In 2021, a national state of emergency regarding child and adolescent mental health was declared in the United States. Educators, given the many hours they spend with their students, must be part of the solution. However, many novice teachers state that mental health is the area in which they are least prepared to meet student needs. Currently, Missouri requires no specific coursework on this topic as a condition of certification. A mixed methods approach will be utilized to research how well Missouri's preservice education programs are preparing teachers for the student mental health demands of the job. This study will require data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and input from early career (one to five years since certification) teachers about their experiences. Results from this study will be used to make policy suggestions for DESE and encourage curriculum changes at Missouri colleges and universities.

Author: Michelle Oliver

Published in: World Congress on Education (WCE-2023)

• Date of Conference: 26-28 June, 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/WCE.2023.0009
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-59-4
• Conference Location: Residence and Conference Centre, Toronto, Canada