Parent and teacher knowledge of head injuries : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
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Date
2011
DOI
Open Access Location
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Publisher
Massey University
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Abstract
This study examined parents and teachers knowledge of aspects of head injury
(HI). Part one examined the various sources of information and education parents and
teachers have access to that could impact on their knowledge of HI. Part two surveyed
64 parents and 64 teachers of young children (<5 years) from the North Shore,
Auckland, to examine the extent of their personal knowledge of HI, and the sources of
their knowledge (e.g. media). Participants were asked about the source of their
knowledge of HI (i.e. various types of media, personal experiences etc), and the
qualifications they hold that could impact on their knowledge (i.e. first aid training,
teacher training qualification). Participants were also asked to complete a
questionnaire about aspects of head injury - general knowledge, memory, recovery.
Results indicated that there is a wealth of information in the public domain
regarding HI. First aid courses provide information that can help a person deal with a
HI immediately following the incident, but are not compulsory for teachers to have.
Various other sources of information such as doctors, Plunketline and the internet also
provide information and advice for the public to access.
When parents and teachers were surveyed it was found that they have similar
levels of knowledge regarding HI, although on average parents had slightly higher
scores than teachers. Having a first aid certificate did not mean parents and teachers
had higher levels of accuracy - in fact those who did not have a first aid certificate had
higher average scores than those who did.
Doctors and Plunketline were the most likely source of information for parents
and teachers. The most popular media-specific sources were daily newspapers and
television news.
Further studies could examine the wider public's knowledge of HI. A more
complete form of the survey could be used to get a well rounded picture of the current
knowledge base of HI.
Description
Keywords
Head, Wounds and injuries, Brain, Concussion, Psychological aspects, Early childhood teachers, New Zealand, Attitudes, Parents, Health education