A Study of Effects of Death Education Programs on Death Knowledge and Death Attitude of the Fourth-Grade Students

• Main Authors: Wen-Hsiu Tseng, 曾文秀
• Other Authors: Sieh-Hwa Lin
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70117576915136402507

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 教育心理與輔導研究所 === 91 === The purpose of the study is to assess the effects of the Death Education Program on death knowledge and death attitude for fourth-grade students. The sample consisted of 141 fourth graders from two elementary schools in Kaohsiung City in Taiwan. Participants in the experimental group received the 6-week Death Education program (a 80-minute session per week). The control group didn’t receive treatment until the study was finished. Instruments used in this study included the Death Knowledge Test and the Death Attitude Scale. Data were analyzed by one-way ANCOVA with the pretest scores as the covariance. In addition, data from interviews, feedback sheets, and observer’s feedbacks were also analyzed . The main findings were as follows： 1.Participants in the experimental group had a significantly higher average score on Death Knowledge Test than their counterparts in the control group. 2.In terms of death attitudes, there was no differences between the experimental group and the control group. 3.More than half of participants liked the Death Education program and thought it helped them understand more about death and become less afraid of death. 4.According to information from feedback sheets, participants in the experimental group indicated positive changes in four aspects, including (a) gaining more knowledge about death and grief; (b) reducing death anxiety; (c) improving their attitude toward life and death; and (d) paying more attention to their physical care. Implications for research and counseling practice were discussed according to the results of the study.