Broad Curriculum Research Articles

Rationalizing the Mathematics Requirements for a Master of Biostatistics Program: A Case Study and Commentary

Within a 2-year Master of Biostatistics program, we reconsidered the mathematics requirements for admission, and also the premise that the most distinguishing feature of a top candidate is deep exposure to mathematics. Our assessment took place within a broad curriculum review intended to enhance alignment: aligning programmatic goals with job skills, aligning the use of mathematics within our curriculum with programmatic goals, aligning our admission criteria with our curriculum, and aligning our application materials with these admission criteria. We developed a specific list of mathematical skills required by the curriculum, and are revising the application materials to include self-report on applicant's exposure to and functional mastery of those skills. We illustrate how functional mastery is operationally defined. Our criteria for identifying top candidates was broadened to include those with especial skills in analytics, biology and/or communication (i.e., the three conceptual pillars of our program). Deep mathematical training is one of many ways to become a top candidate. Within STEM fields such as biostatistics, and despite the commonly held assumption that admission criteria should emphasize depth of mathematical training, a systematic analysis suggests that this assumption imposes a gratuitous requirement on applicants. Reconsidering this assumption can help remove unnecessary barriers, reduce challenges, and support success for aspiring or emerging biostatisticians from diverse or multifaceted backgrounds. It is one way to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable learning environment in our STEM discipline. We believe similar programs might benefit from performing this type of analysis and reflection.

Challenges in Islamic Education Curriculum Development: A Comparative Study of Indonesia, Pakistan, and India

This study identified the challenges in Islamic education curriculum development in Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. By using a paradigmatic interpretive approach, data were obtained from interviews with 15 international students enrolled for the Islamic studies doctoral program in Malaysia; these students were from Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. These students each have more than five years of experience teaching Islamic education subjects in their respective countries. The study found that, in Indonesia, the main challenges in Islamic education curriculum development are integrating the national curriculum with local and global diversity and increasing the accessibility of education for people at all levels of society. The gap between Islamic education patterns in madrasas and public schools should also be addressed. In Pakistan, the main challenge was the accessibility of education, especially in rural areas, and overcoming limited infrastructure and facilities that are the result of the government’s low education budget. Complex challenges, such as gender inequality, ethnic discrimination, and political conflict also hamper curriculum development efforts. In India, challenges center on the conflict between Islam and Hinduism; furthermore, disputes over history and religious identity complicate the integration of Islamic values into the broad curriculum. Another significant barrier is shortcomings in the technological expertise of teachers. While the challenges in the different countries differ, they share similarities in terms of the complexity of crafting a curriculum that is relevant to technological developments, and the needs of a dynamic job market. This study can contribute to policy-making, so that these three countries can work together to improve and enhance the quality of Islamic education.

Islamic Teachers’ Implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum in Senior High Schools: A Systematic Review

In response to the evolving educational landscape in Indonesia, this systematic review explores the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum at the senior high school level, with a specific focus on the dynamic interplay between Islamic teachers and the curriculum. The study aims to shed light on the pivotal roles played by Islamic teachers in shaping the educational experience within the framework of increased school autonomy. As these teachers navigate the autonomy granted by the curriculum, they serve as key agents in imparting knowledge and instilling Islamic values in students. The research objectives center on investigating the challenges faced by Islamic teachers, particularly concerning the delicate balance between religious education and a broader curriculum. Simultaneously, the study identifies opportunities for innovative and culturally relevant teaching practices within the Merdeka framework. Employing a comprehensive literature review, the research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, administrators, and educators seeking to enhance the integration of Islamic values in Indonesian senior high schools. In terms of key findings, the study reveals nuanced challenges in balancing religious education with broader curricular goals. However, it also identifies promising opportunities for innovative teaching practices that align with cultural nuances within the Merdeka Curriculum. These findings underscore the significance of navigating school autonomy effectively, especially in the context of Islamic education. In addition, they emphasize the need for tailored approaches to ensure a harmonious integration of Islamic values in the evolving landscape of senior high schools in Indonesia.

