The Effectiveness of Child-to-child Education For Prevention of School Accidents In A Primary School: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Aim: The study is carried out to compare the effectiveness of the school accident prevention education given by the educator to the child-to-child education. Method: The study's sample included students in the second, third, and fourth grades of a primary school (n: 321).First, the Educating Educator (EE) and Child-to-Child Education (CCE) groups were created. Afterward, 'training on prevention from school accidents' was given to EE group by the researcher. One day after the training given to the EE group, five students were selected from among the students in the EE group. These students provided 'training on prevention from school accidents' to the students in the CCE group. The researcher used the Individual Identification Form and the Behavior Scale for Safety Measures in School Accidents to collect data. After the training, the post-test was applied to both groups. Demographic and descriptive data were evaluated with number-percentage. Baseline differences between groups were assessed using “t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann Whitney U test”. Results: After the training given to the EE, and CCE groups, a statistically significant increase was found between the pre-test and post-test knowledge average scores (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the posttest knowledge average scores of the two methods applied to the EE and CCE groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: This study found that EE and CCE methods are both effective and that both methods are similar in terms of changing students' behaviors related to safety measures for preventing school accidents.