School Administrator and Staff Member Perceptions of a Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program

• Main Author: McConnell-Smith, Sharon Lacretia
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2015
• Subjects: effective teenage pregnancy prevention programs; Evidence-based teenage pregnancy prevention programs; teenage pregnancy prevention programs; Adult and Continuing Education Administration; Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching; Public Health Education and Promotion; Teacher Education and Professional Development
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/757; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1756&context=dissertations

Mississippi is among the states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates, and the study site is among the high schools with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the state. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify successful practices and areas for improvement in the implementation of a teenage pregnancy prevention program (TPPP) at the study site based on the perspectives of school administrators and staff members. Bandura's social cognitive theory provided a conceptual framework for considering behaviors and the social contexts in which they occur. Twelve participants were interviewed, including 3 administrators and 9 staff members. Data were analyzed using open coding to identify themes. Findings indicated that, according to the perspectives of the 12 participants, the evidence-based TPPP positively influenced the students by providing a structured curriculum for classroom teaching; promoting small-group discussions; and implementing an abstinence approach to prevent teenage pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. Strengths identified included the use of various instructional techniques and a general support for communication. Areas for improvement included scheduling, school staff and parent buy-in, and knowledge about specific problems related to risk-taking behaviors. Social change implications of this study include increased awareness among adult stakeholders of practices that support successful implementation of a TPPP and enhanced ability to make positive decisions about sexual behaviors among students. School officials could apply the findings to strengthening the effectiveness of the school's TPPP. Students may benefit from improved TPPP instruction by being better prepared to prevent teenage pregnancy, HIV, and STDs.