Toitū te Tiriti: A Tiriti o Waitangi-led Approach to Public Health Curriculum Development

At Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa (Massey University), Aotearoa New Zealand, we have declared our stance as a Te Tiriti o Waitangi-led institution. This necessitates the embodiment and enactment of the principles and provisions of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the embedding of Indigenous Māori knowledge, values and belief systems in curriculum design and implementation. This article outlines the beginning of our journey toward indigenizing our postgraduate public health curriculum at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa. We describe the redevelopment of the Master of Public Health curriculum that embeds mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), te reo Māori (Māori language), tikanga Māori (Māori values and belief systems), and Māori pedagogy (culturally sustaining teaching and learning practices). Here, we focus on how curriculum redevelopment and pedagogy have enabled the utility of Māori knowledge and processes to be reflected at every level of the program and give life and relevancy to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi guides our teaching practice and ensures that students can safely develop their confidence in Māori ways of knowing, being, and doing to effectively partner with Māori as Tangata Whenua. Our program aims to produce agentic graduates who are champions and advocates for Māori aspirations in health.

Climate Justice Is Environmental Justice: System Change for Promoting Planetary Health and a Just Transition From Extractive to Regenerative Action

Our climate emergency is changing health promotion practice, and we need to increase our efforts. In the 20 years since our journal was published, we have witnessed the pressing challenges incurred by human-caused threats to planetary health. These threats are most profound in communities that are already unjustly under threat from structural factors such as poverty, toxic exposures, and inequitable allocation of resources for promoting their health. Those least responsible for contributing to this emergency, including all living environments in harm's way, will unjustly experience the greatest burdens. This commentary calls for health promotion practice to engage in system change and action in the struggle for climate justice by adopting a planetary health perspective. There must be a just transition from extractive to regenerative economies and actions. We describe our own journey as researchers and health practitioners toward this call for action. We propose a series of system change actions in social, environmental, political, health systems, and health profession education within the scope and responsibility of health promotion practice.

Virtual Health Promotion Work-Integrated Learning Placements: A COVID-19 Consequence or Preparation for the Future?

We explored student and industry supervisors' experiences of virtual work-integrated learning (vWIL) health promotion placements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a descriptive phenomenological qualitative methodology, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight students and eight supervisors of undergraduate health promotion-related placements at community, not-for-profit and government organizations. We asked participants about the aspects of their placement they found most enjoyable and challenging, their preparation, workload, and thoughts on placement structure. We audio-recorded and had the interviews transcribed. Our thematic analyses revealed four key themes: (1) the impact of COVID-19 on work and study, (2) benefits of vWIL (real-world application and career clarification, transcending barriers and saving time, and feeling less intimidated), (3) challenges of vWIL (experiencing workplace culture, providing support and guidance to students, and relationship building), and (4) recommendations on the evolution of vWIL (increased preparation and consider a hybrid model). Our findings suggest that vWIL is a viable and sound mode of delivery for health promotion-related placements, particularly in situations that inhibit face-to-face learning. It has the capacity to enhance the work-readiness of health promotion graduates while adding flexibility to professional preparation workplace-based training programs, providing opportunity for capacity building locally across rural and remote areas, as well as globally. Future research should examine the effectiveness, practicality, and feasibility of implementing placements across different models including face-to-face, virtual and hybrid.

Examining the White Supremacist Practices of Funding Organizations for Public Health Research and Practice: A Composite Narrative From Female, BIPOC Junior Researchers in Public Health

Background. It is challenging for junior public health investigators who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) to secure funding for projects and research. We used a narrative inquiry approach to understand and present the funding cascade from the perspectives of female, junior BIPOC researchers and provide funders with actionable recommendations to advance their antiracist goals. Approach. We applied a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework to guide our narrative inquiry approach. The participants were the four co-authors and we each drafted individual narratives around our experience with the funding cascade and subsequently the five stages of narrative analysis. Results. We created a visual representation of key activities for funders and applicants organized by our perceived magnitude of inequities in a journey map, an interpreter table that describes common phrases and barriers encountered, and a composite counternarrative presented as a group text message conversation, elevating common themes including feeling pressured to have our research agendas conform to funders' interests and receiving limited key information and support in the funding process. Discussion. We discussed how our findings represented manifestations of White supremacy characteristics like power hoarding and paternalism. Implications for practice. We offered specific antidotes for funding organizations to make their processes more antiracist and invited leaders of public health funding organizations to join us to further identify antidotes and share lessons learned in Fall 2023.

