The Effect of Training about Child Abuse Awareness through Activity-based Method on Awareness and Self-efficacy of Pre-service Teachers at a Women University

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of training about child abuse awareness on awareness and self-efficacy of pre-service teachers about child abuse at a women university in Lahore.  The study designed was based on quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group.  All female pre-service teachers, enrolled as Bachelors of Elementary Education students in city Lahore were considered as population. The sample was selected through convenient sampling technique. Pre-service teachers (students of Bachelors of Elementary Education) from the Education Department of Lahore College for Women University were selected as a sample. The participants comprised of two groups i.e. experimental and control group. A pretest was given to the participants of both groups before providing the training.  Pretest was based on child-abuse recognition test and self-efficacy test of pre-service teachers. For the training, activity-based method was used for experimental group and lecture method was used for the control group. A module was developed for providing child abuse awareness training for three months. At the end post-tests were given to both the groups and their results were compared with their with pretest results. The scores of experimental were also compared with those of control group in pretest and post-test. The study mainly found that there was a significant difference between the post-tests of experimental group and control group scores regarding Child-abuse awareness and self-efficacy about dealing with issues related to child-abuse awareness training. It was also found that alternative hypothesis was accepted because there was a significant difference in pretest and posttest of each group after providing training. It was strongly recommended that especially pre-service teachers and generally all the teachers should be provided such trainings.