PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS; KNOWLEDGE, PEDAGOGY, AND PERCEPTION REGARDING STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES

Abstract

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most common pediatric chronic illnesses with approximately 1 in 400 youth diagnosed. There is little research done at the pre-service teacher level on training and knowledge retention of T1DM. This is a two-phase pilot study aimed at examining pre-service teacher knowledge on working with students with T1DM. A training program was developed to test the hypothesis that the designed training would be effective in supporting holistic classroom management and better prepare teacher candidates on their knowledge, perception, and pedagogy of students diagnosed with T1DM. Phase 1 of the study analyzed findings from literature review and completed studies on school success of students with T1DM. Findings showed a high absence rate, lack of parental knowledge regarding school support, and decreased academic performance according to glucose control. These findings were applied during Phase 2 to adapt training materials using an iterative process. Phase 2 tested participants’ working knowledge of T1DM through a knowledge survey related to their perceptions, knowledge, and pedagogy before the training. Using a quasi-experimental. pre-post design, participants who attended the training re-answered the questions. The results from this study help predict change in training and protocol for pre-service teacher educators.