Biomedical subjects

P L Gingiss

Publications and source records attributed to P L Gingiss.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

HIV education practices and training needs of middle school and high school teachers.

A statewide, cross-sectional survey was conducted among Texas secondary school teachers to determine the scope of HIV education provided and training needs. Among 269 participants, 199 (75%) taught HIV education. Investigator developed scales measured instructional emphasis, preparation adequacy, desire for future training, comfort, instructional effectiveness, social support, and instructional barriers. Alpha levels indicated high levels of internal consistency on all scales. Considerable variations were noted in instructional emphasis among 18 content areas related to HIV education. Lessons were predominantly self-developed. Most teachers were self-taught with no formal training, relied primarily on traditional teacher-centered instructional methods, felt uncomfortable and ineffective using peer leaders and role plays, wanted additional training in all subject areas, and perceived others to be supportive. Comparisons between groups indicated middle school teachers spent less instructional time on HIV education, reported more instructional barriers, less support from district personnel, a poorer fit (coordination) of HIV education with other subjects, less adequate preparation, and less responsibility and effectiveness. High school teachers were more prone to want additional training. Differences in responses to individual scale items, major instructional barriers, and recommendations for teacher training are provided.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Increasing teacher receptivity toward use of tobacco prevention education programs.

An empirical examination of teacher receptivity to and practice of tobacco prevention education provides the foundation for comprehensive staff development to increase diffusion of drug prevention education curricula. Randomly-selected first grade Texas teachers (n = 313) were asked to complete a questionnaire during the first and second years of the Smoke-Free Class of 2000 (SFC2000) project. Initially 64 percent of recipients used materials. However, two of every five first-year users did not maintain use one year later, and many who intended use never implemented. Principal components analysis of fourteen items pertaining to receptivity resulted in four scales with acceptable reliability scores: general receptivity to tobacco prevention education, personal support for teaching tobacco prevention education, personal involvement, and school involvement in tobacco prevention. Scales were predictive of initial and continued use and provide a teacher receptivity measure to guide staff development.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Enhancing program implementation and maintenance through a multiphase approach to peer-based staff development.

School-based health education programs often are limited by failures in implementation and maintenance. While inservice training has proven beneficial, teacher training research indicates that the more complex the demands on teachers using innovative psychosocially based health education curricula, the greater the necessity for post-inservice follow-up staff development. Evidence is presented that 1) teachers respond to innovations in developmental stages, 2) a multiphase approach to staff development is necessary to assist teachers during each stage, 3) post-inservice staff development requires opportunities for teacher collaboration, 4) approaches to staff development should fit the stage of teacher development, and 5) the organizational context of staff development is critical. Peer-based approaches to post-inservice staff development are presented, with a review of strengths and limitations of each approach.

Curriculum↗

PubMed1991

A comparison of smokeless tobacco and smoking practices of university varsity and intramural baseball players.

To examine the smokeless tobacco (ST) and smoking practices of collegiate varsity and intramural baseball players, 284 undergraduate athletes at two major Southwestern universities were surveyed using a questionnaire previously developed to measure use among this population. About one-fourth of all athletes were current ST users and 4% smokers. Over half of varsity players (53%) compared to 25.9% of intramural players used one or both forms of ST. Varsity players were about 20 times more likely to use ST as to smoke, while intramural players were about five times as likely to use ST than to smoke. On both teams, use of chewing tobacco was associated with use of snuff. Smoking was not associated with ST use in either group. Mean ages for initiation for all products was 15, and for quitting, 18. There was no evidence that one form of tobacco served as a gateway for the other among these young adult athletes. Over a fourth of all users started after age 17, suggesting that college is an appropriate locus for both ST prevention and cessation programming. Such programs for this population must address the unique characteristics of the social environment in collegiate baseball.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Teacher perspectives after implementing a human sexuality education program.

To help teachers enhance the effectiveness of their classroom instruction in human sexuality education, it is necessary to understand their attitudes and concerns about their teaching experiences. Forty-seven sixth grade teachers were surveyed one year after curriculum implementation to examine perceptions of themselves, their students, colleagues, and community. Teachers answered 70% of the knowledge items correctly and indicated slightly liberal orientations. Overall levels of teachers' views generally were positive on scales designed to measure: importance of the items studied, responsibility for student outcomes, three measures of comfort, adequacy of preparation, required changes, ease of use, social supports, and student responses. However, patterns of teacher responses within scales indicated numerous concerns related to curriculum implementation. The concerns and teacher-identified benefits and barriers to teaching the course indicate a focus for continuing education.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Risk and protective factors for alcohol use among pregnant African-American, Hispanic, and white adolescents: the influence of peers, sexual partners, family members, and mentors.

Factors affecting the drinking patterns of 183 pregnant, African-American, Hispanic, and White adolescents were investigated, including the influence of peers, sexual partners, family members, and mentors. Among participants who drank alcohol prior to their pregnancies, 87% quit or cut back on their drinking behaviors. Those adolescents who lived in environments where their partners, peers, and relatives were drinking and using drugs were more likely to have consumed alcohol in the previous month, while adolescents who identified mentors and/or parents who provided high levels of support were less likely to have consumed alcohol. Finally, distinct patterns of both drinking and life circumstances among the African-American, Hispanic, White adolescents were revealed. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention with pregnant adolescents are discussed.

Adolescent↗