Elementary and middle school teachers' perceived benefits and barriers to positively connecting students to school

Background: School connectedness is a leading protective factor against student engagement in risky behaviors including substance use, violence, and early sexual behavior. Purpose: The present study examined elementary and middle school teachers' perceived benefits and barriers to positively connecting students to school. Methods: A 4 page, 105-item survey, which examined positively connecting students to school, was administered via SurveyMonkey to 419 teachers in Ohio schools. The survey was developed based on the Health Belief Model and was tested for validity and reliability resulting in correlation coefficients > .85. Results: A total of 419 teachers responded (60% response rate). Teachers' perceived benefits to positively connecting students to school included a positive school climate, increases in student self-esteem, and increases in positive behaviors among students. Barriers to positively connecting students included lack of time, emphasis on state-mandated testing, and emphasis on academic achievement. Being an elementary school teacher, feeling positively connected to students,and perceiving school connectedness as a school priority were significantly associated with greater benefits and fewer barriers to positively connecting students to school. Conclusions: Findings from this study may assist school health professionals in developing and implementing effective school connectedness education programs for teachers.