The curriculum design in design education: An inquiry of challenges and implications in Hong Kong

The prime purpose of design education is to nurture young people and develop their artistic and scientific personalities, skills and talents. By its very nature, professional training in design is fully committed to the education and training of the creative workforce required by creative industries. It is crucial for design educators to devise and formulate relevant, responsive and quality programmes with an emphasis on sustainability at all levels of design education. It is notable that the world economy has become increasingly sophisticated. Design is a value-added component in various sectors. Design students equipped with multiple skills and capable of managing simultaneous tasks are crucial to the creative industries in this challenging world economy. This research is going to trigger further discussion and reflection among design curriculum developers, academics and policy-makers. It can also discuss the use of a total curriculum and participatory curriculum development approach to design education to provide our new design generations with a broader curriculum and learning approach for the knowledge-based economy.

PERCEPTIONS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS TOWARDS VIDEO CONFERENCE-BASED ENGLISH COURSES

This study aimed to investigate the perception of undergraduate students enrolled in a private university in Bandung, regarding video conference-based English courses. The study utilized a quantitative approach by employing a questionnaire to collect data from a group of 116 undergraduate students in their seventh semester. The questionnaire was designed to identify students' perspectives on video conference-based English courses, focusing on aspects such as course benefits and identified drawbacks. The study found that the participants positively perceived video conference-based English courses. The participants agreed that the courses offered several benefits, including increased flexibility, reduced cost and reduced commuting time. However, participants also highlighted drawbacks related to technical challenges and reduced opportunities for face-to-face interaction. These results underline the adaptability of higher education in response to the video conference-based courses serving as a viable alternative to traditional in-person instruction. This study has implications for both educational policymakers and teachers. By recognizing the perceived benefits and drawbacks, Policymakers may consider the possibilities of developing regulations that encourage the integration of technology and remote learning into the broader curriculum. Furthermore, educators can refine their instructional strategies to align more closely with students' preferences and needs, ultimately enhancing the quality of remote education.

The Spiral Progression Approach in Learning Mathematics: Advantages and Disadvantages

This study aimed to identify students' perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of the Spiral Progression Approach (SPA) in learning mathematics. This topic interests the researchers due to the lack of current literature focusing on it. The study utilized a descriptive and explanatory survey and employed a systematic sampling technique to identify the 277 Senior High School students who served as respondents. A validated questionnaire was used, with the following Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients: 0.701 for repetition, 0.702 for improved prior knowledge, 0.713 for age-appropriate learning, 0.704 for limited time, 0.723 for prior knowledge dependence, and 0.720 for broad curriculum. The study revealed that students have “high” perceptions of the advantages of the SPA in terms of repetition, prior knowledge, and age appropriate learning. However, students also have “high” perceptions of the disadvantages of the SPA in terms of limited time, prior knowledge dependence, and broad curriculum. Moreover, the results indicate that students’ academic performance in General Mathematics is “very satisfactory” and significantly correlated with their perceptions of the advantages of the SPA.

Teaching in Paediatrics for UK Foundation Doctors: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Most doctors will care for children regularly during their careersin settings such as the emergency department, general practice, surgery,or, for a minority, during paediatric specialist training. As such, exposure to topics related to child health ought to be part of the broad curriculum of learning offered to UK Foundation Programme doctors. Objective This study aimed to quantify teaching in paediatrics that is accessed by Foundation doctors. Methods A cross-sectional electronic survey of foundation year one or two (F1/F2) doctors at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. Ethical approval was granted by the Imperial College London (ICL) Education Ethics Review Process (EERP 2021-082). Results Two-hundred and five Foundation doctors completed the survey, from 16 of the 18 Foundation schools. Respondents attended a median of two hours (interquartile range (IQR) 0-10) of paediatric teaching during the past 12 months, including a median of one hour (IQR 0-2) of core teachingand a median of one hour (IQR 0-9) of non-core teaching. Those who had worked in a paediatric post in the past 12 months, or who were interested in Paediatrics as a career, attended more median hours of teaching. Conclusions Although many doctors will care for children routinely during their later careers, the number of teaching hours in paediatrics experienced by Foundation doctors is low. The UK Foundation Programme should incorporate more teaching in paediatrics to increase exposure to child health amongst newly graduated and as-yet unspecialised doctors.

