Development of a scale to assess the burden experienced by teachers when managing infectious diseases in schools

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to develop a scale to assess the burden experienced by teachers when managing infectious diseases in schools (the teacher burden scale) and investigate its association with teachers’ attributes and infectious disease management practices.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study by administering a questionnaire to public elementary school teachers. In total, 224 respondents who completed all items of the scale were included. We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, calculated Cronbach’s α coefficient, and evaluated criterion-related validity. We conducted t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for scale scores based on attributes and management practices.

Results: The scale was structured into three factors and ten items. The factors included “effort spent on preventing infection,” “busyness due to infectious disease management,” and “effort spent on collaboration between staff members.” The fitness values were as follows: GFI=0.938, AGFI=0.893, CFI=0.949, and RMSEA=0.080. Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.72–0.85. Investigation of criterion-related validity revealed weak-to-moderate correlations. Teachers working at schools with <200 students scored significantly lower on “busyness due to infectious disease management.” Teachers in their 20s scored significantly higher on “effort spent on collaboration between staff members.” The group that did not practice instructing students or working with parents/guardians scored significantly higher on “effort spent on collaboration between staff members.”

Conclusion: The teacher burden scale comprised three factors and ten items and was found reliable and valid. Associations were observed between the teacher burden scale and school size, teachers’ age, and interpersonal infectious disease management.