Louise Rowling and Oddrun Samdal
Achieving organisational learning and greater specificity for implementation action for health‐promoting schools requires detailed understanding of the necessary components. They…
Abstract
Purpose
Achieving organisational learning and greater specificity for implementation action for health‐promoting schools requires detailed understanding of the necessary components. They include: preparing and planning for school development, policy and institutional anchoring, professional development and learning, leadership and management practices, relational and organisational context, student participation, partnerships and networking, and sustainability. This paper seeks to elaborate a theoretically based rationale for how these eight components of implementation that needs to be put into action.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on the narrative synthesis in the complementary paper (“Theoretical base for implementation components of health‐promoting schools”, this issue), examples drawn from empirical research and evaluation reports in the field of health‐promoting schools are used to operationalise the function of the components.
Findings
This elaboration anchors specific implementation actions within their own theoretical and empirical base, a significant advance on previous guidelines. The eight components have been articulated separately. However, in practice they operate interdependently. Context and culture issues also need to be accommodated.
Practical implications
The level of specificity provided in this paper has the potential to enhance school staff professional learning, as it fulfils one of the characteristics for successful school‐based education, namely practical, detailed implementation and enough flexibility, allowing shaping to suit specific contexts.
Originality/value
The identification of this knowledge base should enable practitioners to develop an in‐depth understanding of the operational functioning of existing guidelines, thereby enhancing their practice. The specificity provided holds promise to enhance the science base and quality of implementation.
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Louise Rowling and Vicki Jeffreys
Schools are recognised as key settings for health promotion. This has resulted in resources being allocated specifically for the development of Health Promoting Schools. If the…
Abstract
Schools are recognised as key settings for health promotion. This has resulted in resources being allocated specifically for the development of Health Promoting Schools. If the existing level of resourcing is to continue, mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of Health Promoting Schools need to be designed that are appropriate for the concept. Currently, there is an emphasis on evidence‐based practice, but the difficulty lies in determining what is acceptable as evidence in the context of Health Promoting Schools, and what are the most appropriate methods for collecting this evidence. The disease‐prevention approach, with its emphasis on controlled trials and discrete outcomes is not appropriate. New models must be developed that reflect the multi‐variant and dynamic nature of the processes involved. Outlines principles that could guide this work and includes consideration of the some key health‐promotion principles, including equity, consultation, collaboration, ownership and sustainability, linking these with some newer concepts, such as capacity building and social capital, which are proving useful in the development, monitoring and evaluation of Health Promoting Schools.
The purpose of this paper is to highlight new and existing research on school characteristics that are essential elements in building the capacity of school communities to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight new and existing research on school characteristics that are essential elements in building the capacity of school communities to implement whole school approaches to mental health promotion.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an overview of recent research and writing the need for a paradigmatic shift is identified so that educational research and school processes as well as mental health outcomes are utilized as the starting point for school mental health promotion.
Findings
Much of the current advocated practice for improved mental health outcomes arises from evidence from health sector interventions, evidence that may not match the breadth and complexity of conditions in schools that need to be considered to bring about change. The practice may also ignore school processes and structures and the research that delineates how these operate. The results of research in Australia identify two key educational areas, leadership and professional learning that require an increased focus in school mental health promotion. These have emerged from a decade of experience in the implementation and evaluation of MindMatters.
Practical implications
Health and educational personnel need to target these areas for particular development to ensure strong supports are created for sustainable local school action.
Originality/value
The paper focuses on school leadership and teacher efficacy – areas that have relevance for whole school mental health and wellbeing.
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Nastaran Keshavarz Mohammadi, Louise Rowling and Don Nutbeam
The purpose of this study is to explore educational perspectives towards the concept of health promoting schools and its potential benefits for schools in more depth.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore educational perspectives towards the concept of health promoting schools and its potential benefits for schools in more depth.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents the results of a qualitative study based on interviews with school staff including principals, and teachers with responsibility for health promotion from 18 primary schools in Sydney, Australia, examining their understanding of the health promoting schools concept, and their perceptions of its advantages for schools.
Findings
The study documents the variety of school staff perceptions. Further examination of the data led to the emergence of four broad categories to accommodate diverse perceptions on health promoting schools. The findings point to several challenges that need to be addressed by advocates of the health promoting schools concept, most notably developing a shared understanding between health and education sectors of the practical elements and potential benefits.
Practical implications
Sustaining school health interventions, including health promoting schools programs and maintaining their positive outcomes, is likely to be more achievable in circumstances where schools can identify benefits that fit with their core business of education, and their local needs and priorities.
Originality/value
This study adds depth to the understanding of the diversity in educational perspectives regarding the meaning and benefits of health promoting schools. This study also revealed an understanding among school leaders that there is scope for realizing both health and educational outcomes from school health promotion programs.
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Oddrun Samdal and Louise Rowling
Efforts to create a scientific base for the health‐promoting school approach have so far not articulated a clear “Science of Delivery”. There is thus a need for systematic…
Abstract
Purpose
Efforts to create a scientific base for the health‐promoting school approach have so far not articulated a clear “Science of Delivery”. There is thus a need for systematic identification of clearly operationalised implementation components. To address a next step in the refinement of the health‐promoting schools' work, this paper sets out to delineate implementation components of health‐promoting schools and to identify their mechanisms.
Design/methodology/approach
The implementation components were identified through a narrative synthesis of documents describing implementation of health‐promoting school approaches. Studies were included if they were published between 1995 and June 2010 and could be identified in publicly accessible peer‐reviewed articles and grey literature, published in English. Eight sources were extracted, representing reports from all continents with the exception of Africa.
Findings
Eight components were identified: preparing and planning for school development; policy and institutional anchoring; professional development and learning; leadership and management practices; relational and organisational support context; student participation; partnerships and networking; and sustainability.
Practical implications
The components provide a practical tool/guide for schools to use in the implementation of health‐promoting schools. In a parallel paper theoretically and empirically based practice guidelines for the actual implementation of the components are articulated (“Filling the black box of implementation for health‐promoting schools”, this issue).
Originality/value
The identification of specified theory‐driven implementation components for health‐promoting schools aims will help practitioners to understand the function of each component, so they can execute them with fidelity and thus contribute to rigorous implementation of the health‐promoting school initiative.
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Outlines the history and objectives of the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (INTERCAMHS), a network of agencies and individuals that…
Abstract
Outlines the history and objectives of the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (INTERCAMHS), a network of agencies and individuals that addresses mental health issues in schools. The Alliance promotes the international exchange of ideas and experience, and acts as a meeting place for a wide range of educationalists, mental health and other professionals interested in mental health.
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Louise Larkinson and Nick Rowe
In the summer of 2002, users of mental health services came together, told their own stories and watched as these were acted out by others in the group. They were learning the art…