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Purpose: Though the benefits of social-emotional competence (SEC) are well-recognized, measuring it and designing appropriately matched interventions remains elusive and methodologically challenging. This paper shares formative research designed to uncover the SEC of one secondary school health teacher's students and to help her make evidence-based curricular and instructional decisions. Design/methodology/approach: Inspired by bibliguidance (or bibliotherapeutic) approaches to well-being, the researchers and teacher developed a fiction literature curriculum intended to foster SEC and health literacy skills. A mixed-method approach was used to gather and analyze data from 133 students and a teacher. A survey and journal entries embedded into the curriculum, and an interview were the sources. Findings: Results indicate the curriculum paired well with national standards for health education and a respected SEC framework; it also served well as a vehicle to reveal students' SEC. Students appeared to be competent in some areas and less in others, and there were differences between self-assessed and expressed competence. Practical implications: Biblioguidance approaches to developing SEC in health education and other school subjects are worth continued investigation. The current results will be used to revise the curriculum and to develop supplemental materials. Originality/value: In sharing the processes and findings, the authors hope teachers seeking to foster their students' SEC will replicate this work. Further, they hope health educators will gain recognition as the ideal professionals to deliver social-emotional learning instruction in schools.

Background: Pedagogical approaches that support young people's well‐being and maximize their potential are among the Journal of School Health research priorities. A unique form of observational learning called biblioguidance could be a pedagogical approach. Methods: We, a team of researchers and teachers, implemented biblioguidance book clubs with 10th‐grade health education students. While the initial focus was health literacy skills, we also aimed to generate psychosocial benefits. Those benefits are the focus of the current descriptive phenomenological research. A final book club reflection captured the benefits students received and documented their transformation. We randomly selected 42 reflections from the sample pool (n = 168) and coded them via descriptive document analysis. Results: The results indicate that the book clubs provided psychosocial benefits. Students identified with the stories and characters, gained insight into others' perspectives, lived experiences, and "ways of the world," and were, in many ways, transformed. Some students even experienced catharsis, citing hope, validation, and feeling less alone. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: Biblioguidance book clubs could offer an innovative pedagogical approach to advance students' psychosocial well‐being and engage them as active participants in their own learning and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching the components of health advocacy is straightforward, but fostering young people's self-efficacy to be health advocates for themselves, others, and their community is more complex. This complexity sometimes renders advocating for health, the basis of National Health Education Standard (NHES) #8, challenging to teach. We utilized a pedagogical approach called biblioguidance to teach this skill to 10th-grade students. The premise of biblioguidance, also called bibliotherapy, is that information, guidance, and even solace can be found through reading and vicariously living story events. To implement this approach, we consulted the literature and created a six-step framework to guide the design, development, and evaluation of a health advocacy curriculum, including young adult novels, guided reading prompts, electronic journals, and small group discussions. Our pre/post-assessment, rooted in NHES #8, evaluated the impact on students' (N = 168) self-efficacy to health advocate for themselves, others, and the community. Results revealed a significant change (p <.001), particularly in advocating for community health. Further, the teachers found that the curriculum facilitated the discussion of health-related topics in subsequent units. We will continue using the curriculum but expand it to include opportunities for authentic application and qualitative data evaluation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Limited health literacy disproportionately affects those with limited English proficiency (LEP). Parents with LEP might rely on their adolescent children to interpret health information. We call this "adolescent healthcare brokering." This study uncovers the prevalence of brokering, kinds of tasks, emotional and academic impact, and desired support. Methods: We invited 165 students from health classes (in a community in which 29.8% are foreign-born and 53.4% speak another language at home) to complete a survey. We used IBM SPSS to calculate descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 159 who received parental consent and assented, 54.1% (N = 86) assist with healthcare tasks. When brokering, 80.2% (N = 69) translate. Most common tasks were talking to a doctor, reading prescriptions, and searching on the Internet. Participants were most confident reading prescriptions and talking to a doctor and least confident finding healthcare services. Among brokers, 29.1% (N = 24) missed school; 33.7% did not complete homework. They most wanted to learn about filling out insurance forms and talking to doctors. Conclusions: Despite assurances that children are not permitted to interpret, adolescents are acting as healthcare brokers. The impact can be academic and emotional. Findings indicate a need for further research and support for adolescents who want to learn about healthcare tasks.

