The Knowledge and Behavior of Preservice Schoolteachers Regarding Respiratory Infections and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Measures, Vaccination Confidence, and Impacting Factors


ŞENER N., GÜR K., BAŞAR M.

Hayef:journal of education (Online), vol.21, no.3, pp.224-231, 2024 (Peer-Reviewed Journal) identifier

Abstract

The aim of this study to determine the knowledge and behavior of preservice schoolteachers regarding respiratory infections and COVID-19 measures, as well as their vaccination confidence and impacting factors. For this purpose, a descriptive study was conducted with 306 college students in their senior year at 11 universities. The Kruskal–Wallis χ2, Mann–Whitney U test, and regression were employed. Among the participants, 41.5% correctly identified the areas that were missed in handwashing, while 12.7% stated that vaccinations were the most effective way of protecting the community from infections. The participants’ mean score was 56.03 ± 12.78 on the Vaccination Confidence Scale. The vaccination confidence of the preservice teachers who would be advising students’ parents to have their child vaccinated was 8.15 units greater (β = 8.150; p < .001). The vaccination confidence score of those who did not want to get the coronavirus vaccine was 7.943 units greater (β = 7.943). In conclusion, the knowledge of the participants about preventing infectious respiratory diseases is unsatisfactory. Vaccination confidence is low.