Off-campus WSU users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your WSU access ID and password, then click the "Off-campus Download" button below.

Non-WSU users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.

Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2022

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Health Education

First Advisor

Rachael Dombrowski

Second Advisor

Mariane Fahlman

Abstract

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF HEALTH EDUCATION TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS ON THE PERCEIVED PREPAREDNESSAND EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATORS

By

JAMES PHILIP ALETA MALLAREOctober 2022 Advisors: Dr. Rachael Dombrowski & Dr. Mariane Fahlman Major: Kinesiology (Community Health) Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study describes the current landscape of school health professional preparation programs at institutions of higher education and the perceived preparedness of preservice teacher candidates (PSTC) and early career school health educators (EC-SHEDs) to teach health. This study also explores the perceived success of higher education faculty in their ability to prepare their teacher candidates. This study took place virtually with preservice school health teacher candidates and faculty at their respective institutions and with early career school health teachers at their place of employment. This study aimed to identify and describe best practices in pre-service school health education programs that promote teacher effectiveness in K-12 classrooms from the perspective of early career school health educators and higher education faculty. This was accomplished through an exploration of professional preparation curriculum, state policies regarding credentialing, a faculty survey (n=9) and one-on-one interviews (faculty n=8, PSTC n=5, EC-SHED n=10) with all study participants. The perceived preparedness of faculty to prepare their PSTCs were explored through a short survey and one-on-one interview. The perceived preparedness of PSTCs and EC-SHEDs was assessed through one-on-one interviews only. Findings from this study provide a contemporary report on the status of school health education professional preparation programs through the various factors examined in the data. Participant narratives and survey responses from faculty coupled with the document review of curricula indicated that PSTC and EC-SHED experiences in school health educator training programs are varied and often were reflected in a lack of confidence to teach health education in K-12 settings. Faculty indicated a myriad of challenges and lack of support from their institution when working toward action steps to improve quality and promote the sustainability of their program. Gathering the experiences of PSTCs and EC-SHEDs through the qualitative inquiry methods of this study, has allowed for a unique understanding of the impact of current laws, regulations and institutional practices and how they influence their perceived preparedness to teach health. Both positive and negative narratives found in this study have the ability to invoke professional preparation curricula reform which may improve the delivery of school health education in K-12 settings.

Download
Off-campus Download

Share

COinS