Health-education policy interface: the implementation of the Eat Well Be Active policies in schools

Diversity in teachers’ approaches to movement integration: A qualitative study of lower secondary school teachers’ perceptions of a state school reform involving daily physical activity

“…Consistent with related studies (e.g. Kirk and Macdonald, 2001; Leow et al, 2014), it was evident in the data collected for this study that teachers recontextualised the PA policy in their own way and devaluated the PA policy priorities in the light of high-stake policy about enhancing academic attainment. The study also documented how the different levels of factors within SEM appeared to be interrelated in influencing teachers’ interpretations and perceptions of MI, and in turn their implementation of the policy.…”

“…Teachers’ understanding and use of MI as an incidental part of lessons seemed to be a way of legitimising existing teaching practices. As such, some of the teachers in the study complied with what Ball (2003) termed “cynical compliance”, where the teacher submits to the use of MI without subscribing to the values and purposes that fostered the policy (Leow et al, 2014). This kind of cynical compliance exposes a gap between the values and intentions within the policy and teachers’ interpretations and deficient preparation and implementation of MI, thus indicating a misalignment between the PA policy text and the context of practice.…”

Current Government Actions and Potential Policy Options for Reducing Obesity in Queensland Schools

“…Smart Moves has been implemented as a companion initiative to Smart Choices aiming to increase physical activity levels among primary and secondary school children. Key recommendations of the Smart Moves programme include: (1) primary and secondary schools are required to allocate 30 min per day and 2 h per week to physical activity as part of the school curriculum respectively; (2) creating a partnership between schools and sporting organizations to increase children’s participation in physical activity; (3) providing professional development for principals and physical education teachers to increase the delivery of physical activity to children; and (4) improving access to sport and recreation facilities can provide benefit to both the school and community [ 31 , 43 ].…”

Towards an understanding of fidelity within the context of school-based health education

“…Additionally, the teachers were cognisant of the vagaries of "current educational trends and where the funding is" (Tina, Teacher, Inkwater College). In Australia such trends, including an emphasis on national high stakes testing in literacy and numeracy and the funding of health interventions that seek to address specific national health concerns, generate a landscape of competing imperatives that compromises the status and implementation of SBHE (Leow et al 2012).…”

“…For many the teaching and learning of health related knowledge and skills 4 provides an essential strategy to achieve a maximal influence on the health behaviours of young people (Rowling, Booth and Nutbeam 1998), with many countries, such as Australia, delivering health related knowledge and skills through mandated programs of Health Education and/or Physical Education (HPE). However, despite the best efforts of health and education authorities, current school based health initiatives have consistently fallen short of expectations, with many critics drawing attention to issues of competing policy agendas, paucity of trained health educators, lack of resources and significant gaps between the policy and practice of health promotion within school settings (Basch 2010, Marks 2010, Mohammadi et al 2010, Leow, Macdonald, Hay and McCuaig 2012. These critics have pointed to tensions operating at the health-education sector interface, tensions which impact upon the design, delivery and evaluation of SBHE.…”