How do pre-service physical education teachers understand health education and their role as health educators?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service physical education (PE) teacher education students understand health education and their role as health educators. The challenges that a cohort of pre-service teachers ( n = 20) majoring and minoring in PE face in engaging in a socially contextualised understanding of health are examined. Design: Study participants were in a semester length foundational health education course. Following ethics board approval, participants’ reflective journals were accessed for data. The data were coded for themes and then analysed using Windschitl’s framing of constructivism in practice. Setting: Undergraduate health education teacher education programme at an Australian university. Results: Findings reveal how PE teacher education students made meaning of socially contextualised and contested areas of health, and developed their own understanding of health education pedagogical practice. Common challenges were evidenced by the students when attempting to explain their expanding understanding of health education pedagogy and practice. Conclusion: The simple understandings and conceptual ambiguities evident in this group of students help to explain why health education taught in secondary schools by PE teachers more often takes the form of ‘PE theory’ than health education.

HealthLit4Kids: Dilemmas associated with student health literacy development in the primary school setting

“…Central to constructivist pedagogy is the need for teachers to create learning environments that allow for critical thinking, questioning and discussion within a power neutral classroom (Macdonald, 2013). That said, constructivist ways of teaching health education for 'making meaning' are contingent upon a teacher's capacity to understand socially contextualised and constructed aspects of health in their classrooms (Fane et al, 2019). This examination of teachers' experiences participating in HealthLit4Kids, an example of a schoolbased HL intervention programme, explains how this kind of programme can enable and inhibit concurrent HL outcomes for both students and teachers.…”

Effects of nutrition knowledge, personal health and self-efficacy on food-related teaching practices of elementary school pre-service teachers

“…A correlation between knowledge and self-efficacy has been previously observed in pre-service and in service teachers, and the authors note that in addition to the belief of being capable of change, one must have the knowledge required to make such a change (Derscheid et al, 2014;Fane et al, 2019). Literature has demonstrated that both knowledge and behaviours, such as personal health, have a direct impact on a pre-service teacher's ability to incorporate nutrition into the classroom (Fane et al, 2019;Jourdan et al, 2013). In this case, high self-efficacy for teaching nutrition would reflect a teacher's confidence in material and knowledge, while low selfefficacy would reflect a lack of confidence.…”

“…In addition, Bandura refers to knowledge as a precondition for change, without which motivation cannot be attained (Bandura, 2004). A correlation between knowledge and self-efficacy has been previously observed in pre-service and in service teachers, and the authors note that in addition to the belief of being capable of change, one must have the knowledge required to make such a change (Derscheid et al, 2014;Fane et al, 2019). Literature has demonstrated that both knowledge and behaviours, such as personal health, have a direct impact on a pre-service teacher's ability to incorporate nutrition into the classroom (Fane et al, 2019;Jourdan et al, 2013).…”

“…With a majority of children enrolled in school, the school system can play a significant role in public health by providing and encouraging healthy lifestyle choices (Fane et al, 2019;Snelling et al, 2012;Story et al, 2006). In fact, a large proportion of children's meals take place in school, and because of this, school-based interventions have been a major focus of public health strategies to prevent obesity (O'Toole et al, 2007).…”

“…Studies have shown that teachers have inadequate nutrition knowledge, despite believing that teaching classroom nutrition and healthy food environments are important (Cho and Nadow, 2004;Snelling et al, 2012). In another study, preservice teachers indicated a need for confidence in content knowledge to be able to adequately teach health education (Fane et al, 2019) In addition, O'Dea and Abraham (2001) indicated that up to 87% of pre-service teachers were providing inappropriate dietary advice to students.…”