A national assessment of colleges and university school health education methods courses.
BACKGROUND
Across the United States, school health education programs provide a wide variety of knowledge and skills to their students. There are currently no guidelines for school health methods courses.


METHODS
Using a 2-wave mailing followed by a third wave e-mail reminder, a final population of 226 university school health methods instructors at school health preparation programs were surveyed.


RESULTS
A total of 138 completed surveys (61%) were returned. The topics taught in school health education methods courses emphasized the most included aligning objectives, instruction, and assessment (79%); development of lesson plans (73%); teaching methods that engage learners (72%); and application of the National Health Education Standards and performance indicators (69%). The content taught and how the instructors assessed their students differed statistically by 1 or more of the following: whether they had a health education degree, had experience teaching in the public schools, and if their program was accredited.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides information regarding what school health methods instructors across the United States are teaching in their classes. Using this information as a baseline can serve as a guide for preservice faculty teaching a school health methods course.
Health and Physical Education, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI. cfisher1@ric.edu.
Christine M
CM
Fisher
James H
JH
Price
Susan K
SK
Telljohann
Joseph A
JA
Dake
D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005178:Faculty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities
health education professional preparation; methods and materials of instruction; research; school health instruction