Exploring Effect of Psychological First Aid Education on Elementary School Teachers: A Quasiexperimental Study

Abstract

Background: Psychological first aid (PFA) is a supportive approach for children experiencing distress and in need of immediate assistance. It assists children in feeling safe, connected with others, and staying calm and hopeful. Furthermore, it also helps children gain access to social, physical, and emotional support and empowers them as individuals and part of the community. Teachers are the largest workforce in Jordan. However, they are rarely trained in PFA to handle critical events among children.

Aim: This study examined the impact of a PFA training program on elementary school teachers’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy.

Methods: This quantitative, quasiexperimental, nonequivalent control group design utilized pre- and posttest results. A total of 80 elementary school teachers were divided into two groups, experimental (n = 40) and control (n = 40), assigned on a nonrandom basis to two elementary schools in Jordan. Teachers completed self-assessments that measured knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy related to PFA.

Results: The experimental group exhibited significantly higher mean scores across all domains compared with the control group postintervention. Furthermore, the experimental group had higher mean knowledge, skills, and attitude scores of 8.12, 7.97, and 8.05 compared with the control group, 5.83 (t = 9.17, p ≤ 0.001), 5.05 (t = 10.34, p ≤ 0.001), and 4.90 (t = 9.91, p ≤ 0.001), respectively. Additionally, self-efficacy scores were significantly higher in the experimental group, with a mean of 143.10 (±15.83) compared with the control group (85.55) (t = 2.17, p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion: The PFA training program substantially improved teachers’ competencies in delivering psychological support during crises and enhanced knowledge, skills, attitudes, and self-efficacy across all variables.

Implications: This study provides evidence that teachers’ PFA training can enhance their knowledge, skills, attitude, and self-efficacy. Teachers can be trained to support children experiencing distress and in need of immediate assistance during crises until they can be seen by professionals, such as psychiatric or social workers.