Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context

In line with international trends, the new Norwegian curricula for education have a stronger focus on life mastery, democracy and sustainability compared with previous requirements. Students are to develop competence that promotes health and responsible decision-making. The current study presents a...

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Main Authors: Migle Helmersen, May Olaug Horverak
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The International Academic Forum 2024-12-01
Series:IAFOR Journal of Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-12-issue-3/article-3/
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author Migle Helmersen
May Olaug Horverak
author_facet Migle Helmersen
May Olaug Horverak
author_sort Migle Helmersen
collection DOAJ
description In line with international trends, the new Norwegian curricula for education have a stronger focus on life mastery, democracy and sustainability compared with previous requirements. Students are to develop competence that promotes health and responsible decision-making. The current study presents a programme implemented in lower secondary school aiming at training social and emotional skills and preparing students to become responsible citizens through engaging their peers in meaningful activities during and after school, as well as coaching younger students. The theoretical framework for the study is Antonovsky’s health promotion theory and salutogenic model, stating that for individuals to develop a sense of coherence in life, situations must be comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. A set of health promoting indicators developed based on research on health promoting measures in kindergartens and schools has served as a framework for the analysis of students’ experiences. The indicator set is divided into four main categories: capacity for action, social and emotional competence, stress management competence and health promotion competence. Interviews examining the students’ experiences of being engaged in this programme show positive results, mostly related to the indicators defined as capacity for action, social and emotional competence, and stress management competence. The study concludes that the students’ experience of facilitating their peers’ well-being by engaging them in activities may be related to health promoting factors, and that the set of indicators presented in this study may serve as a useful framework for planning and evaluating health promoting measures.
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spelling doaj-art-5898b1ad08fe4ec296e2c594aaa0a30f2025-08-20T02:36:03ZengThe International Academic ForumIAFOR Journal of Education2187-05942024-12-01123597710.22492/ije.12.3.03Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational ContextMigle Helmersen0May Olaug Horverak1University of Agder, NorwayNorwegian Research Centre (NORCE), NorwayIn line with international trends, the new Norwegian curricula for education have a stronger focus on life mastery, democracy and sustainability compared with previous requirements. Students are to develop competence that promotes health and responsible decision-making. The current study presents a programme implemented in lower secondary school aiming at training social and emotional skills and preparing students to become responsible citizens through engaging their peers in meaningful activities during and after school, as well as coaching younger students. The theoretical framework for the study is Antonovsky’s health promotion theory and salutogenic model, stating that for individuals to develop a sense of coherence in life, situations must be comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. A set of health promoting indicators developed based on research on health promoting measures in kindergartens and schools has served as a framework for the analysis of students’ experiences. The indicator set is divided into four main categories: capacity for action, social and emotional competence, stress management competence and health promotion competence. Interviews examining the students’ experiences of being engaged in this programme show positive results, mostly related to the indicators defined as capacity for action, social and emotional competence, and stress management competence. The study concludes that the students’ experience of facilitating their peers’ well-being by engaging them in activities may be related to health promoting factors, and that the set of indicators presented in this study may serve as a useful framework for planning and evaluating health promoting measures.https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-12-issue-3/article-3/capacity for actionhealth promotionsalutogenesissocial and emotional competencestress management competenceyouth
spellingShingle Migle Helmersen
May Olaug Horverak
Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
IAFOR Journal of Education
capacity for action
health promotion
salutogenesis
social and emotional competence
stress management competence
youth
title Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
title_full Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
title_fullStr Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
title_full_unstemmed Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
title_short Health Promoting Indicators and Measures in an Educational Context
title_sort health promoting indicators and measures in an educational context
topic capacity for action
health promotion
salutogenesis
social and emotional competence
stress management competence
youth
url https://iafor.org/journal/iafor-journal-of-education/volume-12-issue-3/article-3/
work_keys_str_mv AT miglehelmersen healthpromotingindicatorsandmeasuresinaneducationalcontext
AT mayolaughorverak healthpromotingindicatorsandmeasuresinaneducationalcontext