It seems reasonable to state that first aid is an essential dimension within the scope of healthcare and the social environment. Skills and knowledge that can be gained from the related courses are valuable, given that they may be a prerequisite to saving one’s life. The mentioned courses do not imply any considerable load in terms of understanding the material or developing essential skills. Hence, taking into account the possible benefits of such a compulsory education, the state’s decision to implement it would be justified, as even one human life saved is worth bringing any policy to life (if it does not lead to drastic consequences).
An aspect to consider in this vein is the reaction of 14-year-olds themselves. It should be admitted that this age is reasonably associated with the behavior of rejecting things teenagers do not like and focusing on their personal interests. However, the theme of exploring the human body – even from a unique perspective of first aid – may stay in line with teenagers’ aspirations for their age. Moreover, the courses involve studying many fascinating biological topics that can be useful in many spheres of life.
Then, people’s reactions to 14-year-old first-aiders may vary considerably. For instance, one can argue that the knowledge and skills gained from the first-aid course can be easily comprehended by teenagers. Their capabilities seem enough to learn the related material and apply it in practice. The other perspective might be that first-aiders are to be experienced and physically complete to save lives in the framework given. Teenagers may not be strong enough to use particular techniques. Moreover, they might be in lack bravery in stressful situations, which is implied when there is the necessity to save one’s life. Despite such possible contradicting positions, it seems that compulsory first-aid education for 14-year-olds is a good option for the state, considering all the factors discussed.
First aid is a significant issue in educational facilities that should be addressed and considered. Often, many students encounter situations in which they may require first aid. This paper describes the selected topic and presents its key definitions. It explains the current state of the issue and highlights the significance of the problem. The report also features a research question and a research problem. To support the presented claims, a literature review is provided as well. Finally, the paper presents a concept map related to first aid in schools.
Research Topic
The topic presented in this paper is first aid in schools. Hirca (2018) reports that, unfortunately, many students receive significant injuries in educational facilities. Some of them occur during experimental activities, such as science, athletics, and outdoor classes (Wendy et al., 2018; Schneider, Meeteer, Nolan, & Campbell, 2017). It is vital to note that experiments and the implementation of innovative approaches to learning are vital for positive student outcomes, which means that injuries should not prevent teachers from using active learning techniques (Hirca, 2018). However, it is crucial to provide students with first aid; educators should have enough knowledge and skills to perform necessary urgent interventions. Sharma (2017) reports that first aid is the application of emergency treatment to an injured individual that does not involve complex medical equipment. Pellegrino et al. (2017) add that first aid should be grounded clinically and supported technically but, in reality, can often be considered a natural human response to an emergency. School staff should be able to address students’ injuries timely and have the necessary capacities to implement appropriate first aid measures.
Unfortunately, evidence reveals that many teachers, administrators, students, and parents cannot support students in case of an emergency. Various studies by Hirca (2018), De Buck et al. (2015), Pandey et al. (2017), Baginska, Rodakowska, Milewski,, Wilczynska-Borawska, and Kierklo (2016), and Keleş, Yildirim, and Aydin (2015) show that educators may be not competent to provide first aid. Thus, it is evident that several interventions are needed to eliminate the possibility for poor health outcomes among students due to inappropriate or untimely first aid measures. They should address ineffective school policies related to the issue.
Research Question
The research question that can be outlined is: Is there a relationship between schools’ first aid policies and the welfare of learners and educators? An independent variable is schools’ first aid policies; a dependent one is the well-being of students and teachers. The type of research hypothesis is a complex one as it reflects the link between two variables, including school policies and individuals’ health states. The first sub-question is: Does the implementation of teachers’ certification affect their ability to provide first aid and manage incidents and crises that can affect individuals’ health? The second sub-question is: Does the implementation of well-developed guidelines for teachers affect their ability to manage emergencies?
Alternative hypotheses are 1. Schools’ first aid policies can lead to positive health outcomes among learners and educators. This hypothesis is directional because it is possible to suggest that school policies have a direct impact on students and staff’s safety, as well as teachers’ ability to respond to emergencies. 2. Teachers provide first aid based on their knowledge and not schools’ first aid policies; this hypothesis is also directional. 3. Students are responsible for their safety; their wellbeing is dependent on their own knowledge and skills and not schools’ environments. This hypothesis is non-directional because it involves unpredictable concepts, such as learners’ skills. The null hypothesis is that school policies are not related to the first aid strategies educators select.
