Do Teachers Feel Active Shooter Drills Work? A Study of Effectiveness, Safety, and Decisions to Transfer or Quit

Résumé fourni par la source

Educators’ perceptions of the effectiveness of active shooter and lockdown drills is an important, yet understudied, topic. Teachers often implement drills, so it is useful to understand how these perceptions relate to their perceived safety and their retention intentions. In a nationally rep­resentative cross-sectional sample of 5,107 K–12 teachers (Mage = 44.04 years; 77.2% female), the relations between perceived effectiveness of active shooter and lockdown drills and considerations to transfer schools or quit teaching were examined both directly and indirectly through perceived safety, with teacher reports of victimization from students as moderator. Teacher perceptions of drill effectiveness were related to retention intentions both directly and indirectly through perceived safety. Higher rates of victimization strengthened the association between perceived drill effe­ctiveness and perceived safety. Active shooter and lockdown drill effectiveness was most strongly associated with perceived safety among highly victimized teachers. Findings suggest that drills may not be sufficient in addressing teachers’ professional needs.Impact StatementWhile active shooter drill and lockdown procedures are widely used in U.S. schools, research has revealed mixed findings on their helpfulness and effectiveness. The findings of this study indicate that teacher-perceived effectiveness of active shooter and lockdown drills is associated with greater feelings of safety and lower intentions to transfer or quit teaching, especially among those experiencing violence from students. However, the use of drills may not be sufficient in addressing the range of teachers’ professional needs, despite teachers perceiving them as effective.

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