Perceptions of Preparedness Regarding School Violence: A Qualitative Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study is to understand the school violence preparedness training perceptions of teachers in K-6 Utah schools. Bandura’s social cognitive theory guides this study by supporting knowledge via social connections and context-specific situations. The central research question was “What are the school violence preparedness training experiences of Utah K-6 school teachers?” Van Manen’s approach to researching lived experiences methodologically guides the qualitative study. Participants were K-6 elementary school teachers in Utah, recruited using purposeful and criterion sampling. Teachers were interviewed individually and in focus groups and invited to reflect on their training experience via protocol writing. Data from subject interaction was collected and stored digitally. Results were analyzed according to van Manen’s approach to discovering, understanding, interpreting, and describing lived experiences with school violence training. Results yielded insights into the feelings of preparation and connectedness that Utah elementary school teachers have after being trained for violence in their schools. This understanding can also guide future training experiences and inform the administration of teacher readiness, as well as their actual in-class understanding of school violence and reactions to it. Finally, this study highlights potential flaws in preparedness training and gaps in actual preparation that can be addressed through a more focused and nuanced approach to violence preparation training.