Research Problem
To provide students and educators with a safe learning and working environment, it is vital to change existing approaches to schools’ policies related to first aid. More specifically, it is necessary to implement more appropriate strategies for teachers’ first-aid certification. Guidelines that provide information about managing emergencies are vital as they allow for eliminating adverse health outcomes among affected individuals (Vale, Smith, Said, Mullins, & Loh, 2015). Students should also have knowledge about possible first aid strategies (De Villiers & Louw, 2015; Wilks & Pendergast, 2017). However, school policies that ensure that teachers have the necessary capacities and skills to provide support for injured individuals are of the most significance.
The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is a relationship between schools’ first aid policies and students’ health outcomes in case of emergencies. This topic is significant because, as mentioned above, many children become injured in the educational environment; it is vital to eliminate this problem. This study will contribute to enhancing the safety of the learning environment for students because it will show how schools can manage minor and major incidents effectively. The main concepts associated with the topic are schools’ policies related to first aid, teachers’ certification, first aid guidelines, students’ well-being, and the safety of the learning environment.
Literature Review
Various studies in the field suggest that school policies related to first aid and teachers’ certification can enhance learners’ safety significantly. It is evident that schools should be able to manage both insignificant incidents and major crises that can affect learners’ health (Mutch, 2015). Besides the works featured above, there are several researchers that advocate for the benefits of well-developed first aid strategies within educational institutions. For instance, studies by Zayapragassarazan (2016), Jacob et al. (2018), and Joseph et al. (2015) show that teacher certification and clear guidelines that state the methods of managing emergencies are vital for ensuring positive health outcomes among affected individuals. In addition, some authors report that first aid training should be delivered to students as well. For example, the studies by Reveruzzi, Buckley, and Sheehan (2016), Mohammed (2018), and Elewa and Saad (2017) reveal that learners should be able to manage emergencies as well. In addition, some works reveal that a lack of competence and skills in first aid are among the most significant barriers to effective resuscitation (Zinckernagel et al., 2016; Lockey, Barton, & Yoxall, 2016). Thus, it is possible to conclude that school policies have a crucial impact on educators’ abilities to provide first aid and, consequently, on students’ health outcomes.
Concept Map
Conclusion
The paper shows that first aid is a significant topic and concern for educational facilities. Studies in the field show that many teachers encounter difficulties while providing first aid to students. It means that it is vital for schools to implement measures to address this problem. Possible strategies may include teacher certification, first aid guidelines, and educational training for educators and students. The paper provides the basis for future research and shows that the topic is significant and should be addressed.
2. De Buck, E., Van Remoortel, H., Dieltjens, T., Verstraeten, H., Clarysse, M., Moens, O., & Vandekerckhove, P. (2015). Evidence-based educational pathway for the integration of first aid training in school curricula. Resuscitation, 94, 8-22.
3. De Villiers, A., & Louw, A. (2015). Teaching first aid in high schools: The impact on students in the health sciences extended degree programme. South African Journal of Higher Education, 29(1), 198-210.
4. Elewa, A. A., & Saad, A. M. (2017). Effect of child to child approach educational method on knowledge and practices of selected first aid measures among primary school children. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(1), 69-78.
5. Hirca, N. (2018). Does teachers’ knowledge meet first aid needs of Turkish schools? Review of Turkish literature. Journal of European Education, 2(2), 16-23.
6. Jacob, O. M., Goswami, A., Ahamed, F., Dubey, M., Goswami, K., & Gupta, N. (2018). A training program on first aid and basic life support skills among teachers of a school in South Delhi: A feasibility assessment. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 5(10), 4345-4350.
7. Joseph, N., Narayanan, T., bin Zakaria, S., Nair, A. V., Belayutham, L., Subramanian, A. M., & Gopakumar, K. G. (2015). Awareness, attitudes and practices of first aid among school teachers in Mangalore, South India. Journal of Primary Health Care, 7(4), 274-281.
8. Keleş, P. U., Yildirim, Z., & Aydin, S. (2015). Determining the basic first-aid knowledge levels of the class teachers working in the city center of Agri. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 6(6), 404-410.
9. Lockey, A. S., Barton, K., & Yoxall, H. (2016). Opportunities and barriers to cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in English secondary schools. European Journal of Emergency Medicine, 23(5), 381-385.
10. Mohammed, A. A. (2018). The influence of training program on knowledge and practices of preparatory schools’ children related to the selected first aid. American Journal of Nursing, 6(4), 158-163.
11. Mutch, C. (2015). The role of schools in disaster settings: Learning from the 2010–2011 New Zealand earthquakes. International Journal of Educational Development, 41, 283-291.
