Becky J. Smith

Challenges in teacher for school health education and promotion

The health education and promotion profession is facing a series of teacher preparation challenges related to the delivery of quality school health education/promotion programmes. The challenges occurring in the United States are also present in a variety of other regions as the education structure attempts to ensure that students receive a sound preparation in health education and promotion during their school experience. The challenges can be categorised into the following areas: • Quality and quantity of professional preparation for teachers during their preservice university training; • Need for in-service of teachers already in the K-1 2 workforce (in the USA grades K -12 are broadly equivalent to ages five to 17 years); • University faculty workforce professional development needs; • Research to provide baseline data for future standards development. Because there is a direct connection between community and school and parents and teachers at the K-1 2 level of education, the demand for highly skilled teachers and professional development is playing out at that level much more rapidly than at the university level. The relative isolation of some university faculty and programmes has developed an interesting situation in which many administrators and master teachers at the K-12 level of education have a better grasp and understanding of new teaching and learning strategies and tools than professors at the university level. This has happened at the same time when there is also a shortage of university professors entering school health education/promotion teacher education. This confluence of realities may predicate the need for a radical change in university based teacher preparation in health education/promotion. The overwhelming challenge for many countries including the United States remains the large number of teachers in the current workforce who must be provided professional development experiences. Currently both the National Health Education Standards for K-1 students and teacher preparation standards in health education reflect best practice theory only. There is no national data to support the standards. During the next ten years it is imperative that nationwide data be collected, compiled and analysed on actual learning outcomes for both K-12 students and health education teacher candidates. This will allow the next set of standards at both of the above-mentioned levels to reflect the knowledge and skills that have been actually attained and demonstrated. It will also be a basis for creating revisions and expansions in such a way that national standards can be an actual measure by which student performance can be judged. It is hoped that the rising tide of both national and international interest in having an increasingly health literate population will inspire members of the profession to be creative in the development of educational approaches, strategic partnerships, and funding to put strong systems of teacher preparation in place for the future.

The National Health Educator Job Analysis 2010 Process and Outcomes

The National Health Educator Job Analysis 2010 was conducted to update the competencies model for entry- and advanced-level health educators. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Structured interviews, focus groups, and a modified Delphi technique were implemented to engage 59 health educators from diverse work settings and experience levels in a seven-step instrument development process. An online survey was then completed by 1,022 practicing health educators. Survey participants used 4-point ordinal scales to rank subcompetencies by frequency of use and importance and related knowledge items by cognitive levels based on the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Composite scores were calculated and subgroup comparisons conducted to validate 223 subcompetencies at entry (162), advanced-1 (42), and advanced-2 (19) levels of practice, along with 113 knowledge items. Advanced-level versus entry-level competencies and a comparison with the Competency Update Project model of 2006 are discussed. Implications and recommendations for the profession are provided.

Use and Impact of the Competencies for Entry-Level Health Educators on Professional Preparation Programs

Abstract The “Responsibilities and Competencies for Entry-Level Health Educators” (Competencies) document identifies the major responsibilities in which all entry-level health educators are expected to be proficient and serves as the basis of credentialing certified health education specialists (CHES). This study addresses several fundamental questions related to their use: (1) What are the characteristics of the units that have professional preparation programs that prepare entry-level health educators? (2) Are the faculty in those programs familiar with the Competencies? (3) Do the faculty use the Competencies when planning their curricula? (4) What has been the impact of the Competencies? (5) Would the administrators of undergraduate programs using the Competencies agree to inclusion in a voluntary registry of such programs? All departments (N = 214) listed in the most recently published American Association for Health Education Directory of Institutions Offering Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Progr...

Improving Anti-Smoking Education: Profiling the Ex-Smoker

Youth experimentation with smoking is commonplace. Most anti-smoking efforts have focused on studying smokers and/or nonsmokers. Less attention has been directed at a significantly large group-ex-smokers. The purpose of this study is to present a profile of the ex-smoker in comparison to his/her smoking or never smoking counterparts. Knowledge about the ex-smoker group could enhance anti-smoking efforts. Data were collected from 5,393 central Illinois school age youth in grades 7–12. Data were analyzed by grade and sex. A variety of attitudinal, behavioral intention, and behavior questions about smoking were developed. Results clearly indicated that the ex-smoker group has a significantly different profile than youths who reported being a smoker or never smoker. Variables where differences were noted included close friends smoke, mother smokes, father smokes, mother would be upset, father would be upset, no one would be upset, best male friend upset, best female friend upset, and that smoking is a health problem. Differences were also noted with respect to believing that smoking helps people relax, is socially o.k. and whether or not separate areas should be designated for smokers. In most cases the ex-smokers more closely resembled the never smokers than the smokers.

Compensation of Certified Health Education Specialists

Abstract Health education moved toward professionalization with the establishment, in 1988, of the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. Today, there are approximately 8,000 active holders of the CHES credential. This article examines the compensation levels of CHES recipients in relation to their current position, employment setting and academic preparation. All current CHES-credentialed individuals listed in the directory were asked to complete an Internet-based survey about their compensation. A total of 1,377 usable surveys were completed for a response rate of 20%. The mean salary of all respondents was

The relative importance of parental attitudes and behavior upon youth smoking behavior.

49,895. Full time supervisors had the highest mean salary of

Are Health Educators Being Prepared to Provide HIV/AIDS Education? A Survey of Selected Health Education Professional Preparation Programs

56,663. Annual salary was influenced by level of employment (full time, part-time), supervisory role, sex and highest degree earned. A baseline now exists for monitoring compensation of CHES professionals over time. In the future, both CHES and non-CHES individuals should be sought to determine whether certification status influences compensation.