and the necessity of having a formal curriculum on health education while less recognized by the older and longer-careered nurses was more recognized by those nurses with higher education. 8. The lack of administrative support (79.5%), work burden (77.9%), and lack of teaching competency (22.1%) were the greatest problems. 9. Education on drug abuse was stressed the most whereas physical training was most neglected. 10. There is a tendency that older and longer-careered school nurses thought less positively of their status, and then 98 (81.1%) school nurses acknowledged themselves as professional teachers. 11. 176 (72.5%) school nurses agreed with the necessity of continuing education : health knowledge and teaching skills for formal health teachers. 12. 179 (73.8%) school nurses had a positive attitude and undergraduate preparation and the practice of professional health teachers. 13. The school nurses had self-confidence in their teaching competence, teaching strategies and knowledge in all 11 health education areas.