Teacher characteristics and competencies related to substance abuse prevention

Teacher characteristics and competencies perceived as beneficial for preventing substance use among students were identified through a literature search, review of existing prevention curricula, and consultation with state and local experts. These qualities were integrated into a questionnaire and administered to acknowledge professionals in the substance use and abuse arena who were affiliated with universities, public schools, and prevention/intervention agencies. A factor analysis yielded six constructs which were then scaled, examined for psychometric appropriateness, and subsequently employed to quantify perceptions of importance. Teacher-Student Relations emerged as the most important aspect of teacher comportment, followed by knowledge associated with Human Behavior, Substances, User Recognition and Referral, Prevention Curricula, and Legal Issues. These findings are encouraging in that the characteristics and skills perceived as important to prevention can be developed in both pre- and in-service teacher training.