Health Knowledge and Health Teaching Self-Efficacy Among Preservice Elementary School Teachers

Abstract

Although implementation of health curriculum in elementary schools is generally the responsibility of classroom teachers, many elementary school teachers have had little to no health education training. This lack of training is significant because components of teacher preparation, such as teaching self-efficacy and curriculum content knowledge, have been linked with student educational outcomes and time spent implementing curriculum. This study examined the health knowledge and health teaching self-efficacy of preservice elementary school teachers who did not major in health science (non-health education majors), by comparing them to preservice elementary school teachers who did major in health, along with professional majors in the School and Community Health Education and Promotion Program (health education majors), at the State University of New York College at Brockport. This study also examined the relationship between health knowledge and health teaching self-efficacy. Statistically significant differences were identified between health education majors and non-health education majors with respect to health content knowledge test scores and two major constructs of health teaching self-efficacy: efficacy expectations and outcome expectations. The non-health education majors scored lower on the health content knowledge test, they were less confident in their ability to teach health lessons (efficacy expectations), and they were less likely to believe that, even if they did a good job teaching health, it would positively affect their students' health (outcome expectations). A statistically significant positive correlation between health content knowledge and efficacy expectations was found; however, there was no statistically significant correlation between health content knowledge and outcome expectations.