The influence of professional factors in determining primary school teachers' commitment to health promotion

Bibliographic Data

ID22945985
AuthorsDidier Jourdan (0000-0001-9303-0847, Université Clermont Auvergne, corresponding author), John Stirling (0000-0003-1189-8306, Université Clermont Auvergne), Patricia Mcnamara (0000-0002-3011-0177, University of Limerick), P Mannix Mcnamara, Jeanine Pommier (École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique)
Year2011
Volume26
Issue3
Pages302-310
Publication date2011-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Promotion International (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0957-4824 • E-ISSN: 1460-2245
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/heapro/daq076
PMID21208940
OpenAlexW2130160716
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited18

The objectives of the study were to identify the professional issues that teachers perceived as important in their commitment to a health promotion (HP) programme launched in their schools and to understand their perceptions of the impact of the programme on themselves as professionals, individuals, on students, on school staff and on the relationship with students' families. A mixed methods design was used. An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 54 participating teachers exploring their practices and perceptions of the programme and 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted which examined their professional commitment to the programme. The main factors that teachers identified as shaping their commitment were (1) their perceptions of the programme, specifically, its congruence with their own role and practice and also their perceived impact of the programme upon whole staff relations and (2) the specific school environment including school organization, quality of the relationships with parents and student behaviour. If HP programmes are to be successfully developed in schools, it is necessary to anchor them within the schools' mission. HP programmes need to make sense to teachers' educational perspectives. They need to be responsive to school needs. They also need to be cognisant of the internal tensions that programme implementation can engender among the whole staff, some of whom may be committed to HP in their school, while others, may not value HP in the same way. Therefore, implementation processes that are respectful of the challenges schools encounter and of the differing ontological perspectives that teachers may hold with regard to HP is important.

Environmental health · Health promotion · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Primary (astronomy) · Promotion (chess) · Public health · School health · School teachers · Health and Wellbeing Research · Health, psychology, and well-being · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · School Health and Nursing Education