Don Stewart and Jenny McWhirter
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in this special issue and outline the essential features of the resilient school approach, and the child‐focused approach of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in this special issue and outline the essential features of the resilient school approach, and the child‐focused approach of Noreen Wetton in her work in health education on understanding children and young people.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper shows distillation of the key principles used in the two complementary approaches.
Findings
The paper finds that resilience is a life event phenomenon that buffers against circumstances that normally overwhelm a person's coping capacity. It is linked with “coherence”, or the ability to handle stress‐related problems, “connectedness” and the ecological model encompassing a lifespan approach, within key settings that influence the individual's psychosocial development. Preventive population health practices that address the strengthening of human, social and organisational capital may well promise greater success in fostering population health, and particularly resilience, than traditional psycho‐educational strategies. These become increasingly effective as the whole school approach is implemented as young people engage and participate fully in research and decision making – key principles of Noreen Wetton's approach to health promotion.
Practical implications
The paper shows the need to focus on seeking the positive in any educational opportunity, to listen to young people and find out what they believe and feel, and to address health problems through attempting to strengthen people's capacity to cope rather than just shielding them from adversity.
Originality/value
The paper, in showing this is the first time these two strands have been brought together in this way, has a wide value widely across health education and health promotion.
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Fiona Rowe, Donald Stewart and Carla Patterson
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to demonstrate the contribution of whole school approaches embodied by the health‐promoting school approach, to the promotion…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to demonstrate the contribution of whole school approaches embodied by the health‐promoting school approach, to the promotion of school connectedness, defined as the cohesiveness between diverse groups in the school community, including students, families, school staff and the wider community.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross‐disciplinary review of literature was conducted to identify strategies consistent with the health‐promoting school approach and the values and principles that promote school connectedness. The review included peer‐reviewed articles and published books and reports identified from the databases spanning the education, health, social science and science disciplines and used search terms encompassing health and mental health promotion, schools, social connectedness, belonging and attachment. The paper is also a framework of the contribution of the health‐promoting school approach to promoting school connectedness and was developed drawing on health promotion strategies at the broader community level known to foster connectedness.
Findings
The paper found that the framework developed illustrates how the health‐promoting school approach has the potential to build school connectedness through two major mechanisms: inclusive processes that involve the diversity of members that make up a community; the active participation of community members and equal “power” relationships, or equal partnerships among community members; and supportive structures such as school policies, the way the school is organised and its physical environment, that reflect the values of participation, democracy and inclusiveness and/or that promote processes based on these values.
Practical implications
In this paper the detailed mechanisms outlined in the framework provide practical strategies for health promotion practitioners and educators to use in the everyday school setting to promote school connectedness.
Originality/value
This paper draws together substantial bodies of evidence and makes a persuasive case for the contribution of the health‐promoting school approach to building school connectedness.
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The purpose of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the relationship between the “health‐promoting school” (HPS) approach and social capital and tested the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe a study which investigated the relationship between the “health‐promoting school” (HPS) approach and social capital and tested the proposition that the implementation of an HPS intervention leads to a significant improvement in HPS features and social capital.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper a prospective intervention study design was used and involved the comparison of an intervention population group and a comparison population group matched for school size, urban location, school type and socio‐economic status. The paper shows that the intervention group used the holistic HPS approach to promote resilience, whereas the comparison group did not use the HPS approach. In the intervention schools, 262 staff in the pre‐intervention phase, and 288 staff in the post‐intervention phase responded to the survey. In the control schools, 156 staff in the pre‐intervention phase, and 261 in the post‐intervention phase responded. The HPS Scale derived from the Ottawa Charter and the Social Capital Scale derived from the Social Capital Index were used at the school community level.
Findings
The findings of this paper show that there was a statistically significant relationship between HPS indicators and social capital. The evidence indicates that an HPS approach to build social capital is effective.
Practical implications
The results in this paper indicate that social capital embedded in the HPS structure has the capacity to substantially affect relationships that people have with one another and the school psychosocial environment.
Originality/value
This paper provides health educators with resource strategies to promote social capital within the HPS program framework.
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The purpose of the population‐based study in the paper is to report on progress in formulating instruments to measure children's resilience and associated protective factors in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the population‐based study in the paper is to report on progress in formulating instruments to measure children's resilience and associated protective factors in family, primary school and community contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper a total of 2,794 students, 1,558 parents/caregivers, and 465 staff were surveyed in October 2003. A cross‐sectional research method was used for the data collection. Three surveys (student survey, parent/caregiver survey, and staff survey) were developed and modified to measure student resilience and associated protective factors. Exploratory factor analysis with Oblimin rotation and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyse the reliability and validity of the scales of the three surveys.
Findings
The surveys in this paper find good construct validity and internal consistency for the social support scale of parent/caregiver survey, which had been modified from previous studies. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a goodness of fit for the following scales: student resilience scale of the student survey; the school organisation and climate scale and family functioning scale of the parent/caregiver survey; and the health‐promoting school scale and social capital scale of the staff survey.
Practical implications
The paper specifies aspects of the resilience concept within a holistic or socio‐ecological setting. Measures of validity and reliability indicate that these instruments have the sensitivity to elucidate the complexity of both the resilience concept and the intricacy of working within the multi‐layered world of the school environment.
