Injuries in preschool classrooms

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this paper is to examine the kinds of injuries that preschool teachers working in Indiana, USA, believed to be the most common in their preschool (3‐6 year olds) classrooms, the causes of such injuries, and the most important precautions they take to prevent them. Also examined are the measures the teachers take when an injury occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 155 preschool teachers take part in the research by completing a questionnaire. The data are analyzed using basic descriptive statistics.

Findings

On the question of what constituted the most important classroom injury prevention measure, 26 percent of the respondents report “close supervision of children”, 24 percent select “ensuring classroom safety”, 23 percent pick “cautioning children”, 17 percent choose “setting and enforcing rules” in the classroom, 7 percent select “modeling for social behavior” and 3 percent “safe gross motor activities”. With respect to action taken when an injured occurs, 36.1 percent of the respondents report “first aid”, 15.5 percent “comforting children”, 11.6 percent “referring children to school nurse” and “writing injury report”, 10.3 percent “cautioning against running and pushing”, 8.4 percent “explaining injury to children” (8.4 percent) and 6.5 percent “checking the nature of injury”.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on injury causation in preschool classrooms as well as management of such injuries. Results from this data can be used in helping to improve preschool teachers' knowledge of injury in general and of classroom injury in particular.

Citation

Obeng, C. (2009), "Injuries in preschool classrooms", Health Education, Vol. 109 No. 5, pp. 414-423. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280910984825