12. Pandey, R., Chauhan, R., Dobhal, S., Dabral, S., Nathani, S., Negi, S.,… Sorte, D. Y. (2017). First aid knowledge among health assigned teachers of primary schools. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 5(4), 1522-1527.
13. Pellegrino, J. L., Oliver, E., Orkin, A., Marentette, D., Snobelen, P., Muise, J.,… De Buck, E. (2017). A call for revolution in first aid education. International Journal of First Aid Education, 1(1), 5-11.
14. Reveruzzi, B., Buckley, L., & Sheehan, M. (2016). School‐based first aid training programs: A systematic review. Journal of School Health, 86(4), 266-272.
16. Sharma, M. (2017). A cross section of prospective teachers’ and practicing teachers’ about first aid. International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities, 2(1), 48-50.
17. Vale, S., Smith, J., Said, M., Mullins, R. J., & Loh, R. (2015). ASCIA guidelines for prevention of anaphylaxis in schools, pre‐schools and childcare: 2015 update. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 51(10), 949-954.
18. Wendy, L., Hubley, D., Doyle, B., Doucette, J., Amiro, R., Himmelan, A. B.,… Hudson, S. (2018). The 7 Rights: An active reflection tool to develop risk awareness for outdoor first aid education. International Journal of First Aid Education, 2(1), 5-15.
19. Wilks, J., & Pendergast, D. (2017). Skills for life: First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools. Health Education Journal, 76(8), 1009-1023.
20. Zayapragassarazan, Z. (2016). Urgent need to train teachers and students in first aid and CPR. Education in Medicine Journal, 8(2), 89-92.
Incidents are an integral part of human lives, and it is valid to say that children are exposed to a greater risk of injuries and accidents due to their developmental characteristics and more active lifestyle. Considering that children spend a significant amount of time in educational settings, schools need to take those risks into account when developing their safety systems. They must have adequate resources and processes to prevent traumas and also respond to them efficiently.
Basic first aid is regarded as one of the core components of school safety. In simple words, first aid means a rapid, initial response to an emergency before providing a proper, professional medical treatment (Santhikrishna & Rekha, 2018; Qureshi et al., 2018). As stated by Marques et al. (2014), such a response requires not only adequate knowledge and good technical skills but also the ability to act promptly, without second-guessing, hesitation, and anxiety. According to Abd El-Hay, Ibrahim, and Hassan (2015), when performed properly, first aid can mark a difference between life and death, temporary and permanent morbidity, quick and prolonged recovery. Thus, there is no doubt that the development of first aid skills among the members of the school population, including teachers and students, is key to better school safety.
Nevertheless, when attempting to incorporate the first aid curriculum in schools, it is also pivotal to keep in mind that there may be a lot of barriers to the effective provision of first aid training to students. In their study that involved a sample of Norwegian teachers, Bakke, Bakke, and Schwebs (2017) revealed that among the factors that educators perceived as limiting in terms of the amount and quality of first aid education are the lack of clear learning objectives, absence of necessary learning materials and equipment, and insufficient/inadequate training as first aid instructors. At the same time, Ganfure et al. (2018), found that teachers’ overall professional experience and attitudes towards first aid training and first aid, in general, can affect the degree of their first aid competence. These findings are in line with those provided by Hardin-Fanning and Ricks (2017) who stated that perceptions of values of certain activities, as well as one’s belief in the ability to perform these activities and obtain positive results, defines the level of willingness to change own behaviors and participate in educational programs. Based on all this research evidence, it is valid to say that subjective, psychological factors can substantially affect the success during the integration of first aid training in the curriculum. Therefore, the present project will focus mainly on the subjective perceptions of first aid education among teachers and students.
The understanding of links between the initiation of first aid training in Saudi Arabian schools and school safety also requires additional investigation of organizational obstacles to change. Thus, the intended research will also explore which organizational factors are perceived by the school population as barriers to the implementation of first aid training. Previous studies on the matters of first aid performance in schools conducted in Saudi Arabia were primarily dedicated to examining the levels of teachers’ knowledge and their overall attitudes to first aid education. For example, in one of those studies, Alyahya et al. (2019) found that the level of Saudi Arabian educators’ knowledge of first aid is currently low, whereas participation in first aid training can help them to respond to emergencies better. The present research will expand the existing pool of evidence by adding more information regarding individual and organizational factors defining the performance of first aid in Saudi Arabian schools. Moreover, by clarifying which obstacles to better first aid training are the most common, the study will offer some ways to remove them and facilitate the creation of a more effective safety culture at schools.
