(An item from the ISHN Member information service) With debates about the purposes of schooling now underway in several countries such as England, the US and others, we note that several blogs are adding useful commentaries suggesting that a holistic education, aimed at developing the whole child, are also adding to those debates. Watch these pages for ongoing reporting of the education reform paper in England and the renewal of the Education Act in the US. Both countries are deciding whether health education will be part of their core subjects. Read more>>
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(An item from the ISHN Member information service) School-focused research on the impact of normative beliefs on youth tobacco, alcohol and drug use has led to extensive discussions about "normative education" which focuses on transmitting beliefs about normative behaviours (eg most people do not smoke). Two articles in Issue #5, 2015 of Environment & Behavior report that even manipulated information about normative behaviours can have a positive impact on behaviours. Although both articles refer to studies of adult behaviours (use of cars for commuting and the use of bottled water), the results were the same. The participants in the two intervention groups did choose the healthier option. Read more>>
(An item from the ISHN Member information service) With UNESCO and other UN agencies in the midst of developing indicators for student learning outputs as part of the new 2015-2030 Social Development Goals, our attention has turned to sources of advice about high quality HPSD education and curricula. Here are some good sources.
The association representing Personal-Social-Health-Economic Education (PSHE) in the UK provides an excellent summary in a blog posting on the characteristics of effective health and social development curricula. The list includes " some common elements of good practice, summarised here and available in greater detail in our ‘Case study key findings document’:
There are several types of learning objectives that can be achieved in effective HPSD curricula and programs. These include:
Health literacy is a newer concept in health promotion that has not yet been applied extensively to school health education. We have always been trapped into developing health education by health topics (rather than generic skills or even basic skills/knowledge as in HL) so we do not have an evidence-based, experience-tested set of student learning outputs for all topics that can be developed in context relevant sets as a realistic, minimal output for schools. Linking health instruction inextricably with health services and other components of a comprehensive school health approach. There are a number of models of health education, particularly from sex education that has linked instruction with convenient, accessible services, or ensuring nutrition education goals are reflected in the school cafeteria are examples. The IVAC model developed in Denmark and used widely in Europe has flipped the instructional paradigm by using a student action learning framework as its basis rather than the traditional behavourist model. (An item from the ISHN Member information service) Several news stories and commentaries were noted this week about the need to review mandatory sex education and health education curricula. In the US, several former surgeon-generals have called for a renewal of sex education, the lack of attention from school districts is noted, a reduced teen pregnancy rate is reported, the US Congress considers making health education part of the core curriculum and Hawaii has dropped its abstinence only approach to sex ed. In the UK, an all party committee has recommended mandatory health education and sex education and a response is expected from the new government by the end of June 2015. Read more>>
(From the ISHN Member information service) A meta-analysis in Volume 56, 2015 of Preventive Medicine concludes that school-based nutrition education can affect the BMI of children. Unlike interventions aimed at single behaviours such as physical activity, the authors of this review suggest that a focus on healthy eating may be the best course for reducing body weight. The authors "conducted a systematic search of 14 databases until May 2010 and cross-reference check in 8 systematic reviews (SRs) for studies published that described randomized controlled trials conducted in schools to reduce or prevent overweight in children and adolescents. An additional search was carried out using PubMed for papers published through May 2012, and no further papers were identified. Body mass index (BMI) was the primary outcome. The title and abstract review and the quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers. From the 4888 references initially retrieved, only 8 met the eligibility criteria for a random-effects meta-analysis. The total population consisted of 8722 children and adolescents. Across the studies, there was an average treatment effect of − 0.33 kg/m2 (− 0.55, − 0.11 95% CI) on BMI, with 84% of this effect explained by the highest quality studies. This systematic review provides evidence that school-based nutrition education interventions are effective in reducing the BMI of children and adolescents" Read more>>
(From Drug & Alcohol Findings UK) A cogent analysis of the limitations of school-based drug education is discussed in a blog post from this multi-partner knowledge exchange organization in the UK. The article suggests that school-based instruction is, almost by definition, constrained by the social forces surrounding and enshrined in schools. When adults, whose normative beliefs and practices encourage alcohol use, try to impose a delay in access to this popular pastime in the adult world on adolescents, the results are predictably limited. The article suggests a possible divorce of the "educational" aspects (empowering youth to make decisions) from the preventive aspects. Or, at least, the article suggests, that the goals of drug education should be modified to more limited objectives (harm reduction) or different objectives more compatible with schooling (character building, preventing school dropouts etc). Here is a brief except:
