1. Making school health promotion a participatory learning process!
Aspects of a PhD –study Nanna Wurr Stjernqvist
22nd IUHPE,
25 May 2016,
Curitiba - Brazil

2. Agenda We Act – Together for health Theoretical background
Tools in We Act
Intervention research
Preliminary findings
Discussion and dialogue

3. Challenges
How to promote children’s health and well-being in a setting that is already overburdened?

4. Theoretical background
The Health Promotion School (HPS) approach
Democratic Health Education
IVAC approach
(Investigation – Vision – Action – Change)
Objective
Promote children’s action competence in health and health
Promote healthy settings
Build tools for schools

5. We Act: Tools and materials
Class level
IMOVE - Movement in Math
IEAT - Food and meals in Danish and Science
We Act - Vision workshop in Danish
School level
Teacher workshop
We Act leaflet
Start up meetings with the school management
IVAC in We Act

6. Class level tools Movement in Math Food and meals Vision workshop in
in Danish/Science Danish

7. We Act Intervention Research
My PhD I
Intervention
Research
Outcome 1 (school)
Process
study
Outcome 2 (staff)
Outcome 3 (children)
Mix-method
Quasi-experimental study
4x4
Theory development
Test of tentative hypothesis
TOOLS
OUTCOMES OF THE INTERVENTION RESEARCH

8. Research Question
How do children perceive and negotiate their participation in We Act – Together for health, compared to their everyday school participation and how is this related to the social environment of the classroom?

9. Focus-groups and participatory observation at 2 schools
Methodology
Focus-groups and participatory observation at 2 schools
(Test study – School A) 2 focus groups (4-5 children age 12)
10 Focus groups (4-5 children age 11-12). 4 focus group at school A and 6 focus groups at school B
Participatory observation from February 2016-Juni 2016 (27 days)
SCHOOL A
SCHOOL B

10. Preliminary findings (Test study)
Trusting relationships in the school setting is an important prerequisite to pupils’ perceived participation in health activities ,

11. Implication Future direction on …..Research ….Practice
Survey study on the effect of ‘We Act’ on classroom social capital inspired by Putnam
Focus on the quality of the social environment of the class when working with participatory processes

12. Acknowledgement
Co-authors: Maria Bruselius-Jensen2, Ane Høstgaard Bonde2, Marianne Sabinsky1,
Supervisors: Inge Tetens1 and Bjarne Bruun Jensen2
And to Steno – Diabetes Center A/S and the Danish Technical University for financial support
The participatory children and teachers
1 National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, DK - Søborg and
2 Steno – Health, Promotion Research, Steno Diabetes Center A/S, DK- Gentofte

13. Dialogue with the person next to you
What are the challenges in your home country for school health policy inspired by Goof’s presentation?
What would you consider to be the challenges of integrating democratic health education into the curriculum in your home country inspired by Nanna’s presentation?