Jeanette Magne Jensen

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Indicators of Health Promoting School

• Nordic Health Promotion Research Conference,
• June 2006
• Research Program of Environmental and
• Health Education
• The Danish University of Education

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Indicators of participation as a key dimension
of Health Promoting SchoolHPS need of
education (process) indicators as well as
health indicators
Presentation
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First Resolution of ENHPS

• Young peoples empowerment, linked to their
  visions and ideas, enables them to influence
  their living conditions. This is achieved through
  quality educational policies and practices, which
  provide opportunities for participation in
  critical decision making.
• (World Health Organization, 1997)

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Why participation?

• Quotations from interviews with pupils
• When you participate and are able to decide how
  to work in class, you have to think in another
  way, than when the teachers tell you what to do.
  You have to use your brain more and this is much
  more fun than listening to the teacher. Boy, 6th
  grade
• It is okay that the teachers decide that we
  shall work with health, but we should decide for
  ourselves which health topics we want to work
  with. This makes schoolwork much more pleasant
  and interesting. It is a very nice feeling when
  you are able to express how you think and feel,
  instead of just listening to the teacher. And in
  a way you learn more from deciding yourself
  because you feel more responsible to the work.
  Girl, 5th grade

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Participation - a complex issue

• Indicators
• Initiatives (taking action)
• Influence (partaking)
• Commitment (motivation)

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Pupils initiatives

• Indicators - examples
• suggest to alter/changes subject of teaching
• suggest to alter way of working in class
• advocate for changes of conditions in
  class/school
• approach other people (ex. interviews)
• propose new ways of learning/teaching
• ..
• ..

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Pupils influence

• Indicators - examples
• decide/choose the subject of health to work with
• influence different aspects of a given topic
• decide/choose how to work with health
• decide/choose with whom, where and when to work
• take part in reflections and discussions in class
  
• express personal opinion and experiences in class
• ..
• ..

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Pupils commitment

• Indicators examples
• use after school-hours to project work
• strong sense of motivation
• tell family/friends about project
• remember the work/project
• ..
• ..

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Process indicatorsWhy?

• Values of HPS basic conceptions
• Educational aim - investment in education
• Equal access to educational opportunities
• Democracy and participation
• Empowerment and action competence
• Curriculum methods of teaching/learning

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Participation as a process indicator in - HPS
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Thank you!