A Qualitative Inquiry of a Three-Month Virtual Practicum Program on Youth with Visual Impairments and Their Coaches

Research has shown that the practicum experience for professional preparation students in physical education teacher education programs related to teaching youth with disabilities can improve self-efficacy. It is not currently known if a virtual program can be effective for the professional preparation students or the participants. The objective of this study was to determine the experiences of the participants of a three-month virtual practicum program. In this phenomenological study, thirty youth with visual impairments and 1:1 professional preparation students (coaches) took part in a three-month virtual physical activity program. A total of 11 coaches took part in 2 focus groups, and 10 of the participants were interviewed about their experiences in this unique practicum. Findings in this three-month program revealed four themes: (1) friendship, (2) self-determination, (3) goal setting, and (4) barriers. The results of the qualitative inquiry indicate that a virtual practicum program can have a positive effect on both the participants and the professional preparation students. Virtual programs should also be aware of barriers to implementing an effective program to benefit all parties.

Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II 2020: Processes and Outcomes

Introduction. The Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis II 2020 (HESPA II 2020) described the contemporary practice of health education specialists across work settings at entry and advanced levels. The purpose of the HESPA II 2020 manuscript was to report the research process and resulting data associated with the HESPA II 2020 and to provide recommendations for future practice analyses in health education. Method. Two data collection instruments were developed with the assistance of a 17-member Health Education Practice Panel to survey practicing health education specialists on the knowledge and skills needed in their ongoing roles. The instruments were designed to assess the degree to which the elements of the model had importance to practice (Importance), how often health education specialists performed the elements of the model (Frequency), and the point in time that health education specialists were expected to perform the various elements of the model (Performance Expectation). Composite scores for Sub-Competencies were calculated and subgroup comparisons were conducted to distinguish between levels of practice. Results. A total of 3,851 health education specialists provided usable responses. The final validated hierarchical model included eight Areas of Responsibility, 35 Competencies, and 193 Sub-Competencies. Of the Sub-Competencies, 114 were Entry level, 59 Advanced 1 level, and 20 Advanced 2 level. In addition, 145 knowledge items were verified. Discussion. HESPA II 2020 produced a validated hierarchical model descriptive of current practice of health education specialists across work settings. The results have implications for professional preparation, professional development, and certification.

Exploring the role of social work in U.S. burn centers

Because burn injuries most often occur within marginalized populations, there is a greater risk for poor psychosocial outcomes and social workers are trained to identify those psychosocial risk and resilience factors. Very little has been written about the role of social workers working in burn critical care teams, therefore leaving a gap in knowledge regarding this specialized area of social work practice. Social workers participating in multidisciplinary burn care teams were invited to participate in this preliminary descriptive study (n = 29). Frequency statistics were calculated for the brief online survey to learn more about professional preparation and continuing education, job responsibilities, and perspectives on job skills. Respondents were primarily white and female, with a mean age of 43.74 years. Most respondents reported holding an MSSW and a state-issued professional license. Responsibilities were described as discharge planning, case management, patient counseling, family counseling, support group facilitation, community education, school reentry/back to work programs, burn prevention, and "other duties", respectively. More than half of the respondents reported responsibilities in other units. With increased understanding of interventions used by social workers inpatient, there can be a greater understanding of patients' continuing needs once discharged.

A Delphi Study of Effective Adapted Physical Education Practicum Experiences

The purpose of this study was to determine expert consensus regarding the essential characteristics of adapted physical education practicum experiences for preservice physical educators. Researchers used a 3-round Delphi procedure involving the repeated circulation of an online questionnaire to a panel of content experts (N = 24). During Round 1, panelists generated 70 items in response to an open-ended prompt. Then, panelists rated these recommendations on importance and feasibility in the following rounds. After the third round, 23 items were eliminated for failing to reach consensus. Of the remaining 47 items, 24 were both very important and feasible (both means >6), 21 were very important (mean ≥ 6) and probably feasible (mean ≥ 5), and 2 were feasible (mean ≥ 6) and moderately important (mean ≥ 5). Four major themes were identified through a post hoc qualitative cluster analysis: program context, teaching and learning activities, outcomes/soft skills, and evaluation of instructor performance.

Contributions of Public Health Social Work Students to Their Professions and Communities

In the contemporary public health workforce environment, public health social workers (PHSW) bring integrated skills, from both fields, to meet the needs of vulnerable and underserved populations. They receive training in their Master of Public Health/Master of Social Work dual-degree programs, such as the one at New Mexico State University, which serves the U.S./Mexico border region. During their studies, dual-degree students are equipped to address health and human service issues at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and complete field experience and practicum hours in their communities. Along with practical skills, these students learn culturally responsive/humble ways of being with communities of color and marginalized individuals. After graduation, these emerging career PHSWs enter the workforce in a variety of settings: nonprofit, educational, government, primary care, and more. In this article, the field of public health social work is described in its historic and present forms, followed by PHSWs' utility to the U.S./Mexico border region, in particular. Finally, we make the call to action for future career PHSWs to engage with this integrated, dynamic, innovative field, and its unique combination of community- and individual-based services and rewards.

