2020 Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 72-80
Background: The study aims to establish a cooperative system for relevant organizations, including initiating a training course for high school students using active learning methods in relation to supporting individuals with dementia and evaluating changes in students’ understanding and awareness regarding dementia.
Method: From October to November 2018, the study implemented a course over three sessions for 29 first-year students at participating high schools using active learning methods to provide training vis-à-vis supporting individuals with dementia. A questionnaire survey with free description was implemented after the first and third sessions. The analysis targeted the 25 respondents to both surveys. A paired t-test was performed.
Results: Relevant members from each institution were requested to attend the course, then a cooperative system was constructed to implement the training course based on active learning methods. In the free description survey’s results, “gentle” was used in 10 sentences as a meaningful word signifying changes in attitudes and awareness. In the questionnaire survey, a significant difference in scores before and after the course regarding anxiety and resistance relating to coming into contact with dementia (P=0.003) and voluntary interaction (P=0.001) was observed.
Conclusion: Daily collaboration with the relevant parties at institutions is necessary to promote this project. Furthermore, the findings imply that the training course using active learning methods deepened the students’ knowledge about dementia, which was linked to a reduction in anxiety and resistance and a more positive attitude toward dementia among the participants.
