International Collaboration on Teacher Training

Schools are considered to be settings for both health education and health promotion. However the core business of schools is often more focussed on educational outcomes, rather than reducing health problems. In most countries, schools give low priority to health promotion and school staffs, (mainly teachers), have little awareness of their role in health promotion. Studies show that teachers who have received health promotion training tend to be involved more frequently in health promotion projects and have a more comprehensive approach to health education. Given the challenges posed by the limited priority given by schools to health education and promotion it is little wonder that pre-service and in-service staff education is a significant undertaking.

 

This initiative aims to join international forces to strengthen and advocate for teacher education in health promotion.

 

The main goals of this initiative are to:

  • Identify and share relevant information and resources on health education and health promotion in teacher education
  • Stimulating international partnership work 
  • Advocate for inclusion of health promotion and health education in the training of all teachers
  • Supporting the institutes/colleges/universities in the provision of initial and in-service teacher education
  • Promote international research in the field

 

1- Working group on research

 

The aims of the research program are to:

  • Describe the different international practices in term of teacher education in HE/HP.
  • Identify and map the different models underlying TE in HE/HP.
  • Analyse the determining factors of the activity of teacher educators in HE/HP

 

2- Working group on the organisation of a symposium for the JASP Conference in November 2011 in Montreal

 

The next step is to organise a symposium at the JASP Conference in order to:

  • Bring together and build a global network with wide geographic representation of professionals working in the field of teacher education from diverse backgrounds and affiliations (association, university, school of education, support service, etc.).
  • Take stock of the present state and future developments in this field internationally by Identifying and sharing relevant information and resources on teacher training in health education and health promotion. The symposium will build on the firsts results from an international survey that will conducted prior to the conference.
  • Make link with other networks or task forces which focus on cross-cutting themes like capacity building in health promotion, settings-based health promotion (workplace, prisons, etc.).

 

  • International School Health Network (here)

  • IUHPE- link to school health activities

  • Schools for Health in Europe (here)

  • University Blaise Pascal Clermont-Ferrand, France (here)

  • University of Limerick, Ireland (here)

  • University of Minho, Portugal (here)