Cardiac POCUS in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: A Narrative Review.

The cardiac point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is among the most impactful examinations in the evaluation of an ill child. This paper will review the English-language literature on cardiac POCUS in the pediatric emergency department (PED), the adult emergency literature with relevance to pediatric emergency, and other pediatric cardiac studies outside pediatric emergency with relevance to PED detection of potentially emergent pediatric cardiac pathology. Pediatric emergency physicians can reliably detect decreased left-sided systolic function and pericardial effusion using POCUS. Case reports show that pediatric emergency physicians have detected right-sided outflow tract obstruction, aortic root dilatation, and congenital cardiac disease using POCUS. Training for pediatric cardiac POCUS competency is feasible, and cardiac POCUS does not increase the burden on cardiology resources to the PED. While cardiac pathology in children is relatively rare, pediatric cardiac POCUS can incorporate a broad curriculum beyond systolic function and the presence of pericardial fluid. Further research should assess pediatric emergency physician performance in the identification of a broader range of cardiac pathology.

DEVELOPING THE LAW CURRICULUM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY LEGAL PRACTITIONER: A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE

The law curriculum in African countries must reflect the realities of the needs of their own societies, but law faculties and law schools in developing countries also need to equip their law graduates to deal with the wave of globalization sweeping the world. This is particularly important for countries in transition from dictatorship to democracy, and from closed to open societies. Using South Africa as an example, it is intended to deal briefly with the changes made to the law curriculum to meet the domestic needs of the new democratic order. Thereafter, the broader curriculum needs of aspiring African lawyers in the 21st century, again with reference to South Africa, will be considered in the context of globalization.

Geometry in the Curriculum Pedagogical Projects of Mathematics Degree Courses at Parana State Universities

Background: Geometry is an important branch of mathematics and there are many arguments in favour of teaching it at all educational levels. Objectives: To analyse the pedagogical projects of the degree in mathematics courses (PPC) of Paraná state universities, to identify how geometry contents are organised for the degree students' education from the perspective of the current regulations. Design: Exploratory research developed from bibliographical and documentary studies, focused on the National Common Core Curriculum (BNCC), the Paraná Curriculum Reference (RCP) and the PPCs of several mathematics degree courses. Setting and participants: We examined the fifteen PPCs of the state universities of Paraná, obtained from the institutional websites or by email via course coordination. Data collection and analysis: We explored the resources and subsequently developed the categories based on the learning objectives of the BNCC, the RCP, and the regulations for initial teacher education courses, supporting the procedures mobilised on the content analysis. Results: We found that the geometry learning objectives in the regulations align with the profiles identified in the PPCs and the contents presented in their syllabuses. Conclusions: We admit the relevance of a complete and broad curriculum for the initial education of mathematics teachers. However, we believe it should not be imposed or inappropriate but the basis for qualifying good professionals who, in the future, will favour the development of students' capacities such as reflection, autonomy, and collaboration.

An overview of Australian exercise and sport science degrees

Exercise and Sport Science (EXSS) is a common degree offered at Australian universities, yet there is no systematic overview of this multidisciplinary field of study. This study aimed to determine the broad curriculum content of Australian EXSS degrees by summarizing the units offered, identify most commonly delivered content areas, and capture course information such as work-integrated learning (WIL) requirements and majors offered. Data were gathered through publicly available university course pages, with 30 EXSS courses included and only core units identified. The most common Australian EXSS units were “Exercise Physiology,” “Biomechanics,” “Research Methods and Data Analysis,” “Exercise Prescription and Delivery,” and “Exercise and Sport Psychology.” WIL requirements ranged from 140 to 300 h per course, and five courses offered majors. This study provides an overview of Australian EXSS courses, with the focus on exercise-related components reflecting accreditation requirements. Future research should examine how these courses equip students for the multidisciplinary EXSS industry.

Content Analysis for a Statewide Substance Use Disorder and Pain Management Curriculum for Health Professional Students (ALAHOPE).

