Reopening of Educational Institutes during pandemic COVID-19: Are education professionals ready?

Abstract

COVID-19 has brought about changes to the education system in multiple ways because of yearlong lockdown and closure of educational institutes. With ongoing talks of reopening educational institutes, educational professionals could be one of the most useful sources of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) related health information for their young adult students when they reopen post lockdown.  However, it is important that they themselves possess adequate and accurate knowledge regarding COVID-19 prevention.  Knowledge about preventive strategy is the major key to success before educational institutes will reopen. This study was planned with an objective to assess awareness among education professionals by assessing the level of their knowledge, attitude, and practice and their relationship with selected sociodemographic variables sample of this study was education professionals among schools, colleges, and universities in Rajasthan state, India. A pre-tested, self-structured questionnaire shared as google form regarding COVID-19 preventive measures and readiness to see roll back. A Detailed Descriptive analysis was done to find the knowledge, attitude, and practice among participants and selected sociodemographic variables. Item-wise analysis was also done to see the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice.  Average knowledge value was calculated as 12.42±0.08 at 95% CI (12.40-12.070). The average attitude score was 2.216±0.385 at 95% CI (2.064 -2.367), an average of practice calculated as1.67±0.472 at 95%CI (1.0712-1.627) in all 820 participants. Knowledge related to the prevention of COVID-19 was found to be associated with age, gender, COVID-19 history; webinars attended by participants’. Practice is also found to be correlated with webinars attended. This Study concluded that knowledge was adequate among participants related to symptoms in COVID -19 wave -1 but was less for symptoms in COVID -19 wave -2. Some practice was not satisfactory and attitude was favorable for prevention of COVID 19 .webinar shows association with knowledge and practice which conclude that if more webinar, workshop, and training sessions will be administered it will further enhance awareness at all levels in these participants.