Early Childhood Teachers´ Perceptions of Their Preparation and Competence to Teach Health Education: Preliminary Results with a Portuguese Sample

Author(s):

Glicéria GilJosé Alves Diniz

Conference:

ECER 2009

Network:

21. Emerging Researchers' Group (for presentation at Emerging Researchers' Conference)

Format:

Poster

Session Information

PRE_POSTER, Poster Session and Coffee Break

Time:

2009-09-25

10:30-11:00

Room:

Otkogon

Chair:

Gjert Langfeldt

Contribution

Although several studies have confirmed the importance of Health Education (HE) for a child’s healthy lifestyle (Syson-Nibbs, 2005; Currie et al, 2004; Weinstein & Rosen, 2003), research on the factors that enhance early childhood (EC) teachers´ perceptions of their HE practices is scarce. The present research adds to the knowledge on this subject by investigating it from a specific angle, which delineates the teachers´ perceptions of their HE and training, children health needs, HE planning and comfort level teaching HE. Results of a pilot study (see Gil & Diniz, in press, 2007, 2008) – based on exploratory and descriptive analysis – indicated a tendency for teachers to feel more confident and competent teaching physical health issues (except diseases prevention) rather than emotional and social health topics. Also, the majority of respondents reported that they are not well prepared, by college training, to teach HE and this seems to impact their competence. However, other studies show that many in-service teachers who received sufficient pre-service HE training continues to maintain a conservative attitude or narrow focus with regard to their health instruction (Maney et al, 2000). If our ongoing study should confirm some of these controversial results (such as the training received having no correspondence with HE positive attitude), we can hypothesize the need for a review of teacher college curricula, as other Portuguese study suggests too (Fonseca et al, 2006). This review should guarantee that the curricula encompasses the myriad of factors that empower the teachers with high knowledge and self confidence about children’s emotional, physical and social development, and focus on HE topics in which teachers may feel uncomfortable and less prepared. On this study we are using teachers´ thoughts and self-efficacy beliefs framework (Clark & Peterson, 1986; Bandura, 1986; Pajares, 2003) in order to identify some of the underlying contradictions/constraints that product discrepancies between what teachers think about HE and their practices in this area. In doing so, we may be more effective at finding ways to encourage HE in EC and develop innovations within EC teacher education and training. Indeed, teachers´ self-efficacy beliefs seem to be a good indicator of teacher classroom decisions as such beliefs have the possibility of impacting the quality of teaching (Lumpe et al, 2000). Note: This study has been funded by the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/ BD/ 29960/ 2006).

Method

Our literature review failed to locate an appropriate instrument to analyse EC teachers´ perceptions about HE and related factors that may contribute to good practices in this field. Thus, we developed an instrument to analyse teacher’s thoughts and perceptions regarding HE, and the pilot study done concluded that the questionnaire measured responses of EC teachers with an acceptable level of reliability and validity. So, in this paper we will present the data that we are collecting by now, through the questionnaire, which is delivered in an on-line format to Portuguese public EC teachers universe (n= 9793). We expect to receive the answers of a sample that can be representative of this universe. We estimate the needed sample using a 3 confidence level and a sample size calculator (http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm). From May 2009, the researchers will, hopefully, engage analysing some preliminary results that will be presented in this congress.

Expected Outcomes

As this research is still in process, this paper will focus on a descriptive analysis of the findings regarding HE teachers´ perceptions. We hope to demonstrate how EC teachers perceive their HE and preparation and theirs beliefs about the factors influencing their competence and performance in HE issues. We expect to confirm some of the pilot findings that let us know that HE and training probably has not prepared the teachers to face the challenges that globalization brings to our society, regarding concepts like health, disease and healthy life style. Although teachers think that HE is important for children’s development and learning, it seems they don’t know how to teach some topics and find adequate strategies for a specific children, specific kindergarten or community. The assumption that the teachers´ academic preparation might leave them lacking in pedagogical skills was supported by Hill (2000) and Maney et al (2000) studies.

