Teacher readiness: teacher attitudes, opinions and perspectives towards facilitating positive mental health in the classroom

Ball, Jillian Diane (2019) Teacher readiness: teacher attitudes, opinions and perspectives towards facilitating positive mental health in the classroom. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Teachers require the skills and knowledge to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health problems, have knowledge about referral to appropriate services, and know how to support mental health in their classrooms. This mixed methods study examined teachers’ perceptions of the need for mental health training, provided an opportunity to engage in a Mental Health Literacy (MHL) institute, assessed teachers’ knowledge of mental health before and after engaging in the MHL institute, and allowed teachers to provide recommendations surrounding future mental health training. In this study, 136 teachers responded to the pre-test (with 116 teachers responding to all of the pre-test questions), 79 teachers requested to be added to the online institute, 36 teachers completed the post-test, and 23 teachers were able to be matched as completing the pre- and post-test. Of these 23 participants (19 were female, 3 male, and 1 chose not to identify), 10 identified as graduate students, and 13 as undergraduates. The participants engaged in an online MHL institute and completed a pre- and post-test surrounding their mental health knowledge, attitudes, and concerns. Compared with initial pre-test data, results demonstrated improvements in teacher knowledge, attitudes concerning mental health, and teacher efficacy. The findings of this study suggest that the participants recognize the need for mental health education but do not feel adequately prepared to recognize mental health problems or feel knowledgeable in how to support students with mental health concerns. Teachers in this study revealed the need for professional development addressing effective strategies, coping tools, and resources.

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