Originality/value
This paper provides health educators and researchers with reliable and valid resilience measures, which can be used as guidelines in implementing evaluation programmes for the health‐promoting school project and the prevention of mental health problems in children.
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Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, Jane Sixsmith, Ellen‐Nora Delaney, Miriam Moore, Jo Inchley and Siobhan O'Higgins
The purpose of this paper is to outline a three‐stage process for engaging with students to develop school level indicators of health; in sequential class groups students first…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline a three‐stage process for engaging with students to develop school level indicators of health; in sequential class groups students first generated, then categorised indicators and finally developed schematic representations of their analyses. There is a political and practical need to develop appropriate indicators for health‐promoting schools. As key stakeholders in education, students have the right to be fully engaged in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample in this paper comprised 164 students aged 16‐17 years in three medium‐sized Dublin schools. In the first classroom, students answered the question “If you moved to a new school, what would it need to have to be a healthy place?” on individual flashcards. In the second classroom students classified the flashcards into groups using a variation of the card game “snap”. In the third classroom, students discussed the relationships between the developed categories and determined how the categories should be presented. These procedures were repeated twice in three schools, resulting in six developed schemata.
Findings
The paper finds that the six sets of categories showed remarkable similarity – physical aspects of the school predominated but emotional and social health issues also emerged as potential indicators. The schema demonstrated the holistic perspectives of students. They illustrate the importance of relationships and the physical and psycho‐social environment within schools.
Originality/value
The paper illustrates that students can productively engage in the process of indicator development and have the potential to act as full stakeholders in health‐promoting schools. The methods enabled student control over the data generation, analysis and presentation phases of the research, and provided a positive, fun experience for both students and researchers.
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The Maine State Library has begun to offer public domain and “user‐supported” software to libraries within the state. A subscription to the PC‐SIG software library on CD‐ROM makes…
Abstract
The Maine State Library has begun to offer public domain and “user‐supported” software to libraries within the state. A subscription to the PC‐SIG software library on CD‐ROM makes it possible to conveniently handle requests for any one of nearly 10,000 program and data files.
Jane Sixsmith, Saoirse Nic Gabhainn, Collette Fleming and Sioban O'Higgins
The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration of parents', teachers' and childrens' perspectives on children's understanding of wellbeing with the aim of illuminating and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an exploration of parents', teachers' and childrens' perspectives on children's understanding of wellbeing with the aim of illuminating and comparing the conceptualisation of wellbeing from these three perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The participatory method developed to undertake the study in this paper stems from the adoption of the “draw and write” technique, with children taking photographs rather than drawing and participating in data analysis. Children aged eight to 12 years took 723 photographs representing wellbeing, while a second set of children grouped the photographs into categories. A third set organised these categories, developing and illustrating through schemata the pattern of relationships between categories. This process was repeated for parent and teacher groups drawing on the photographs taken by the children.
Findings
The findings in this paper show that differences emerged between parents and teachers and children and adults. Parents provided a more detailed conceptualisation than teachers. Children included pets where adults perceived school as being more important in children's wellbeing. The identification of the differing perspectives between children and adults suggests that this approach has enabled children to illuminate their own unique perspective on wellbeing. The paper also demonstrates that children can express complex understandings of abstract concepts.
Originality/value
In the paper the findings reinforce the need to gain children's perspectives rather than relying on adult perceptions of children's perspectives, in order to inform quality service, practice and policy developments.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for resilience education that can be used by teachers in schools. The paper seeks to identify a common language for exploring…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for resilience education that can be used by teachers in schools. The paper seeks to identify a common language for exploring the concept of resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents an overview of the construct of resilience as it appears in the literature. It provides a rationale for resilience education by examining the changing circumstances that impact on the work of educators. It also provides an overview of current Australian programs that promote resilience.
Findings
After an extensive examination of the literature, it is suggested that resilience is discussed in the literature as a state, a condition and a practice. Consequently, a three‐dimensional framework has been developed from this to help teachers understand resilience and to provide practical ways in which they can promote the resilience of their learners.
Practical implications
This conceptual paper suggests that the three‐dimensional framework for resilience has implications for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. The paper highlights the important role of the school in enhancing resilience for children and young people.
Originality/value
The original work of this paper is the presentation of a three‐dimensional framework for resilience: as a state, a condition and a practice. This framework is useful for preservice teacher education programs and for the professional development of practising teachers.
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Video Arts, Britain's leading producer and distributor of training films, has joined forces with the life assurance company Standard Life to produce Pensions: Your Choice. Written…
Abstract
Video Arts, Britain's leading producer and distributor of training films, has joined forces with the life assurance company Standard Life to produce Pensions: Your Choice. Written and directed by Graeme Garden, this is a slick re‐working of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which takes a look at the changes resulting from the new pensions legislation. James Bolam plays Ebenezer Scrooge as a young, middle‐aged and elderly man. Susie Blake is The Ghost of Birthday Present, who offers an objective guide to the options available under the new pensions rulings. The joint venture draws on the respective areas of expertise of the two partners to create an authoritative, balanced and entertaining analysis of the choice available to all employees irrespective of whether or not they are currently in a pension scheme.