Twelfth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

This study describes pre-service teachers’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants of interest are EC-6 credential-seeking teacher candidates enrolled at a four-year public university in southeast Texas. One hundred and two students completed a questionnaire. A constant-comparative method was applied to identify and classify critical elements in participant responses. The findings suggest that the participants had a fundamental knowledge about COVID-19 symptoms and transmission. Also, most participants understood and followed the CDC’s best practices. However, the participants were less knowledgeable about other aspects of COVID-19, like herd immunity and the cause of the high number of COVID-19 positive tests. Moreover, the COVID-19 lockdown changed their lifestyle habits. Understanding the teacher candidates’ knowledge, perceptions, and practices during the lockdown is crucial to understanding pre-service teachers’ health literacy and potential impact on their students’ well-being.