School health promotion (SHP) to develop a safe learning environment for students and school staff has gained increased attention among researchers (e.g., Leahy & Simovska, 2017). The most effective approach to reach these goals is a holistic intervention strategy in the sense of a whole-school approach that capitalizes on schools’ organizational potential to foster the physical, social–emotional, and psychological conditions for health, as well as for positive educational outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) proposed this holistic approach as a best practice for SHP, and it has proven to be more effective than isolated topic and target group-specific temporary activities in the school setting. Health promoting schools (HPS) implement measures at different levels of the school (i.e., teaching, the organization, the staff, and the school environment) and involve all relevant groups inside and outside the school (e.g., teachers, principals, and students), as well as parents and school-related stakeholders (Gugglberger, 2021). The proposed symposium aims to better understand how governance mechanisms and contextual factors enable or impede the implementation of SHP in three national contexts.

Different cultural and social contexts, as well as governance structures and processes and school leadership, affect the design and implementation of HPS (Barry et al., 2017). There has been limited research on the influence of these factors on promoting health in schools (Dadaczynski et al. 2015). In countries that have implemented approaches that build on the HPS framework (e.g., Canada), studies have found positive effects and contributed knowledge about contextual factors at various levels (authorities, communities, and schools) that influence the implementation process (McIsaac et al., 2012). In addition, principals play a significant role in determining whether a school will become a healthy organization and remain so (Rowling & Samdal, 2011). In all phases of school health development, principals are responsible for building and maintaining motivation (e.g., through vision building), supporting school staff to develop the skills needed for successful change, coordinating processes and activities, and encouraging staff to maintain new practices and activities (Skott, 2021).

To realize the full potential of SHP, greater attention is needed for how to embed it within the diverse contexts of schools and educational systems across countries (Barry et al., 2017). More international research and increased exchange between scholars in different country contexts are needed to better understand the influence of contextual factors on SHP. This need is all the more acute against the backdrop of a global health crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, as schools must take the lead in promoting healthy physical, social, and emotional habits among their students, staff, and local communities.

The symposium includes papers based on the international “COVID-19 health literacy school principals survey” (Dadaczynski et al., 2021) and the comparative study “School health promotion in context” (Skedsmo, 2021). The empirical work reported presents four different country perspectives: Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Switzerland, Poland and Italy. The four countries differ according to health promotion experience in schools, and the presenters have backgrounds in health psychology, school leadership research, and public health. The presentations and the discussant’s comments will facilitate engaging discussions about approaches and challenges across country contexts that are highly relevant to a wider audience.

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