Hygeia Public Health 2010, 45(2): 206-212pl

Opinions of physical education teachers regarding a proposal of appointing them main health educators at schools

Hanna Wiśniewska-Śliwińska, Jerzy T. Marcinkowski, Sławomir A. Wiśniewski

Zakład Higieny Katedry Medycyny Społecznej Uniwersytetu Medycznego im. Karola Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu

Summary
Background. A completely new education development for health education, as proposed by the Ministry of National Education (MEN), is to place the module "health education" in the core curriculum of physical education. Therefore, it is understood that abandoning implementation of health education in the so-called legacy "Interdisciplinary pathway" raises many questions and concerns among physical education teachers.
Aims. Study of physical education teachers opinions about: 1. a new core curriculum, 2. the possibility of closing gaps: the support of the directorate of schools, available facilities, the cooperation between teachers, 3. changing the concept of educating future teachers of physical education and retraining practicing teachers.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted in March-April 2010 and covered 151 physical education teachers working in different types of schools in the Silesia Voivodeship. The method of diagnostic survey was used, using an anonymous questionnaire survey consisting of 20 questions.
Results. The following relationships were found: 1. teachers who have a fairly low rate of their preparation to teach about health issues go for short-form training courses, sometimes even in the workplace, 2. the larger group of students, the less the teaching methods are used by the teacher during the classes, 3. the longer the teacher´s seniority, the shorter form of further education/training he takes into account; 4. the older the teacher, the more rarely he takes into account newer methods of teaching and keeping records of activities; 5. teachers do not have permission to perform an emergency instructor course.
Summary and conclusions. We urgently need to adapt the programs carried out by universities that educate future teachers of physical education to the tasks arising from the new core curriculum. It is advisable to provide teachers with ways to complete the course or training in rescue.

Key words:  health education, physical education (PE), physical education teacher