Perceptions of their knowledge, practices and competence in sports injury prevention recognition and management by physical education teachers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

During a Physical Education (PE) class, students may encounter risks of injury. PE teachers, therefore, should possess competent knowledge and skill levels in sports injury prevention as well as good self-awareness of their abilities to manage any injury. This study aimed to evaluate the perceived knowledge, practices, and competence in the area of sports injury prevention, recognition, and management of PE teachers in Yogyakarta Special Province. The associations between PE teachers’ sociodemographic characteristics and their self-perceptions were also investigated. Subjects were Senior High School PE teachers who were willing to complete the questionnaire developed by the research team. 191 PE teachers voluntarily participated in the study. The results showed the lowest scores were found for: 1) the teachers’ practice in recording students’ medical history and assessing injury risk when starting a new academic year; 2) the teachers’ practice in evaluating the condition of first aid kits and Basic Life Support (BLS) devices; and 3) the teachers’ perceived competence in splinting. Only greater knowledge of the PRICE principle was associated with the teachers’ level of education and training experience and splinting competence with years of teaching. BLS training experience had the stronger association with perceptions of knowledge and skills in the recognition and treating of injuries.