References

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Clark, C. M., & Peterson, P. L. (1986). Teachers' thought processes. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching. London: MacMillan Publishing Company. Cap. 9, 255-296. Currie, C., Roberts, C., Morgan, A., Smith, R., Settertobulte, W., Samdal, O., & Rasmussen, V. (2004).Young people´s health in context. Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) study: international report from the 2001/02 survey. Copenhagen, Who Regional Office for Europe (Who Policy Series: Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, 4; http://www.euro.who.int/Document/e82923.pdf, retrieved 27 March 2008). Fonseca, A., Tavares A., Pinto G., Almeida H., Rocha, R. & Pereira, A.M.S (2006). A educação para a Saúde na formação dos educadores de infância- análise dos currículos. [Health education in early childhood teachers’ education: curriculum analysis] CEI-Cadernos de Educação de Infância, 78, 28-29. Gil, G. & Diniz, J.A (in press). A Educação para a Saúde na Educação de Infância: Dados Preliminares sobre a Formação Inicial e Contínua [Health Education in Early Childhood Education: Preliminary results in Teacher Education and Training]. In Proccedings of the 2nd International Congress of CIDInE: News Contexts of Teacher Education, Research and mediation: Vila Nova de Gaia: Ispgaya. Gil, G. & Diniz, J.A (in press). Preschool Teacher Sense of Self-Efficacy in Health Education: Preliminary Results. e-book Educating the Global Citizen. Lisboa: Universidade Lusófona. Gil, G. & Diniz, J.A (2008). As Percepções dos Educadores de Infância Face às suas Práticas de Educação para a Saúde: Construção e Validação de um Questionário [Early Childhood Teachers´ Perceptions of their Health Education Practices: Survey Development and Validation]. In Proccedings of the 2nd National Congress on Health Education- Educação para a Saúde no Século XXI -Teorias, Modelos e Práticas. Évora: Universidade de Évora, p.400-408. Gil, G. & Diniz, J.A. (2008). Health Promotion in the Early Childhood Education: Pilot Study with a Portuguese Sample. Poster presented in ECER 2008, "From Teaching to Learning". Gothenburg: University of Gothenburg. Gil, G. & Diniz, J.A. (2008). A promoção da saúde na educação de infância: elaboração de um instrumento que privilegia as práticas dos educadores. [Health promotion in early childhood education: development of an instrument focused on the preschool teachers’ practices]. In Proccedings of the 1nd International Conference on Child studies-Possible Childhoods, Real Worlds. Braga: Universidade do Minho. Gil, G. (2007). Desenvolvimento de um questionário de avaliação das práticas de promoção da saúde na educação pré-escolar [Developing a questionnaire to assess health promotion practices in early childhood education]. In Proccedings of the 2nd International Congress on Learning in Childhood Education. P. Pequito, & A. Pinheiro (Orgs.),Quem aprende mais? Reflexões sobre educação de infância. Porto: ESE Paula Frassinetti, 523-534. Hill, C. (2000). A descriptive analysis of south Carolina’s first-year elementary classroom teacher’s perceptions of their competence to teach health education based on the National Health Education Standards.[PhD thesis, University of South Caroline]. Lumpe, A. T., Haney, J. J., & Czerniak, C. M. (2000). Assessing teachers' beliefs about their science teaching context. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(3), 275-292. Maney, D., Monthley, H., & Carner, J. (2000). Preservice Teachers´Attitudes Toward Teaching Health Education . American Journal of Health Studies. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CTG/is_4_16/ai_83076571. Retrieved in 4 November 2008. Myers-Clack, S. & Cristopher, S. (2001). Effectiveness of a health course at influencing preservice teachers´attitudes toward teaching health. Journal of School Health, 71, 9: 462-466. Pajares, M. F. (2003). Self-Efficacy Beliefs, Motivation, and Achievement in Writing: A Review of the Literature, Reading & Writing Quarterly, Vol. 19, 139-158. Syson-Nibbs, L., Peters. J., Saul. C. (2005). Can health visitor intervention change sun safety policies and practice in preschool establishments? A randomised controlled study. Health Education Journal. 64, 129. Weinstein, E., & Rosen, E. (2003). Teaching children about health: A multidisciplinary approach. Englewood, Co: Morton Publishing Company. 2nd Edition.

Author Information

Glicéria Gil

Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon

Educational Sciences

Cruz Quebrada

174

José Alves Diniz

Faculty of Human Kinetics, Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal

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