The Place of Health Education in the Curriculum

The Place of Health Education in the Curriculum

In public schools, health instruction has been achieved through a variety of organizational patterns. One method is to include facts on health in such content areas as biology, social studies, or home economics. Units of health related to these areas have been included in the regular classroom instruction. However, the most successful method of accomplishing the aims and objectives of health education is that of direct instruction. In this method health instruction is considered a distinct part of the total school curriculum.

At the elementary school level health instruction is organized and conducted by the classroom teacher. In secondary schools it has been traditional to assign the responsibility for health education to physical education teachers. A pattern frequently observed had one man funcioning as teacher for physical and health education classes and coach for athletics. A trend developed to make health education a separate course, taught by a specially trained teacher. About many colleges and universities offer programs to train health education teachers, and the profession is growing. Members of the profession feel strongly that health education should not be considered a part of physical education and that physical education should not be a branch of health education. Some high schools now give a half year to physical education and a half of year to health instruction.

The content of health education courses includes topics such as sleep, rest, nutrition, dental health, grooming, safety, the effects of drugs and tobacco, family life, diseases, and community health. These topics are studies as they relate to the individual, the family, and the community. Instruction focuses upon the mental and social dimensions as well as on the physical dimensions of health. Teaching methods stress providing opportunities for the student to find and use facts in making decisions. The student is assisted to move beyond facts to the processes of generalizing and forming concepts about good health.

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