Presentation master thesis – 7th Nordic Health Promotion Research Conference

Vestfold University College

Health Promotion Learning Environment -

A student’s perspective

How can the learning environment contribute to students’ sense of coping?

Marit Andersen

PPT (pedagogical and psychological counselling service), Horten municipality e-mail: maritand@gmail.com

Co-author: Grete Eide Rønningen, Associated professor, Vestfold University Cogllege

Background

• All students are entitled to a good physical and psychosocial environment conducive to health, well-being and learning. • The Education Act of 17th July 1998, Chapter 9a

• School is an important setting for health promotion• It is a natural setting where the young people spend the majority of their

time • Important for their academic, social and personal development

Purpose

• To increase the knowledge of what students themselves highlights as important for their sense of coherence and coping at school

• To increase the knowledge of how schools can facilitate an learning environment that promotes a sense of coherence and a framework that promotes good health

Theoretical framework• The Salutogenic approach

• Antonovskys theory – sense of coherence (SOC)• Comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness

• Coping• Contextual, social and emotional factors

• Social support• The quality of the relationship

• Participation• Provides the basis of the meaningfulness component

Methodology• Qualitative method

• Five focus groups• 31 students of in the age 11-12 years – collected from one school

with a population of 66 students in grade 7

Focus group Class Boys Girls Absence

Focus gr. 1 X 5 2 0

Focus gr. 2 Y 4 2 0

Focus gr. 3 Y 3 3 0

Focus gr. 4 Z 3 2 2

Focus gr. 5 Z 5 2 0

Compre-

hensible

ManageableMeaningful

Participation

Connectedness

to school

Support

Participation

Coping

Empirical data

Empirical data - Categories

‘

Connectedness – Support - Participation

They wanted to amount to something in life

Experience school as meaningful

Participation

Support

Connectedness

Conclusion

Coping

SOC

Engagement

Motivation

Meaningfulness

Health promoting learning Environment

Relationships

Thank you!