Introduction

In 2020, the Norwegian curriculum was renewed and introduced a new cross-curricular theme ‘Public Health and Life Skills’ (PHLS) into schools. We have in this project focused on the potential of cross-professional cooperation when teaching PHLS in school. Specifically, we have studied how teacher students and public health nurse students discuss what they consider to be the most important sources of health information in their lives and their reflections on the different sources' trustworthiness.  

The research questions asked is: Which sources of health information are considered central and valid by teacher students and public health nurse students? And which understandings of health are expressed by the students?

There are limited knowledge on the potential of cross-professional teaching of health and well-being in the Norwegian context. However, international research show that the introduction of similar subjects/topics in schools has resulted in an increased collaboration with external health organizations (Kirk, 2020; O'Higgins et al., 2007). In the Norwegian context, the school health service is a central actor with a purpose to facilitate for a good social milieu in schools and should contribute to students' health, preventing illness and injuries (Helsedirektoratet, 2021).

Research shows that school nurses play an important role in school, particulalry when working with students in vulnarable situations (Federici et al., 2021; Kvarme, 2017), and the importance of cross-professional collaboration is emphasized as important. At the same time, research shows that there can be challenges in cross-professional collaboration for teachers and school nurses partly because of the professions' different understandings of knowledge and different epistemologies. While the teacher profession seems to value personal knowledge and experience as most important, the nurse profession emphasize scientific knowledge (Bråten & Strømsø, 2005; Karseth & Nerland, 2007; Nerland & Karseth, 2015).

Previous research on the two professions understandings of health is therefore of interest to this project. Health is a complex concept, and studies show that teachers and school nurses understanding of health has consequences for their work. A pathogene understanding of health seem to dominate the professions practices, despite recent research emphasizinng salutogene and critical perspectives on health as more conducive approaches in schools (Mong & Standal, 2019; Quennerstedt, 2019; Samdal, 2021).

Method This paper is part of a larger study that follows teacher students over four semesters at campus and during school practicum. The findings presented here are based on two different data sources. First, the students were asked to draw a map of places where they learn about health. Secondly, these maps were discussed in cross-professional groups (teacher students and public health nurse students). The group discussions were guided by questions developed by the researchers. We chose to used visual methods (drawings) as a tool to facilitate cross-professional discussions about health. By drawing the maps, the students become central in the research process by producing their own visual data that can 'speak on their behalf' (Azzarito & Kirk, 2013). Visual methods are often highlighted as particular useful when discussion sensitive topics with young people because pictures/drawings can help young people communicate thoughts, feelings and ideas that can be difficult to put into words (Katzew & Azzarito, 2013). The data material consists of 51 drawings of health maps and voice recording of 8 group discussions. The interviews have been coded inductively, and the researchers have developed thematic codes together (Bryman, 2016). The data material has been further analyzed through previous research on the two professions, their understanding of health and knowledge. The researchers have worked together and discussed strategies and experiences from the data collection process and analysis throughout the whole study. In this way, we have strengthened the study's trustworthiness through research triangulation (Twining et al., 2017).

Results/discussion The study shows that there are both similarities and differences between the groups concerning what they consider to be important and trustworthy sources of health information. The students agree that health information they receive from education institutions and official webpages like the Institute of Public Health are credible. In addition, the students emphasize the advantage of being able to search information about sensitive topics anonymously online. Both groups of students emphasize the importance of research-based knowledge, but in contrast to the public health nurse students, the teacher students argued that knowledge that is not research based can also be useful sources for health information, and emphasized that influencers on social media has become important sources of health information. This reflects a difference between the professions where teachers emphasize personal reflective knowledge above research-based knowledge. The study does also show that the public health nurses give weight to a holistic understanding of health, while teacher students emphasize physical health, exercising and nutrition when drawing health maps and discussing them. We argue that a cross-professional cooperation in PHLS will be useful because a critical societal perspective on health is a central part of the public health nurse education. This perspective emphasize that pupils’ health depends on social, cultural, and political factors. The perspective can counteract a dominating healthism ideology that communicate that youth are responsible for their own health, and that good health is easy to attain through individual effort, discipline and moral.

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