School staff perceptions of factors influencing participation in a Whole-of-School initiative in an Indigenous community

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perspectives on factors influencing their involvement in a Whole-of-School initiative. Methods: A survey was administered to participating teachers/school personnel ( N = 81) and 30 of the teachers/school personnel also participated in mostly individual interviews. The survey was informed by Lohrmann’s Ecological Model of Coordinated School Health Programs focusing on individual, interpersonal, community, organisation and policy factors. Category mean values were calculated for the survey data (along with t tests to explore differences by participant role in the schools), and interview data were analysed via analytic induction using several trustworthiness measures. Findings: Findings revealed that all survey categories ranked 3.5 or higher on a 5-point scale and there were significant differences by participant role. Interview data provided specific examples of each of the school health ecology factors. Conclusion: Results provide support for the model Whole-of-School programme efforts, insights into teacher and school personnel involvement and resistance to a school health change initiative. The project may serve as a model for other schools/districts interested in Whole-of-School health programming. The transformation that took place is especially important in this Indigenous community with significant health concerns.