RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Teachers' Motivation For Participation In The European Network Of Health Promoting Schools

Hege Eikeland Tjomsland

Research center for health promotion, Bergen, Norway.

The main objective of the thesis was to come to an understanding of Danish, Latvian and Norwegian teachers' role in the European Network of Health Promoting Schools, and see how they viewed their schools and their own participation in the program activities and outcomes. The study is based on 20 qualitative interviews performed in September and October 1995. Green and Kreuter's PRECEDE-PROCEED model was used as a theoretical framework for the analysis. Especially the PRECEDE-model's fourth phase, the educational and organizational diagnosis, were used in order to better organize the results of the study.

Teachers' perspectives of the health promoting school's ideas and content varied. While some saw the health promoting school as a place where more traditional health related issues like a healthy diet and exercise should be promoted, others believed that prosperity and quality of life were the main issues of the health promoting school. Especially in Denmark, the emphasis on health as something more than carrots and Health Puritanism seemed to have increased teachers' interest for the health promoting school. Further some saw ENHPS in close connection to certain school subjects like physical education and home economics, while others saw it more as an overall goal for life at school not related to any particular subject.

Predisposing factors like a positive attitude towards the program and the activities taking place at school turned out to be of utmost importance for teachers participation in the project. However, to some teachers positive predisposing factors did not alone encourage participation in the work at school. A supportive environment therefore also seems to be quite essential in order to involve the majority of teachers in ENHPS. The study further pointed at the importance of including teachers in training in order to increase the number of teachers actively taking part in the network.

Even if teachers' role in ENHPS was of primary concern for this thesis, it is assumed that the results of the study may also ease the implementation of other health promoting programs in school.

Internet Explorer 5.0 or later version gives the optimal visual effect of this website.