Exploring Teachers' Perspectives on Utilizing Local Resources to Address Substance Abuse within Schools

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the conceptual foundations that underlie school teachers' preferences for the utilization of personal resources to address the problem of substance abuse at the school level. Also, it was examined whether there is a relationship between the school teachers’ perceived approaches with their gender, school type, and socioeconomic status. The participants in the study consisted of school teachers working in secondary schools located in four densely populated districts of Karachi, Pakistan. The research was conducted using a mixed-method methodology. Data were collected by using semi-structured interviews through personal visits. A qualitative analysis method was used to find out the perceptions of school teachers regarding their preferred approach to deal the issue of drug abuse. In addition, a quantitative analysis was performed to ascertain the relationship, if any, between participants' demographics and their preferred approach. The results show that the school teachers selected effective strategies to address this issue at the school level within their means, including emotional competence, psychological competence, religion, and monitoring.