NCJ Number
196626
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 11 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 63-88
Date Published
2002
Length
26 pages
Annotation
In this article, results of telephone surveys with Florida middle and high school teachers, responsible for tobacco use prevention education, are presented.
Abstract
This article discuses the perceptions of middle and high school teachers in Florida, on the effectiveness of tobacco use prevention education. Based on telephone surveys with teachers responsible for tobacco use prevention education (TUPE) programs, teachers’ levels of support of, commitment to, and opinions on the effectiveness of TUPE programs were analyzed. After introducing the implementation of TUPE programming in school settings, the authors describe the telephone survey administered to 296 middle school teachers and 282 high school teachers across the State of Florida. Cluster analysis was used to classify teachers on the basis of similarity in self-reported support for TUPE, perceptions of the value of TUPE, and perceptions of the effectiveness of TUPE. Results indicate that teachers who were most receptive to TUPE described community and school contexts that were conducive to the program’s implementation. Additionally, perceived barriers to the effectiveness of TUPE programs was more noticeable at the middle school level, suggesting developmental differences in programming at the two levels of schooling. This study suggests that relationships with other participants in TUPE significantly influence teachers’ support for and positive perceptions of these programs. Tables, references