Alabama's health professions schools have many common goals when it comes to educating their students about substance use disorder (SUD) and pain, but a statewide consistent SUD and pain management curriculum does not exist in Alabama. The ALAbama Health professionals' Opioid and Pain management Education (ALAHOPE) project set out to create an interprofessional curriculum around SUD and pain management that all Alabama health professions schools can use to promote consistent evidence-based teaching and a patient-centered approach around these two topics. An adapted form of the Kern model of curriculum development was used to guide the project. The first dimension of this model is problem identification, which requires identifying the desired future state. One of many assessments performed to identify the desired future state was an analysis of six external curricula. The purpose of this assessment was to critically document and analyze existing SUD and pain management curricula to inform the ALAHOPE curriculum content. The learning objectives and detailed content topics of each curriculum were documented and categorized into content topics. These broad topics were used as one piece of a cross-thematic analysis of several future state assessments that led to the development of broad curriculum goals for the ALAHOPE curriculum project. Common trends found in the analyzed curricula included learning objectives not being all-inclusive or not matching the actual curricula content, combining SUD and pain management content, and including the risks of treating pain with controlled substances in content solely created for pain management. These results can be used to help inform other SUD and pain management educational content.

Sexual and reproductive health knowledge of postgraduate students at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa

BackgroundGlobally and in South Africa, university students’ knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is low. This study was conducted in response to the dearth of information about the sexual and reproductive health knowledge of postgraduate students. Research conducted to explore the SRH knowledge of undergraduate students suggests that the level of SRH knowledge among undergraduate students is low. The aim of this study was to determine the SRH knowledge of postgraduate students with regards to contraceptives, sexually transmitted illnesses (STI), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Pap smear and clinical breast examination at University of Cape Town (UCT), in South Africa.MethodA cross sectional survey design was utilized, using an adapted and pretested online questionnaire. The aim of this study was to determine the SRH knowledge of postgraduate students at the UCT. Minor adjustments were made to the questionnaire to suit the South African context. Selected aspects of SRH were included in the current study: knowledge and use of contraceptives, Pap smear, clinical breast examination, STIs and HIV. These variables were considered to be general enough to be answerable by male and female respondents and are the most important considerations in reproductive health care in South Africa, as there is a high prevalence of STIs, HIV and cervical and breast cancers. All postgraduate students enrolled in the first semester of 2017 (9444) were invited to anonymously complete the online survey. Data was exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 and analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages.ResultsFour hundred and six (406) students completed the online survey, of whom 293 were female and 107 males. The age range of respondents was between 18 and 57 years, with the median age for both male and female respondents being 24 years. Six survey responses were excluded from the statistical analysis because of incomplete data. Post graduate students from the African continent comprised 90.75% of the respondents. Most respondents were white (51.50%) from both Africa and abroad. The results indicated that respondents knew about sexually transmitted infections, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Female respondents were more aware of breast examination, and the role of Papanicolaou smear (Pap smear) in SRH. Almost half of the respondents in this study (49%) stated that they had no need for more information about contraceptives. Lecturers were identified as one of the top five sources of information, which suggests that the university environment provides students with important SRH-related information.ConclusionMost postgraduate students had knowledge of sexual and reproductive health with regards to contraception, Pap smear, clinical breast examination, STIs, HIV and AIDS. Further research should focus on the relationship between SRH knowledge and usage among this population. As university lecturers were identified as an important source of information across faculties, the University should consider the incorporation of SRH education in the broader curriculum and as an integral component of student health services.

Research on the Construction of STEAM Curriculum Mode Based on Project Based Learning

Project based learning is a kind of project oriented learning method，which is used to learn and explore in real situations. STEAM education is a new educational model with the characteristics of interdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, situational, integrated, scientific rationality and humanistic quality. The current development of both of them has encountered some practical obstacles, but both of them have a positive significance for the development of education reform, and they have something in common in their educational concepts and training objectives. In many educational practices, there are also many cases of project-based teaching combined with STEAM education elements. Therefore, on the basis of in-depth understanding of project-based learning and STEAM education, this paper clarifies the characteristics and significance of the research on the construction of STEAM curriculum model based on project-based learning. Based on the broad curriculum level, this paper conceives and discusses the STEAM curriculum model based on project-based learning from the establishment of curriculum objectives, the selection of curriculum themes, the construction of curriculum structure and the development of curriculum evaluation, It is expected to provide a theoretical and practical reference for the research and development of project-based learning and STEAM education.

