Assessing Malaysian School Teachers’ Readiness to Teach Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillators: Knowledge, Attitudes, Willingness and Barriers

Teachers’ Views on CPR & AED Education in Malaysia
Vol. 21 No. 2 : 2026 (941-962)

Muhamad Nur Fariduddin Muhamad Nur Fariduddin
Mohd Johar Jaafar Mohd Johar Jaafar
Ching Sin Siau Ching Sin Siau
Nor Najwa Farha Nor Najwa Farha
Che Wan Ezza Erdina Che Wan Ezza Erdina

Abstract
Implementing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in schools is recommended to improve cardiac arrest survival. However, Malaysian curricula lack CPR and automated external defibrillators (AED) education. This study assessed teachers’ knowledge, attitudes, willingness and perceived barriers to teaching CPR and AED. A two-stage stratified random sampling method was employed to choose 400 school teachers from 20 primary and secondary schools across the Selangor state, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed, comprising questions on knowledge of CPR and AED, attitude and willingness towards teaching CPR and AED and perceived facilitators and barriers to implementing CPR and AED in schools. A total of 165 participants (57% female) completed the survey. Only two teachers (1.2%) passed the knowledge test, and 74.5% reported that no CPR training had been conducted in their school within the past two years. While 57.6% were willing to teach CPR, 61.8% faced barriers such as limited knowledge, lack of time and resources. Other barriers to implementing CPR curriculum included perceived lack of support from the government at the central, state and district levels, a lack of funding and perceived students’ lack of interest. Results of the Multivariate Analysis of Variance showed non-significant results, indicating that levels of attitude, willingness and perceived barriers remained consistent across all teachers regardless of their background, underscoring a uniform need for improved CPR education. The study highlights a willingness to teach CPR and AED among school teachers. However, there is a need for improving teachers’ CPR knowledge, and removing structural and institutional barriers which hinder the successful implementation of CPR curriculum in Malaysian schools.
Keywords : Barriers; CPR education; facilitators; framework; school teachers,
Abstrak
Pelaksanaan resusitasi kardiopulmonari (CPR) di sekolah disarankan bagi meningkatkan kadar kelangsungan hidup pesakit yang mengalami komplikasi jantung terhenti. Walau bagaimanapun, kurikulum sekolah di Malaysia kekurangan pendidikan mengenai CPR dan defibrilator luaran automatik (AED). Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menilai pengetahuan, sikap, kesediaan dan halangan kepada pendidikan CPR dan AED dalam kalangan guru di Malaysia. Kaedah pensampelan rawak berstrata dua peringkat digunakan untuk memilih 400 orang guru daripada 20 sekolah rendah dan menengah di negeri Selangor, Malaysia. Borang soal selidik digunakan yang merangkumi soalan tentang pengetahuan CPR dan AED, sikap dan kesediaan untuk mengajar CPR dan AED serta faktor pendorong dan halangan dalam pelaksanaan CPR dan AED di sekolah. Seramai 165 orang peserta (57.0% wanita) telah melengkapkan soal selidik. Hanya dua orang guru (1.2%) lulus ujian pengetahuan, manakala 74.5% melaporkan bahawa tiada latihan CPR dijalankan di sekolah mereka dalam tempoh dua tahun yang lepas. Walaupun 57.6% orang guru bersedia untuk mengajar CPR, sebanyak 61.8% menghadapi halangan seperti kurang pengetahuan, kekangan masa dan kekurangan sumber. Halangan lain dalam pelaksanaan kurikulum CPR termasuk tanggapan kekurangan sokongan daripada pihak kerajaan di peringkat pusat, negeri dan daerah, kekurangan dana serta persepsi bahawa minat pelajar yang rendah. Analisis Varians Multivariat menunjukkan keputusan yang tidak signifikan, di mana tahap sikap, kesediaan dan halangan yang dirasakan adalah konsisten dalam kalangan guru tanpa mengira latar belakang, seterusnya mempamerkan keperluan yang sama untuk memperbaiki pendidikan CPR. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa guru bersedia untuk mengajar CPR dan AED. Walau bagaimanapun, terdapat keperluan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan CPR dalam kalangan guru serta mengatasi halangan struktur dan institusi yang menjadi penghalang dalam memastikan pelaksanaan kurikulum CPR yang berkesan dapat dicapai di seluruh sekolah di Malaysia.
Kata Kunci : Guru sekolah; halangan; kerangka konseptual; pemudah cara; pendidikan CPR,

Correspondance Address
*Correspondence: fariduddin@uitm.edu.my


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