Factor's associated with high school teachers adoption, usage level and fidelity to the "Youth@Work:Talking Safety" curriculum

Background and Objective(s): The goal of this study is to improve efforts to institutionalize the “Youth@Work:Talking Safety” curriculum (TSC) into US high schools by analyzing the individual, classroom-, and institutional-level factors associated with curriculum adoption, usage levels, and fidelity.

Methods: Data were collected using phone interviews with 104 US teachers who were trained in the TSC. A dichotomous variable –taught/did not teach the curriculum at least once– was used to measure adoption.  Scores were created to measure usage level  (e.g., number of lessons taught) and fidelity (number of lessons taught that were not modified). Due to the high prevalence of adoption in this sample, Cox regression was used to analyze the associations between adoption and the individual- (e.g., teacher enthusiasm), classroom- (e.g., equipment resources), and institutional-level (e.g., administrator support) factors.  Linear regression was used to examine the association of these factors with usage level and fidelity scores.

Results: Sixty-nine percent of teachers adopted the TSC. Adoption was positively associated with teachers’ acceptance of the TSC, teachers’ enthusiasm toward the TSC, and a supportive organizational climate. Usage levels were positively associated with teachers’ acceptance, teachers’ enthusiasm, teacher self-efficacy, available time to teach, and teaching methods fit.  Fidelity was positively associated with teachers’ enthusiasm.  Adoption and usage levels were also negatively associated with perceived complexity of the TSC.

Conclusion(s): Individual-level factors appear to have the greatest influence on teacher adoption, usage and fidelity to the Youth@Work:Talking Safety curriculum and should be considered in future attempts to institutionalize this curriculum into high schools.