Abstract: The school system plays a crucial role in students’ health and wellbeing. Schools are the fundamental institutions in preparing young people for their roles as healthy productive adults. Teachers play an important role since they interact with young people on a daily basis and have to identify and address issues concerning students’ lives. Health education programs (HEPs) are being implemented in Greece in secondary education aiming to facilitate these needs. HEPs are based on students’ actual needs with the use of experiential teaching techniques. However, their effectiveness can be doubted as to whether their purpose is being achieved. This qualitative research study was conducted with the use of 31 semi-structured teacher interviews who implemented such programs in secondary education in the province of Western Greece. The questions guiding this study were in relation to the reason teachers choose to implement HEP, their perceptions of HEP and their recommendations for future improvements. Based on the results of this study, teachers claim to participate for reasons revolving around their own personal needs and not those of the students, as expected in accordance to Greek legislation and the principles of experiential learning, which are the fundamental bases for the effectiveness of such programs. Teachers involved with HEP mentioned they gain personal development, effective communication with their students as well as observe students improved behavior and communication. Lastly, they suggested additional teachers’ training in experiential learning as well as health issues as to feel confident and competent in their role.
Keywords: Health education programs, teacher’s perception of HEP, health promotion in schools, qualitative research.
Title: Teachers’ perceptions of Health Education Programs: A Greek Qualitative study
Author: Maria Frounta, Eleni Michalopoulos, Antigone Michalopoulos
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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