An Assessment of Evaluation Instruction Related to the Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis Competencies in Health Education-Related Professional Preparation Programs

BACKGROUND

Conducting evaluation and research is one of the seven areas of responsibility for health education specialists. However, there is little evidence to suggest that professional preparation programs use the competencies as identified by the 2015 Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis (HESPA) as a basis for instruction.

AIMS

To determine the degree to which departments with undergraduate health education-related professional preparation programs provide instruction in the HESPA 2015 Model evaluation competencies.

METHOD

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, nonexperimental study design. Data were collected using an online survey from programs that prepare students to sit for the CHES exam.

RESULTS

Faculty provide instruction about all evaluation subcompetencies regardless of entry- or advanced-level designation. Developing an evaluation plan, monitoring implementation, and selecting, adapting, and creating instruments to collect data represent the competencies taught most frequently. On average, two to three class periods are spent on each competency.

DISCUSSION

Advanced-level competencies, more commonly associated with graduate-level training and degrees, are commonly taught at the undergraduate level. This may be due to a lack of awareness of changes to the designation of competencies and subcompetencies as entry- or advanced-level in the HESPA 2015 Model framework, a lack of awareness or appreciation for the framework in general, competing values in the selection of curriculum content, or lack of professional consensus related to terms and definitions.

CONCLUSION

Faculty should consider emphasizing entry-level competencies and subcompetencies consistent with process and formative evaluation. The health education profession should also standardize evaluation and research terms and definitions.

Framing Undergraduate Public Health Education as Liberal Education: Who Are We Training Our Students To Be and How Do We Do That?

The rapid development of the undergraduate major in public health over the past 15 years has led to a debate about the most appropriate framing for the degree. Should it be viewed as a liberal education degree (akin to academic disciplines such as psychology and political science) or as a professional training degree (akin to disciplines such as nursing and management)? This paper presents an overview of both the liberal education and the professional training degree approaches to the undergraduate public health degree. The reality of public health work in the modern era and the constraints on undergraduate-level training lead to our conclusion that the liberal education framing is a more optimal way to design the degree program. Such a framework optimizes career opportunities, especially long-term opportunities, for graduates, acknowledges the reality of the complex and diverse career paths that one can take under the general umbrella of public health, and accounts for the important role of critical thinking skills in undergraduate education. Ultimately, the distinction between liberal education and professional training may be fuzzier than the debate often highlights-an intentional, well-designed, and thoughtfully implemented undergraduate public health curriculum can address the range of student needs underlying both the liberal education and professional training approaches to the degree, thus optimizing both learning goals and career outcomes for undergraduate public health students.

Establishing common course objectives for undergraduate exercise physiology

Undergraduate exercise physiology is a ubiquitous course in undergraduate kinesiology/exercise science programs with a broad scope and depth of topics. It is valuable to explore what is taught within this course. The purpose of the present study was to facilitate an understanding of what instructors teach in undergraduate exercise physiology, how it compares with various guidelines, and to continue the conversation regarding what should be taught. A survey was created using course outcomes from the American Society of Exercise Physiologists, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, Ivy's 2007 Quest article, the National Athletic Training Association, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and 36 undergraduate exercise physiology course syllabi. The 134-item survey was disseminated to individuals who use exercise physiology: university faculty members, clinical exercise physiologists, researchers, and other practitioners on various exercise physiology lists; 2,009 surveys were sent, and 322 surveys were completed (16% rate of return). There was a high degree of agreement about a lot of important content in undergraduate exercise physiology. Instructors of exercise physiology should focus their curriculum on regulation and homeostasis (including adaptation, fatigue, and recovery), aerobic systems, bioenergetics, muscle physiology, and fitness principles. In addition, attention should be paid to performance and technical skills. In conclusion, it is up to exercise physiologists to ensure quality of knowledge and practice. Doing so will improve the uniformity and quality of practitioners within the various kinesiology/exercise science fields and increase the value of a Kinesiology/Exercise Science degree and set it apart from other healthcare providers and fitness professionals.

A systematic review of public health-aligned recommendations for preparing physical education teacher candidates

PURPOSE

Since Sallis and McKenzie's seminal article in 1991 outlining physical education's role in public health, increased attention has been given to promoting youth physical activity in schools. The present study systematically reviewed the literature from 1991 to 2013 to identify recommendations for the preparation of physical education teacher candidates (PETCs) from a public health perspective.