"School-based drug education was and for many remains the great hope for preventing unhealthy or illegal substance use. Across almost an entire age group it offers a way to divert the development of these forms of substance use before they or their precursors have taken root. Though promise is clear, the fulfilment is less so. Most disappointing for Europe and for the UK were results from the seven-nation EU-Dap European drug education trial and the English Blueprint trial. The former was the largest European drug education trial ever conducted and tested a sophisticated US-style social influence programme, yet the results were patchy – generally positive but modest and usually not statistically significant benefits relative to control schools. The multi-million pound Blueprint trial was the largest in Britain and featured advanced interactive teaching methods reinforced by parental and community-wide components. Its government funders expected the results to “trigger a fundamental assessment of the place of drug education” in UK drug policy. If it did, it would be to confirm that drug education in secondary schools makes little contribution to the prevention of problems related to drinking and illegal drug use, though the evidence in respect of smoking is stronger. By the end of the follow-up period, on none of the most relevant measures was there was any sign that Blueprint had retarded growth in substance use any more effectively than usual lessons in the non-Blueprint schools. What might lie behind such disappointments can be divided in to at least two possibly interrelated domains: contradictions in principle, shortfalls in practice. Among the first is the contradiction between the objectives of education and those of prevention: the former seeks to empower children to think for themselves and open up new horizons, the latter to channel thoughts, attitudes and actions in ways intended by programme developers and teachers. Then there are potential contradictions within prevention programmes themselves. Some aim to limit young people’s autonomy in their choice of friends and substances by extending autonomy in decision-making, to encourage conformity to non-drug use values by discouraging conformity to other young people, to develop team work and social solidarity without accepting that youngsters may express this by going along with their peers as well as deciding not to". Read more>> (From the ISHN Member information service) A blog post noted this week reports an another trend in education, another one that should catch the attention of advocates of health and personal/social development education because of the ongoing competition for time in over-crowded curricula. ASCD, a leading educational organizations notes the trend "Lessons involving STEAM -- science, technology, engineering, arts and math -- are catching on nationwide, including in schools in Florida, Ohio and Texas. The concept also has drawn support from businesses and government. Still, some say the effects of STEAM on student achievement remains unclear. " STEM education–that’s science, technology, engineering, and math–has gotten an increasing amount of buzz over the past few years. And now, there’s a twist on STEM: the addition of the arts, making it STEAM. Supporters say a more focused inclusion of the arts helps kids become creative, hands-on learners by sparking innovation. This fits with the calls for "21st Century Learning from business and other leaders, where innovation and creativity are increasingly valued as a business, enterprenurial skill. Read more>>
(From the ISHN Member information service) Home Economics classes, a part of many comprehensive approaches to school health and development (along with Health Ed & Phys Ed) have largely disappeared from the mandatory curricula of many countries, provinces and states in the last decade. It is ironic to note the recent report of the OECD on financial literacy among students, which is now part of their PISA evaluation program. This is the first international study to assess the financial literacy of young people. Around 30,000 students from 18 countries and economies* took the tests, which involved dealing with bank accounts and credit/debit cards, planning and managing finances, understanding taxes and savings, risk and rewards, consumer rights and responsibilities in financial contracts. One of the OECD summaries asked if 15 year olds know how to manage money. They summarized the results as follows: "On average 10% of students can analyse complex financial products and solve non-routine financial problems, while 15% can, at best, make simple decisions about everyday spending, and recognise the purpose of everyday financial documents, such as an invoice. " And we wonder why this generation of adults in so many countries have over-extended themselves with credit card debt, mortgages and over-spending? Read more>>
(Identified by ASCD SmartBrief) A blog post identified by the ASCD Smart Brief service and published by Edutopia suggests that students should be taught to prepare their curricula vitae (which include personal and professional goals) rather then a simple resume (which simply lists assignments and accomplishments). This strategy for Career Education and Student Planning, one which the author calls preparing a "course for life", fits very well with health/personal/social development education, where effective teachers often use student journals and other reflection activities to help students learn more about themselves and their surroundings. As well, linking CV preparation with health journals and reflections is another way to achieve a better integration of health concerns within the core concerns of education systems. The author of the blog post discuses how difficult it can be for students to learn self-reflection techniques. But we all know that this process is essential if students are to develop personal behavioural and life plans. The article then outlines a five phases of preparing a CV, all of which are applicable to HPSD education as well as career education. Read more>>
MPs in England have launched an inquiry into the future of PSHE and sex and relationships education (SRE) in schools. The Education Select Committee has called for evidence to help with its investigation, which will tackle a range of issues including whether PSHE should be a statutory subject. The cross-party inquiry comes after an Ofsted subject report last year judged that PSHE was not good enough in 40 per cent of the 50 schools it visited – primary and secondary. The report – Not Yet Good Enough – also found that half of secondaries needed to improve its SRE, while many teachers lacked training to tackle sensitive or controversial issues in both PSHE and SRE. Inspectors expressed concern about a lack of “high-quality, age-appropriate SRE” in more than a third of schools which they said could leave children vulnerable to “inappropriate sexual behaviours and sexual exploitation”.
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