Safety Matters Training Program for Early Childhood Teachers

Background and Aim: This study originates from the realistic background of frequent safety accidents in kindergartens in Harbin， China. Aiming at the problems of insufficient safety education ability, lagging teaching content, and a single method of kindergarten teachers, combined with the requirements of national safety education policy and the society's high concern for children's safety, it aims to improve teachers' safety education level through systematic training and create a safer learning environment for children. Materials and Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, the research involved four key stages: 1) a needs assessment survey among 20 early childhood teachers to identify challenges in safety education; 2) designing a training program with seven key topics, including setting learning objectives, organizing teaching activities, using multimedia resources, and engaging parents; 3) expert evaluations by seven professionals（Experts with extensive experience in curriculum and teaching and preschool education including 5 from Thai universities and schools and 2 from Chinese universities）in preschool and safety education to ensure program relevance; and 4) implementation and impact assessment through pre- and post-tests, rubric-based evaluations, and satisfaction surveys. Results: The needs assessment identified key challenges in goal setting, resource utilization, and parental involvement. After the training evaluation, the ability (pre/post-test) improved by 19 points, the overall average satisfaction score was 4.9 (SD-0.34), and the standard deviation of all evaluation items was between 0.32-0.42. Expert verification (4.73/5) confirmed the relevance of the project. Conclusion: This structured training program is guided by empirical needs analysis and refined through expert feedback, effectively improving teachers' safety education abilities and demonstrating its value in cultivating a safety culture in young children. Need teachers' safety education capabilities, demonstrating its value in fostering early childhood safety cultures.