A qualitative assessment of classroom safety issues experienced by rural secondary experiential instructors in Iowa
Date
2025-05
Authors
Temple, John Francis
Major Professor
Advisor
Freeman, Steven A
Mosher, Gretchen A
Shelley, Mack C
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Abstract
The safety needs regarding the most experienced CTE safety issues are unknown amongst experiential instructors in rural Iowa high schools. Ten issues were identified from STEM and CTE classrooms across the country as being the most impactful CTE safety issues affecting instructors currently: overcrowding and workspace design; safety training of educators; adequacy of machinery and facilities; PPE use and availability; lack of, or confusion on, PPE policy and safety audits; lack of engineering controls, eyewash stations, and safety showers, lack of district safety programs and preps and time pressure on instructors; OSHA, SDS, chemical handling and storage, and first aid programs; and unsafe behaviors and interventions. Are these issues still issues in rural Iowa agricultural classrooms? If so, what resources are needed? If not, what has been done to alleviate the issue? Three agricultural, two general science, two industrial technology, and one family and consumer science instructor were interviewed. Preps and time for safety, district support of instructor safety training and policy, and instructor safety resources, especially regarding SDS and chemical handling, were considered the major issues by this group. PPE use, appropriate attire, and student behavior were also reoccurring issues. Building connection and trust with students while weeding out bad behaviors was suggested as a solution. Participants asked for standardization and aggregation of safety instruction resources, as well as consistency with district on safety policy. Third party curricula, collaboration with fellow instructors, and experience were identified as solutions to instructor safety training and safety instruction in the classroom.
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thesis