Implementation of a body image program as a twisty country lane

Abstract

This study examines the implementation of a body image program in one province. The K-8 lessons were designed to promote body acceptance and to help students recognize and resist mediated constructions of ideal size and shape. One year after its introduction, a research team investigated the implementation of the body image program in six schools in four school districts. The teachers' views on implementation were obtained through a survey and interviews. A theoretical framework of a fidelity approach vs. an adaptiveevolutionary approach to implementation was employed to analyze the data. Findings indicate that implementation was impacted both by resources and the complex ways that bodies and health are positioned socially. Teachers also indicated a need for deeper knowledge to implement the new program. As a result, this particular curriculum implementation journey more closely resembled a road trip on a twisty country lane than one that took the shortest distance between two points.