Training and Preparedness to Meet the Needs of Students with a Chronic Health Condition in the School Setting

Abstract

Despite the increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions among youth in schools, teachers report little exposure to specific coursework focusing on how to best support students with these conditions in the classroom. This study examined how teacher preparation programs prepare educators to meet the needs of this growing student population; findings also include survey results describing level of preparation to support students with a chronic health condition from the perspective of preservice and practicing educators enrolled in the nation’s leading colleges of education. Results suggest that dedicated curriculum to prepare teachers to work with students with chronic health conditions is largely absent from teacher preparation programming, and that teachers feel they lack knowledge to adequately support students with a chronic health condition in the classroom setting. Recommendations and implications are discussed.