METHOD

Eight online databases (e.g., Educational Resources Information Center, Google Scholar) served as data sources for the study. Multiple combinations of key terms (e.g., physical education teacher education [PETE], public health, health-oriented) were used to identify relevant literature meeting search criteria. A content analysis was used to identify 47 distinct recommendations from 25 included articles and to synthesize these recommendations into major areas of focus.

RESULTS

Three major areas of focus were identified: (a) candidate profile (e.g., PETCs should be physically active and fit role models), (b) candidate knowledge (e.g., PETCs should know about behavior change theories), and (c) candidate skills (e.g., PETCs should be able to advocate for school-based physical activity).

CONCLUSION

This review can serve as a blueprint for PETE programs seeking to align professional preparation with public health goals.

Getting the most out of professional associations

In this commentary, three public health professionals working in diverse career settings share their perspectives on how to get the most out of professional associations. This article demonstrates how you can benefit from active involvement in your membership in professional associations and attending professional conferences. Methods to participate actively in your association include volunteering for one-time opportunities or standing committees, mentoring, and reviewing publications and manuscripts. Being active in professional organizations, such as the Society for Public Health Education, offers personal career development skill-building and opportunities for leadership and mentoring across all career stages. Experiences on how participation in professional organizations helped shape the authors' careers are shared.

Accreditation of Professional Preparation Programs for School Health Educators: The Changing Landscape

The health education profession is committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality assurance, including accreditation of professional preparation programs in both school and community/public health education. Since 2001, the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) has increased attention to strengthening accreditation processes for preservice programs. This article focuses on the preparation of school health educators and the evolving philosophies and approaches concerning quality assurance, with particular attention to recent changes in teacher education and national professional accreditation entities. The unification of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) to form the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as the single voice for teacher accreditation presents an opportunity to create a model unified accreditation system. Such a system can improve and enhance the stature of the teaching profession, raise expectations and the performance standards for teacher education candidates, and strengthen the standards for the evidence used to support claims of quality. During this transition period from NCATE and TEAC to CAEP, a School Health Education Accreditation Working Group convened by SOPHE recommended to the SOPHE Board of Trustees that SOPHE urge health education professionals to monitor and provide input into the emerging standards and processes for school health educator program accreditation. The Working Group also recommended that both health education professionals and the stakeholder professional organizations advocate for strong quality assurance standards for school health educator professional preparation programs. The Working Group anticipates future changes in quality assurance processes and curricula to keep pace with new accreditation requirements and the results from the latest role delineation research for health education specialists.

The creation and implementation of the newly implemented Korean Health Education Specialist certification

Professional competencies, standards, and professional preparation of public health professionals, which includes health education and health promotion competencies, is documented in Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States. Preparing a competent public health education workforce is a newly established priority of the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. In 2010, the first ever Health Education Specialist credential was implemented in South Korea. This commentary describes the creation and implementation of the Health Education Specialist credential and initial workforce preparation outcomes of the new credential.

Clinical Experiences Are Not Predictive of Outcomes on the NATABOC Examination

OBJECTIVE

To determine the efficacy of the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification (NATABOC) clinical experience requirements and individual student characteristics to predict candidate outcomes on the NATABOC certification examination.

DESIGN AND SETTING

For all subjects, we gathered survey information and examination scores. The survey information included age, sex, route to certification, previous athletic training and allied health experience, and clinical education experiences.

SUBJECTS

A total of 269 subjects, 22.25% of all first-time candidates for the June and November 1993 NATABOC examinations, were included in this study.

MEASUREMENTS

Data were analyzed for standard descriptive statistics and parametric linear regression and correlational relationships.

RESULTS

Total clinical hours, high-risk sport experiences, and previous athletic training experience were not predictive of examination outcomes. Although our results indicated a relationship between previous allied health experience and both outcome on the written section of the examination and age and outcome on the oral/practical section, these characteristics also were not predictive of examination outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Gaining clinical experience hours in excess of 400 hours beyond the 800-or 1500-hour requirement may yield no greater benefit for an entry-level professional than less time. The quality, rather than the quantity, of clinical experiences should be evaluated. More emphasis should be placed on the achievement of an entry level of clinical competency, rather than on total hour collection. Also, because high-risk sport experiences did not predict outcomes on the NATABOC examination, the emphasis of clinical education should be on students' receiving a more structured clinical experience, in which they are progressively required to assume greater responsibilities integrating both cognitive and psychomotor skills, while working under the supervision of a certified athletic trainer.