What's Health Got to Do With It? Assessing Student Competency

Objectives°XParticipants will: „X Compare and contrast pre-service teacher knowledge about health education content „X Assess student-perceived skill sets relative to health education delivery „X Analyze student understanding of resource guidelines underpinning of health education

Elementary teachers are often required to teach multiple subjects, including health though some may not receive the same depth of knowledge as those specializing in health education. Given current health trends such as childhood obesity, physical inactivity, bullying, early initiation of drug use and sexual activity, etc. , it is important to ensure the quality of health education begins at an early age. Given the general complexity of health issues and the student inexperience integrating health topics with other content areas, it is conceivable that pre-service educators may have limited knowledge and skills relative to health education. This may hinder effective delivery of health instruction in the classroom environs. A 25 item pre-post survey instrument assessing knowledge, attitudes, and skills relative to health education was developed and administered to students in an introductory elementary school health methods and content course. Students who will be teaching multiple subjects to grades PK-5 are required to take this one semester (two credit) course. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired T-tests. Analysis and dissemination of this data may help post-secondary faculty who teach pre-service educators to better meet the needs of students for whom health may not be their primary teaching area.