Continuous economic development and evolving social systems have created unique challenges for school health personnel in Taiwan. Due in part to economic growth and an improving health care system, average life expectancy has increased markedly for males and females since 1950. Traditional leading causes of death such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and gastroenteritis have been replaced by accidents, neoplasms, and cardiovascular diseases. Schoolchildren suffer from various disorders that include hepatitis B, dental caries, and health problems related to scholastic pressure such as myopia, anxiety, and depression. However, new problems such as violence, substance use, and teen-age pregnancy may develop in the future. In response to the challenge, an extensive school health program has emerged that emphasizes school health instruction, school health services, and a healthful school environment. Increased attention has focused on teacher preparation in health education, and a cooperative approach to school health promotion emphasizes school, community, and interagency cooperation. Prompted by the establishment in 1980 of the Graduate Institute of Health Education, National Taiwan Normal University, school-based research initiatives have increased dramatically. Eighteen recommendations for further improvement are offered.
Results from a preliminary, cross-national study examining perceived competence of school health educators in Taiwan, R.O.C., and in Florida are reported. The study used the Self-Assessment for the Health Educator instrument, developed by the National Task Force on the Preparation and Practice of Health Educators, Inc., which specifies 79 skills in seven competency areas. School health educators from Taiwan and Florida rated their own perceived competence regarding each skill, and assessed the perceived usefulness of each skill in health education practice. Responses from the two groups were similar on six of seven competency areas regarding usefulness of the items. Yet, teachers from Taiwan expressed greater perceived competence than the Florida teachers in five of seven areas. However, within both groups, teachers rated perceived usefulness higher than their own perceived level of competence. Inservice training, amount of formal training, and years of professional experience affected levels of perceived confidence in both groups. Initial results suggest the self-assessment instrument may prove useful as a tool for examining professional competence in other countries, but more extensive research is needed to determine the instrument's applicability in cross-national comparisons.
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