Increasing research capacity in community organizations: Findings from the Community Research Scholars Initiative

Increasing research capacity in community-based organizations (CBOs) can equip the organizations to be more equal partners in academic/community partnerships and can help them be more accountable to their clients and funders. In this study, we report on findings from four years of data collected from the Community Research Scholars Initiative (CRSI) in Cleveland, Ohio. CRSI provided intensive research training over two years to two cohorts (N = 9) of frontline workers (“Scholars”) from CBOs focused on health disparities. Scholars completed one year of didactic training and one year of mentoring to complete a research project based at their organization. Findings from surveys, focus groups with Scholars, and supervisor interviews indicated changes in Scholars’ knowledge, confidence, and comfort with research concepts and skills. Scholars also demonstrated greater confidence in interacting with academic researchers, enhanced networks and career opportunities, and increased capacity for conducting community-based research. Scholar and organization engagement with community-based research was maintained after the program’s end through a community-based research network (CBRN). Findings suggest that the intensive training program for community members with a broad curriculum, mentoring, and strong support helped changed how CBOs think about data and research and demonstrate the impact of their work.

Facing hierarchy: a qualitative study of residents’ experiences in an obstetrical simulation scenario

BackgroundResidents in surgical specialties face a steep hierarchy when managing medical crises. Hierarchy can negatively impact patient safety when team members are reluctant to speak up. Yet, simulation has scarcely been previously utilized to qualitatively explore the way residents in surgical specialities navigate this challenge. The study aimed to explore the experiences of residents in one surgical specialty, obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn), when challenging hierarchy, with the goal of informing future interventions to optimize resident learning and patient safety.MethodsEight 3rd- and 4th-year Ob/Gyn residents participated in a simulation scenario in which their supervising physician made an erroneous medical decision that jeopardized the wellbeing of the labouring mother and her foetus. Residents participated in 30–45 min semi-structured interviews that explored their approach to managing this scenario. Transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative thematic inquiry by three research team members, finalizing the identified themes once consensus was reached.ResultsStudy results show that the simulated scenario did create an experience of hierarchy that challenged residents. In response, residents adopted three distinct communication strategies while confronting hierarchy: (1) messaging — a mere reporting of existing clinical information; (2) interpretive — a deliberate construction of clinical facts aimed at swaying supervising physician’s clinical decision; and (3) advocative — a readiness to confront the staff physician’s clinical decision. Furthermore, residents utilized coping mechanisms to mitigate challenges related to confronting hierarchy, namely deflecting responsibility, diminishing urgency, and drafting allies. Both these communication strategies and coping mechanisms shaped their practice when challenging hierarchy to preserve patient safety.ConclusionsUnderstanding the complex processes in which residents engage when confronting hierarchy can serve to inform the development and study of curricular innovations. Informed by these processes, we must move beyond solely teaching residents to speak up and consider a broader curriculum that targets not only residents but also faculty physicians and the learning environment within the organization.

P20 - The future of Childbirth Education in maternity care; Raising the bar and changing the consumer experience of antenatal education when preparing for parenthood during a global pandemic

