Factors that Influence Teacher Perceptions of Safety in One School Division in Virginia

Abstract

School divisions have spent billions of dollars on school safety upgrades since the events at Columbine (Cox and Rich, 2018). However, the research on the effectiveness of policies and safety upgrades has been inconsistent. Further, research dedicated to teacher perceptions of school is limited. An in-depth examination of how teachers perceive safety policies and practices could assist school leaders in the creation of safe working spaces for their teachers.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that influence teacher perceptions of safety within the school environment. This study was an extension of Leonard's (2016) study entitled What School Factors Influence Teachers' Perceptions of Safety in Their Classrooms and Schools? This mixed-methods study surveyed 559 teachers in a medium-sized Virginia school division and had 353 participants. The survey tool consisted of qualitative and quantitative elements designed to measure teacher perceptions of safety regarding physical characteristics of school facilities, collegial relationships, school administrator practices, and the principal's adherence to school division safety policies. Descriptive tables for each survey question were created. The tables highlighted statistical trends gathered from the quantitative portion of the study and lists of common perceptions observed from the thematic analysis process. Potential relationships between perceptions of safety, school facilities, gender, years of experience, and teaching assignments were highlighted.

The study indicated that physical and visible security measured impacted teacher perceptions of safety. Teachers identified that locked exterior doors, the presence of school resource officers, and security cameras positively impacted their perceptions of safety. The school environment had an impact on perceptions of teacher safety. Teachers determined that colleague support impacted perceptions of safety positively. In addition, school administrators' practices influenced teacher perceptions of safety. Teachers conveyed that principal visibility, administration support, and open communication enhanced their perception of safety. Further, teachers highlighted the importance of their awareness of school and district safety policies, and the existence of crisis plans at the school and division level. Moreover, the majority of teachers' perceptions of safety were not negatively impacted by student behavior or the potential of outside intruder threats. Thus, the researcher determined that, overall, teachers perceived that they felt safe at school.