Evaluation of a cancer‐based coping and caring course used in three different settings

Abstract

Cancer in the family may affect the psycho-social adjustment of the children involved. Children who have survived childhood cancer or with a parent or sibling with cancer, may find protection from the risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties from effective external support systems. A training course was developed by the Cancer Research Campaign to help professionals who make up potential external support systems, cope with children experiencing cancer-related life crises. The course was offered to, and evaluated with, practising teachers, student teachers and Cancer Aid and Listening Line workers. Results from interviews and pre and post course questionnaires indicated that after the course all three groups felt more confident in dealing with children under stress. Participants felt that specific skills such as 'attentive listening' had increased as a result of the course. Of the three groups the practising teachers have found the course the most useful in their work and have been able to disseminate their newly acquired skills throughout their schools. Teachers are expected to cope with students' various life crises as they arise in schools. Basic counselling skills training for teachers could help them cope with these in a more confident manner, thereby reducing the risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties and contributing towards a Health Promoting School ethos.

Factors facilitating and constraining the delivery of effective teacher training to promote health and well-being in schools: a survey of current practice and systematic review

“…After applying the inclusion criteria described in the previous section to the 31 pre-service publications, 20 studies reported in a total of 21 publications 25,26,44,61,63,70,81,83,92,94,117,142,148,156,174,189,191,195,200,201,213 were included in the synthesis (one study was reported in two separate publications, 26,156 and data from both of these were extracted for this report), with 10 references 57,67,85,88,116,179,192,199,202,206 being excluded. Table 45 provides an overview of the key characteristics of the included studies.…”

“…26,61,63,70,81,83,94,117,148,174,189,191,195,200,213 The comprehensiveness of the information, as reported by the study authors, varied. For example, Chifunyise and colleagues, 81 who provided training to teachers to support the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Life Skills Education programme in primary and secondary schools in Zimbabwe, specified that teachers were taught 'basic facts' about transmission, symptoms and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection/AIDS, but no further detail was given (p. 378).…”

“…In terms of country, the highest percentage of studies were conducted in the UK (n = 9, 25,63,70,83,92,117,142,174,191 45%), followed by Australia (n = 7, 44,94,189,195,200,201,213 35%). There was one study each from Finland, 26,156 Zimbabwe 81 and the USA, 61 with one study not explicit about the country but it most likely being the USA.…”

“…117 When stated the courses were predominantly postgraduate, although there was a minority of undergraduate Bachelor degree courses. In terms of the level of education, eight studies 26,70,92,156,189,191,195,200,201 provided training for teachers at the secondary level, two 94,142 provided training at the primary level and six 25,44,81,117,148,213 provided training at both primary and secondary level, with four studies 61,63,83,174 not stating the level of training. The subject areas of the teaching degrees were rarely specified; however, in two studies 26,156,213 the teachers were studying PE and health, one study 191 included PGCE science and geography teachers and in another 70 the teachers were enrolled on psychology, business and creative and media secondary PGCE courses.…”

“…Fourteen (70%) of the studies 26,61,63,81,83,92,94,142,148,156,174,189,191,200,213 were classified as teaching skills that would enable teachers to promote health. We subclassified studies according to different types of skill.…”