The Progression in Children’s Ideas Regarding a Healthy Lifestyle – A Constructivist Perspective
Healthy Lifestyle and Children’s Ideas Dissertation – Evidence proves that progression in children’s ideas regarding a healthy lifestyle can only be produced through learning. Other methods have also been scrutinized namely strategies for policy development, changes in school organisation and management which are not as effective as learning. However, learning must be ‘constructive’ and build upon children’s previous experiences and existing ideas, it must also ‘actively engage’ the child to allow progression across the ZPD
. Parents, more capable peers and especially teacher’s can ‘scaffold’ knowledge across the ZPD and also encourage ‘meta-cognition’ through questioning and discussions to develop learning strategies within the child. Although the government has aimed to promote health education for economic reasons, through the health promoting school, there is little evidence from my school and other studies, which show no progression in children’s health ideas in the previous 20 years. Progression can only occur if all the ‘cultural influences’, which promote progression in health ideas, are considered in policies.
These range from the whole school community (peers, teachers, the school board), to the local community (health projects), the media and the government (through policy and curriculum development). Teachers are the key health knowledge facilitators because of additional priorities and pressures, namely from the national curriculum, the school and parents, they have been coerced to push health education into the corners of the curriculum.
For teachers to promote health education, cross-curricular approaches and health education assessments are required. In addition government incentives such as increased funding when certain polices are implemented will encourage policy uptake. ‘Active schools’ must get involved and state the teacher’s views on policy development and implementation. Health progression in children’s ideas will take place once all these major influences are addressed.
- 10,000 words – 44 pages in length
- Excellent use of literature
- Well written throughout
- Good in depth analysis
- Ideal for teaching and education students
1. Introduction
The current public perceptions of health education and the Socio-Cultural influences on the Health Promoting School
2. Literature Review
Government policies
A historical perspective of Health Education policies
Health education policy’s implemented through schools and the national curriculum
Other government initiatives to promote school health education
Impact of government policies and organisational change to implement the health promoting school concept
Concluding statements
A brief his history of constructivism and how constructivist learning can promote health education
Teaching methods to promote constructivism and meta-cognitive skills in the classroom
Effective learning models ‘actively’ engage pupils in their learning
The individual picture
Type of learning required for progression in health ideas
Peer education
Evaluation of relevant theories to promote health learning; the creative arts and targeting and tailoring
The Creative Arts
Targeting and tailoring
Health education matched to the characteristics of the learner
An evaluation of other methods for finding children’s preferred learning styles
Teaching approaches to build and promote children’s learning in health education
Characteristics of the teacher and the ‘core issues’
3. Methodology and Data Collection
4. Results and Discussions
Diary results and patterns
Diary activity levels
The major concerns arising from the diaries
Healthy or unhealthy lifestyle patterns from pupil interviews
The ‘main’ findings
Additional anecdotal conversations and observations
Teacher constraints to teach health education; statements and observations
The ideal health education lesson
5. Conclusions and Implications
Bibliography
Appendix
