“Assessment of knowledge of teachers regarding selectedbehaviourial”, problems among school children in selected schools underelachipalayam block in namakkal district.

INTRODUCTION

Behaviourial problems commonly occur during childhood. H is defined a behavior , thoughts or feelings differ quantitatively from the norm & as the result of this differences the child is either suffering significantly or development is being significantly impaired ( david cohrell).

These behaviours are propbaly the result ofo frustration & anger,. These will create problems not onlyfor themselves but for others also. Behaviourial problems that commonly occur during childhood are conduct disorders, emotional disorders & scholastic disorders.

Generally the prevellance rate of gbehaviourial problem among children about 2% to 6% among this conduct disorder rate is 8% to 9% , emotional disorders rate is 3 % school teachers.

Methodology: Study Design : Description & non-experimental design Study Area : This study was conducted in primary school in elachipalayam block in thiruchengode taluk at nammakkal district, Tamil Nadu.

Study duration : March to July 2003 Student Population : Primary school teachers teaching from I to VII standards Sample size : 60 primary school teachers Sampling,

Method : In elachipalayamn block has 64 govt schools out of this 12 schools were selected for the study by using lottery method under simple random sampling 60 teachers were selected  

Inclusion Criteria : Teachers teaching from I to VII std only included (only 60 teachers included)

Exclusion Criteria : The teacher who did not give consent for the study

Data collection : The permission was obtained from assistant educational officer of elachipalayam block to conduct study. The purpose of the study was explained to the teachers before conducting study structured questionarie were distributed to the teachers. The duration of the data collection were 10 days.

Data Analysis : The collected Data was entered in a master sheet. The data obtained was analysed in terms of the objectives of the study by the application of descriptive & inferential statistics. The association between knowledge of school teachers & the demographic variables were analysed in the forms of mean, standard deviation mean score percentage & chi-square test

Result : In our study, regarding socio demographic details about more than half of the subjects 36(60%) were below 40 years of age & 24 (40%) above 40 years of age group. Most of the subjects 37%(61.7%) were female & 23(38.3%) were male teachers. Fourty eight percentage (29) of the subjects have teacher training qualification 24(40%) of them have degree with teacher training qualification & 7(11%) of them have master degree with Bed qualification. 

Majority of teachers 37(67%) had below 15 years of experience & 23 ( 38.3%) of them had above 15 years of experience 21(35%) of them participated in service education programme regarding behavioral aspect.

Regarding knowledge details, the overall knowledge score of teachers were 30.95%. the mean score percentage of knowledge of teachers regarding causes-30.6%, classification -35%, signs & symptoms -30.3%, management 25.3% of conduct disorders. Total mean score percentage of teachers knowledge on conduct disorder is 29.42%.

The mean score percentage of teachers regarding causes -18.3% , classification -36.7%, signs & symptoms 30.3%, management-26.7% of emotional disorder. The total mean score percentage of emotional disorder is about 32.4%.

The mean score percentage of knowledge of teachers regarding causes – 30.3%, classification 46%, Signs & symptoms-35% , management -30% of scholastic disorders. The total mean score percentage of teachers knowledge on scholastic disorder is about 32.34%.

Regarding the relationship between knowledge & demographic variables, the chi-square test used, it was found that age, sex, educational qualification of the teachers are not, significant but experience & participation of inservice education program was & participation of inservice education program was significant at 5 % (p>0.05)level.

Knowledge of teachers regarding behavioural problems among school children was assessed by semi structured questionnaire. Each correct answer was given a score of one.

This table reveals that overall mean knowledge score of teachers regarding behaviourial problems among school children was 42-1, with median 43,4, standard deviation 9.02 & overall mean score percentage was 30.95. The mean score percentage of knowledge regarding conduct disorder is 20.42% emotional disorders 32.04, & scholastic disorders is 32.34%.

The overall knowledge on behavioural problems through mean score percentage is 30.95% only. This shows knowledge of teachers regarding behavioural problems among school children are below average.

Relationship between the selected demographic variables & knowledge level of teachers Association of knowledge of teachers with socio demographic variables.

The present summary of chi – square analysis which is used to bring out the relationship the knowledge of teachers & socio demographic variables, the result showed that age, sex, educational qualification have no significant association with knowledge score of teachers.

Teachers experience & participation in inservice education programme have high significant at 5% level (ie P<0.05) this is revealed that the teachers need more education & training on child behavior therapy to improve their knowledge & help them to modify problematic children’s behavior. This can be achieved by adding mental health information & educational psychiatry aspects in their community service. So the teachers can improve their knowledge regarding behavioural modification by the help of health & educational department.

Discussion : In our study group, 60% of the teachers are from the age group of below 40 years & 40% of them from the age group of above 40 years. In this study, 48.3% of the teachers have teacher training alone & 40% have master degree with Bed. And 61.67% of the teachers have below 15 years of experience & 38.33% of them have above 15 years of experience . The study conducted by balasubramaniyan (1988) to assess the teachers knowledge about behavioral problems indicates 59.8% of teachers have below 15 years of experience , So this study supports the present shots in the study group 65% did not attend the inservice education program regarding child psychiatry  

The over all mean score percentage of knowledge of school teachers regarding selected behaviourial problems is below average (30.95%) pravhr(1980) also indicated school teachers (30.6%) below average level of knowledge about behaviourial problems. This study supports the present study.

The total mean score percentage of teachers knowledge about conduct disorders one about 29.42%

A study done by svedan L (1994) indicates teachers have fair knowledge (42.6%) about conduct disorder. The total mean score percentage of teachers knowledge about  emotional & scholastic disorder are 32.4% are 32.34%. Weinteins R.S at al(1991) study also indicated teachers have low knowledge (33.6%) about scholastic problems among children. The study reveals teaches experience & participation in inservice education program have high significant relationship with knowledge score that is found through chi-square analysis. Balasubramaniyam (1988) study also indicated the same.

Conclusion : Overall knowledge of teachers regarding behavior problems were below 30.95%. Since the study reveals that the experience of the teachers & their participation in inservice education regarding child psychiatry had influence on the knowledge score of the school teachers. So the health education during training on regarding behavioral problems of children are very much essential for teachers to promote the childs behavior in good manner , Health personnels who working in schools should take the responsibility to improve the knowledge of teachers in the area of commonest behaviourial problems among children. So the teachers should give more importance to the behavioral modification of the children