Abstract
Internationally, there is growing evidence of the inter-relationship between health and education and an association between child health and educational outcomes (Suhrcke & de Paz Nieves, 2011). In Scotland, commitment to addressing educational and health inequalities is reflected in legislation and policy, including the Early Years Framework (Scottish Government, 2008), Getting it Right for Every Child (Scottish Executive, 2006), and Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive, 2004) This paper describes the first independent investigation into the efficacy of MindJump, a commercially produced health and well-being programme. The programme was implemented in two primary schools in one local authority in Scotland. The company director provided initial staff and pupil training and class teachers implemented the programme. For pragmatic reasons, programme delivery was restricted to a few weeks towards the end of the summer term. Evaluation incorporated both process and outcome components. Twenty-one P7 pupils participated in 3 focus groups and two teachers took part in semi-structured interviews to explore their views of the programme. There was evidence from pupils’ and teachers’ accounts of impact on the pupils’ learning and ability to apply this learning in a range of contexts. Pupils were able to articulate ways in which they anticipated applying their learning when they moved to secondary school. Teachers were positive about the training from a personal learning perspective referring to how it had improved their understanding of their pupils and provided new teaching strategies. Programme developments and the role of schools in supporting children’s health and wellbeing will be considered.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | Conference Proceedings of Scottish Educational Research Association Conference 2016 |
Publisher | Scottish Educational Research Association |
Publication status | Published - 23 Nov 2016 |
Event | Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) Annual Conference 2016 - University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom Duration: 23 Nov 2016 → 25 Nov 2016 |
Conference
Conference | Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) Annual Conference 2016 |
---|---|
Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
City | Dundee |
Period | 23/11/16 → 25/11/16 |
Keywords
- health and well-being
- evaluation
- curriculum
- learning