Teachers' views on curriculum development in health promotion in two Finnish polytechnics

Abstract

This study describes teachers' views on how to improve the health promotion element in the curricula of two health care polytechnics in Finland. The theoretical background of this study draws on curriculum development in nursing education and how to promote a human- or resource-centred approach in health promotion. The research data were collected by interviewing 10 teachers from both the schools involved in nursing or public health nursing education since August 1997. The data were analysed using content analysis. The findings showed that most of the teachers interviewed were involved in local curriculum development. This work was impeded by lack of time and real commitment, as well as the teachers' desire to protect their own teaching domains. In both polytechnics, they regarded the curriculum mainly as a document guiding their own and students' work. Teachers in one of the polytechnics emphasised the importance of national guidelines in ensuring professional competence, but no one stressed the importance of their school as a regional educational institution. Almost all agreed that health promotion was adequately included in their curriculum. The project "Health for all by year 2000" was taken as the basis for the curriculum in both schools, but some teachers expressed a need for an additional study unit. The findings revealed teachers' traditional views on health promotion in curricula and that there was no evidence of a new approach being adopted.