Future prospects for health education in initial teacher education

Abstract

Assesses the influence of the recent Government reforms in initial teacher education on the health education training of new recruits into the profession. Describes findings from the last major research study into health education in initial teacher training and appraises the new criteria for teacher education courses. Concludes that health education in teacher training is likely to become increasingly marginalized. Highlights contradictions in Government policy and urges professionals to attempt to influence the ways in which higher education institutions interpret the criteria on which courses will be developed and judged.

Health promotion in pre‐service teacher education

“…However, only a limited number of studies focus on the continuing professional development of in‐service teachers and even less is known about what occurs at pre‐service level during teacher education programmes, as Paakkari et al (2010) note. Although, Thomas and Jones (2005) report on an effective intervention in Wales to increase pre‐service teachers’ confidence to teach personal, social and health education, surveys of health promotion in pre‐service teacher training indicate that this element of training is inadequate and calls for improvements across Europe and elsewhere have not abated (Scriven, 1995; Walsh and Tilford, 1998; Mead, 2003; Mead, 2004; Jourdan et al , 2008; Tang et al , 2008). The research presented here is intended to add to this debate by discussing the impact of the introduction of a programme of health promotion in one pre‐service teacher education programme in England that attempted to be coherent.…”

The impact of group teaching on the acquisition of key skills to teach personal, social and health education

“…The role of initial teacher training institutions in preparing trainee teachers to deliver personal, social and health education (PSHE) is also viewed by some as a crucial stage in the continuing professional development provision (Hurrelmann et al, 1995;Jensen, 2000;Fontana and Apostolidou, 2001). However, there is clear evidence that health education has become marginalised in initial teacher education courses since the introduction of government reforms in initial teacher training in England and Wales in 1992 (Scriven, 1995;Walsh and Tilford, 1998;Department for Education, 1992;Welsh Office, 1992). Scriven (1995) is critical of the fact that the recommendation of the Health Education in Initial Teacher Education survey (Williams and Roberts, 1985), which called for health education to be an integral part of teacher education for all trainee teachers, was disregarded by the government in their reform of teacher education in 1992.…”

“…However, there is clear evidence that health education has become marginalised in initial teacher education courses since the introduction of government reforms in initial teacher training in England and Wales in 1992 (Scriven, 1995;Walsh and Tilford, 1998;Department for Education, 1992;Welsh Office, 1992). Scriven (1995) is critical of the fact that the recommendation of the Health Education in Initial Teacher Education survey (Williams and Roberts, 1985), which called for health education to be an integral part of teacher education for all trainee teachers, was disregarded by the government in their reform of teacher education in 1992. These reforms introduced a shift to more school-based training, with a view to improving the quality of overall training.…”