Background: Teachers and preservice teachers may neglect intervening into and/or leading efforts to prevent bullying because they the lack confidence to do so. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of authentic learning exercises on health education preservice teachers' self-efficacy to perform bullying prevention activities. A corollary purpose was to identify the ease and practicality of using the professional preparation standards as an instructional framework. Methods: Preservice teachers (n = 60) completed a pre/postassessment that measured self-efficacy to perform bullying prevention tasks aligned with 5 professional preparation standards. The intervention was authentic learning exercises aligned with the standards and administered during a professional preparation course. Discussion: Participants' self-efficacy to perform bullying prevention activities aligned with the standards increased significantly. Effect sizes varied, thus warranting additional research. As an instructional framework, it was easy to use the standards as a practical means to design authentic learning exercises. Translation to Health Education Practice: When seeking to increase preservice teachers' efficacy to perform bullying prevention activities, authentic learning exercises aligned with professional preparation standards might be an effective means to do so. Such exercises might also improve self-efficacy to perform tasks in other health content areas.

This study explored the impact of authentic learning exercises, as an instructional strategy, on preservice teachers' technology integration self-efficacy and intentions to integrate technology. Also explored was the predictive relationship between change in preservice teachers' technology integration self-efficacy and change in intentions to integrate technology. Participants included 104 preservice teachers enrolled into a professional preparation methods course. Technology integration self-efficacy was measured as perceived technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). A paired samples t-test revealed a significant increase in self-efficacy for all TPACK constructs, as well as intentions to integrate technology. The effect was greatest for PCK. Also, multiple regression analysis revealed change in technology integration self-efficacy as a model, predicted change in intentions to integrate. Particularly change in perceived technology knowledge, predicted change in intentions. Implications for professional preparation programs are shared.

A quasi-experimental study explored the impact of authentic learning exercises on preservice teachers' motivational beliefs and intentions to integrate technology, as well as the ability of those beliefs to predict intentions. A questionnaire was used to assess 104 preservice teachers' expectancy-value related motivational beliefs, namely intrinsic and extrinsic goal orientations, task value, self-efficacy, and control of learning. Results indicated authentic learning exercises might have enhanced motivational beliefs, particularly self-efficacy and intrinsic goal-orientation. Also, motivational beliefs predicted intentions to integrate, with task value predicting significantly.

To best design technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) related instruction for preservice teachers or for practicing teachers, community college librarians must have an accurate assessment of their audience's attitudes towards technology. A summary, analysis, and excerpts from 225 student responses to a course reflection regarding attitude toward technology are shared. The course, Learning with Technology, was a required course in an online master in education degree program. Students were practicing teachers or certified education professionals. Results indicated the majority, 52%, had positive feelings about and were integrating technology into instruction, 28% had positive feelings but cited obstacles to integration, 13% were fully integrating technology, and 7% were not integrating technology at all. Common obstacles to technology integration included knowledge/skills, confidence, access, and time. Based on the findings, implications of and suggestions for the design of TPCK related instruction are shared. (Contains 2 figures.)

Given an unfamiliar audience, an undervalued skill, and a limited time to present, librarian information specialists need a prescriptive means to generate motivation to learn. Tailoring, more commonly used in health communications, could enhance perceived task attractiveness and relevancy. In a controlled trial, two groups were compared on the basis of exposure or non-exposure to a tailored lesson introduction prior to an online Website evaluation tutorial. The tailored introduction group reported significantly higher levels of task attractiveness before and after the tutorial; relevancy was significantly greater before, but not after the tutorial. Further research into tailoring is warranted. (Contains 5 tables and 6 figures.)

Widespread problems with health literacy significantly limit effective dissemination and understanding of health information, particularly among vulnerable populations. As libraries are re-envisioned as community centers and resource providers, librarians are well positioned to help patrons overcome health literacy challenges by helping them to search for and use health information. Librarians often have not had health reference training, and some are unsure of the appropriateness of their role in patrons' health. This study presents the results of a health needs assessment done in collaboration between the Teen Services Department of a major urban library and faculty from a state university. Using survey and focus group data, the research team sought to uncover the most common health-related needs among community teens as perceived by teen services librarians and staff, preparedness to respond to these needs, and interventions in addressing these needs. Findings confirm that some teens do turn to branch libraries for health information. Additional results revealed which types of health-related questions participants felt most equipped to answer (social health) and least equipped (substance abuse) and indicate staff have had altogether little formal training to address patrons' health questions. This needs assessment presents replicable tools and questions for libraries aiming to improve health literacy in their local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A partnership formed between Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University sought to address well- documented cancer health disparities in Chicago by developing a collaborative research, training, and educational infrastructure between a minority- serving institution and a National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center. With a critical examination of partnership documentation and outputs, we describe the partnership's community- engaged approaches, challenges, and lessons learned. Northeastern Illinois University and the Lurie Cancer Center engaged in a yearlong partnership- building phase, identified interdisciplinary research teams, formed a governance structure, and identified collective aims. Partnership outcomes included funded inter- institutional research projects, new curriculum, and an annual research trainee program. Significant challenges faced included uncertain fiscal climate, widespread turnover, and dissimilar institutional demands. Lessons learned from this minority serving institution and comprehensive cancer center partnership may be useful for bridging distinct academic communities in the pursuit of ameliorating health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]