Date of Graduation

1981

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of health education instruction in selected West Virginia public elementary schools. The study was devised to: (1)assess selected elementary school classrooms; (2)survey the teacher of each classroom; (3)ascertain the present existence and status of health knowledge, health behaviors, and awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors of elementary school students. The study was limited to randomly selected fourth and sixth grade students from a total of eighty-five classrooms. A pilot study was undertaken to establish reliability of the student inventory and determine vague or inappropriate items. A comparison was made of each question with relationship to: sex of the student, grade in school (fourth to sixth grade), and whether the student attended a school that served a rural or urban population base. The results of this study indicated: Teacher Data. (1)Health education instruction existed in the majority of the classrooms (90%). (2)The majority (62%) of teachers devote over one hour each week to health instruction. (3)The majority (52%) of teachers did not feel adequately prepared to teach health. (4)The majority (73%) of teachers had completed six or less undergraduate credit hours in health. (5)The majority of teachers (88%) had not completed any graduate credit hours in health. (6)The greatest percentage (38%) of teachers had five or less years teaching experience. (7)Over seventy-five percent of the teachers who teach health utilize a textbook. (8)Approximately one-third of the teachers who teach health utilize other instructional materials. (9)Over ninety-seven percent of the teachers stated that health should be taught in their classrooms. (10)Teachers rated a textbook, other instructional materials, and better teacher preparation as the most important factors in teaching health. Student Data. (11)Significant F test differences were found between males and females in the areas of total score, health behaviors, and awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors. (12)Significant F test differences were found between fourth and sixth grade students on total scores, health knowledge, health behaviors, and awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors. (13)Significant F test differences were found between sixth grade rural and urban students in total score, health knowledge, health behaviors, and awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors. (14)No significant F test differences were found between fourth grade rural and urban students in total score, health knowledge, health behaviors, or awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors. Teacher/Student Data. (15)Significant relationships were found to exist between student performance and: (a)the number of graduate credit hours in health education completed by the classroom teacher; (b)the use of a textbook for classroom instruction of health education; (c)the use of other instructional materials to teach health education; (d)whether the classroom teacher felt that health education should be included as part of the curriculum in the classroom. Recommendations of the study indicate: (1)That health instruction be mandated in the elementary schools of West Virginia. (2)That the West Virginia State Department of Education investigate further the significant factors found to exist in teacher variables. (3)That elementary teacher preparation be structured to more fully prepare teachers to teach health education. (4)That further investigation be conducted to establish the relationships between health knowledge, health behaviors, and the awareness of the consequences of health related behaviors of the elementary school age child.

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