Theoretical Framework
The research process will substantially rely on Lewin’s theory of organizational change and the force-field theory/model, in particular. This model is based on the assumption that any situation is maintained in quasi-equilibrium as a result of a balance between the forces that influence it in opposing ways (Masunda, 2015). In other words, while some forces may drive organizations and teams for change and progress, others strive to maintain the status quo and prevent any changes from happening.
Based on the quasi-equilibrium model, to initiate the change process, one must reduce the influence of the restraining forces. For this particular action of weakening the resistance and strengthening the drive for change in an organization, Lewin utilized the term “unfreeze” (Kraus, 2016). Without unfreezing the established status quo, it is impossible to abandon the old and obsolete patterns of behavior and adopt and maintain the new and productive ones (Kraus, 2016). Only after completing this initial step in the planned change process, one can move to the next phases. They include the change itself or the continual achievement of desired outcomes and refreezing, which refers to the reinforcement of processes and factors that have led to change (Mwangala, 2014). It is worth noting that in his theory, Lewin focused primarily on psychological and sociological notions (Kraus, 2016). It means that the driving and restraining forces are primarily those that originate from a work team and the way it is managed.
As it was previously mentioned in the paper, organizational restraining factors that may be related to internal processes, resources, and structures that schools utilize regularly will be also taken into account in this study. Some of these organizational restraining forces may include those introduced by Bakke, Bakke, and Schwebs (2017), such as inadequate professional and informational support for teachers. However, by Lewin’s assumptions, the resistance forces will be regarded mainly as psychological obstacles to the realization of new projects and initiatives in the intended research. Workers’ certain beliefs, attitudes, and values may either interfere with the change process or facilitate it (Turner, 2017). For instance, when one feels cynical of an intended change or when he/she fears that it may induce more stress, uncertainty, and other unfavorable outcomes, he/she tends to deny it (Luoma, 2015). Since such a negative perception and the presence of other restraining forces inhibit success, it is essential to diagnose employees’ resistance to change and identify which factors exactly cause their objection.
When speaking about the matter that will be investigated in this study, it can be argued that teachers’ positive attitudes towards the integration of first aid training in the curriculum and their belief in the initiative’s effectiveness will aid the school during the transition process. Thus, before managing the change and influencing employees’ attitudes and beliefs, it is appropriate to investigate their feelings regarding first aid education. After collecting and interpreting data on this issue, it will be possible to provide practical recommendations to school leaders to assist them in developing more targeted and effective communication strategies. The practical recommendations will be aimed at dispelling possible uncertainties and doubts regarding the value of first aid education in schools and removing organizational barriers to the planned change.
References
Abd El-Hay, S. A., Ibrahim, N. A., & Hassan, L. A. (2015). Effect of training program regarding first aid and basic life support on the management of educational risk injuries among students in industrial secondary schools. IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science, 4(6), 32-43.
Alyahya, I., Almohsen, H., Alsaleem, I., Al-Hamid, M., Arafah, A., Turki, Y. A.,… Alkharfi, M. (2019). Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice about first aid among male school teachers and administrators in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 8(2), 684-688.
Bakke, H. K., Bakke, H. K., & Schwebs, R. (2017). First-aid training in school: Amount, content and hindrances. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 61(10), 1361-1370.
Ganfure, G., Ameya, G., Tamirat, A., Lencha, B., & Bikila, D. (2018). First aid knowledge, attitude, practice, and associated factors among kindergarten teachers of Lideta sub-city Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Plos One, 13(3), 1-15.
Hardin-Fanning, F., & Ricks, J. M. (2017). Attitudes, social norms and perceived behavioral control factors influencing participation in a cooking skills program in rural Central Appalachia. Global Health Promotion, 24(4), 43-52.
Marques, M. D., Lopes-Júnior, L. C., Bomfim, E. D., Gomes, C. P., & Pavelqueires, S. (2014). The teaching of first aid from the perspective of a problem-oriented curriculum. Revista De Pesquisa: Cuidado é Fundamental Online, 6(4), 1485-1495.
Mwangala, K. P. (2014). Practice of change management for the improvement of complementary basic education: The case of Malawi.
Qureshi, F. M., Khalid, N., Nigah-E-Mumtaz, S., Assad, T., & Noreen, K. (2018). First aid facilities in the school settings: Are schools able to manage adequately? Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 34(2), 272-276.
Santhikrishna, C., & Rekha, P. (2018). First aid education for safety of students. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 23(7), 26-29.
