Brief Description

The Questionnaire of Primary Schoolteachers’ Knowledge about Asthma consists of 36 statements. Of these, 19 items address general knowledge about asthma and its causes, 9 items focus on asthma management through medication and physical activity, 5 items assess teachers’ knowledge regarding the school’s role in disease management, and 3 items refer to handling asthma attacks during the school day. Responses are based on whether each statement is judged as true or false.

Purpose

Due to the absence of nursing and medical personnel in schools, teachers are often responsible for managing situations involving children with asthma during the school day. The purpose of this questionnaire is to capture the level of knowledge teachers possess in four areas: general knowledge about the nature of the disease, treatment and exercise, crisis management, and the school’s role in supporting asthmatic children. The tool aims to identify teachers’ training needs and strengthen their preparedness in managing asthma incidents effectively.

Scoring

For each statement, the percentage of correct answers given by teachers is calculated. The scores can be related to variables such as the teachers’ knowledge level, their experience with students suffering from asthma, and any relevant training they have received. Correct answers are compiled and analyzed either in total or by thematic category.

Validity

While no specific validity indices are mentioned in the source text, the design and adaptation of the tool are based on international research. Its use across different cultural and linguistic contexts supports its content validity. References to multiple studies and its presentation at health and education conferences also indicate its scientific acceptance.

Reliability

No direct reliability indicators (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) are provided in the available excerpt. However, reliability can be assessed through statistical analysis of the internal consistency of the responses or via test-retest administration to a sample of teachers.

Data Analysis and Use

Data obtained from the questionnaire can be analyzed using quantitative statistical methods. Processing includes recording the percentage of correct responses, comparing groups of teachers with different characteristics (such as gender, experience, training), and exploring correlations between different thematic areas. The results may be used to inform educational planning, teacher training programs, and improvements in school health policies.

References

Bevis, M., & Taylor, B. (1990). What do school teachers know about asthma? Archives of Disease in Childhood, 65, 622–625.
Georgiadis, M. (2004). Childhood asthma in schools: What do teachers know about it? Presentation at the 1st Panhellenic Conference on Health Psychology.
Madsen, L. P., Storm, K., & Johansen, A. (1992). Danish primary schoolteachers’ knowledge about asthma: Results of a questionnaire. Acta Paediatrica, 81, 413–416.
Tse, K. L., & Yu, T. S. Y. (2002). Knowledge of asthma and its management: A study in primary schoolteachers in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Practitioner, 24, 4–14.