The good life: New Zealand children's perspectives on health and self

Young people’s uses of wearable healthy lifestyle technologies; surveillance, self-surveillance and resistance

“…In agreement with a substantial and international evidence-base, critical pedagogical approaches are required in schools to address the societal, narrow and normative discourses of health (Burrows & Wright, 2004;Casey et al, 2017;Gard, 2014;Harris et al, 2017;Powell & Fitzpatrick, 2015). The suitability of a critical approach rather than an exclusively physical activity promoting approach is further supported by the views of young people in this study.…”

Teachers' talk about health, self and the student ‘body’

“…Much of this work points to the range of ways well-intentioned health policies and programmes can shape the subjectivities of young people, their dispositions towards their own and others' bodies, and their capacity to experience themselves as healthy (e.g. Burrows, 2008Burrows, , 2010Burrows & Wright, 2004;Evans et al, 2008;Lee & Macdonald, 2010;Rail, 2009;Rich & Evans, 2005). To date, however, there has been little research specifically addressing how teachers, rather than students, are making sense of the raft of health imperatives reaching into their school gates Á the multifarious outside agencies pedalling health programmes that proclaim an alliance with curriculum mandates, and the popular yet pricey initiatives, like Life Education, Zumba and Jump-Jam, that are regarding schools as ready markets for their merchandise (Macdonald, Hay, & Williams, 2008).…”

Rumination, realignment and reflection: Who is really teaching health education in secondary schools?

“…Equally, research concedes that teacher preparation has significant implications for the ways in which young people come to know health knowledge, primarily because HE is more vulnerable than other subjects to the diversity of personal perspectives. Burrows and Wright (2004) encouraged teachers, through their pedagogical choices, to "dissect, disrupt and perhaps transform student thinking about what constitutes and contributes to well-being and health" (p. 203) because as more recently explored by Leahy et al (2016), teaching and learning that positions health within an individualistic perspective of personal responsibility is problematic.…”

“…Irrefutably, teacher preparedness to deliver HE remains a global issue, with a raft of scholarship documenting how preparedness can impact student engagement with the broader meanings of health (Begoray et al, 2009;Burrows & Wright, 2004;Fetro, 2010;Harris & Leggett, 2013;Kann et al, 2001;Leahy et al, 2016;Lohrmann, 2011;Mayer, Smith, & McDermott, 2011;Paakkari et al, 2010;Sinkinson, 2011;Smith & Philpot, 2011). Drawing on the study's insights, this paper now details the methodology used for the study whilst exploring some challenges and opportunities to support teachers who deliver HE in secondary schools to develop meaningful and valuable spaces for health learning.…”