There is no doubt at the centre of midwifery exists the experience of the birthing woman, her connection to her midwife and the preparation she makes with her partner for parenthood. Integral to the preparation for parenthood lies childbirth education. In 2019, this question was posed by researchers Kate Levett and Hannah Dahlen. Are we doing enough to prepare women for childbirth? The answer, simply across Australia we are not. Antenatal education programmes within hospitals were said to be time poor and information heavy with scheduling fixed due to staffing pressures. The effects of teaching a broad curriculum in limited sessions were listed as- • leaving consumers of maternity services feeling unprepared • fearful • inadequate in their preparation for physiological childbirth. At St John of God Midland Public Hospital, the consumer experience has shaped our collaboration commenced in October 2021. Working together, consumers at our hospital have access to: • a standardised programme of childbirth education created and delivered by a certified childbirth educator • evidence based education during both low and high risk models of care • the benefits of clinical and non-clinical educational sessions delivered by Lesley and Elissa • an opportunity to gain knowledge and develop skill based comfort measures for labour and birth support • Next Birth After Caesarean specialist parent education during early and late pregnancy Our Presentation. A qualitative review of our innovative collaboration to answer these questions; • What has been the consumer experience of this new model of delivering parent education? • During the pandemic when staff shortages are at an all time high, what impacts have been noticed when staffing a busy public maternity service? • Are we preparing our birthing families to cope with physiological labour and birth? • Bringing outside expertise into maternity departments, could this be the future of delivering childbirth education in Australia?

'Just in time' teaching using department internet searches.

Emergency departments (ED) are fast paced environments that cater for a wide range of medical conditions. The scope of information needed by emergency medicine (EM) physicians is broad, and decisions are time sensitive. This raises the question of how best to educate EM trainees so that they are comfortable when treating wide ranging conditions in time pressured situations? Curriculum-based teaching has been adopted by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) to facilitate a centralised approach to EM training. Although this model provides explicit and clearly identified learning outcomes, RCEM acknowledges it is deficient in ‘just in time’ and ‘on the job’ training for doctors. RCEM has expressed the need for innovative education strategies to help identify and address EM trainee's knowledge gaps. Our aim was to design education sessions that focused on our trainees needs rather than following a broad curriculum. The internet is the primary means by which EM doctors seek information for clinical questions, while working and emergency physicians average 1.35 internet searches per patient encounter.1 Knowing this, we went about analysing clinically relevant internet searches on our department computers to try and identify our doctor's frequently encountered knowledge gaps. Using this information, we were able to design half hour weekly education sessions. The education sessions involved a ‘rapid revision’ of the most frequently searched clinical topics from the previous week and one high acuity, low occurrence (HALO) topic. The session was delivered by a consultant using a blended approach of didactic lectures and practical demonstrations. To assess participant satisfaction, we adapted a validated questionnaire designed by the Centre for Advanced Learning and Teaching. We successfully facilitated focused revision of 28 topics over a 6-week period. Participant's satisfaction was evident by the fact that we saw global improvements in all of the post intervention questionnaire scores when compared with pre-intervention scores. Participants commented that it was ‘A very novel idea, content very relevant to everyday working practice’, ‘Great recap of topics and cases seen daily. Amazing new addition to the teaching session’ and ‘targeted and concise teaching’. Although this has been a very beneficial teaching practice, we did learn some lessons. The filtering and analysis of the internet search histories is very labour intensive and requires a team of educators to sustain long term. ED computers are used by nursing staff and non-EM medical staff. This meant that some of the searched topics were less relevant to EM doctors. Another issue with data capture is that doctors can use their phones to search clinical topics and therefore we will not pick up all clinical searches. Although we have shown that this form of ‘just in time’ teaching is feasible and enjoyable for participants, we have not been able to assess whether this form of teaching leads to improved knowledge acquisition or retention and we propose this should be next research question in this area.

Konseling Kiai terhadap Manajemen Pesantren

Pesantren is not only based on one curriculum but must use a broad curriculum. This is left to the elastic adjustment between the will of the kiai and the abilities of the students individually. Because every pesantren has a different curriculum, the series of trio components of Islamic teachings in the form of faith, Islam and ihsan or doctrines, rituals, and mysticism have become a concern as the curriculum taught to their students. The transition of prayer room (surau) or mosque being developed into a boarding school turns out to bring changes in teaching materials from mere knowledge to a science. In further developments, students need to be given not only knowledge related to practical-pragmatic daily rituals, but also sciences that smell like reasoning that uses revelation references such as Kalam science, eventhough the usefull sciences for the right approach to God like Sufism. The science of kalam or the science of monotheism provides understanding and belief in the oneness of Allah, fiqh provides ways of worship as a logical consequence of the faith one has in perfecting worship in order to become a person who is truly close to Allah. With the aim that this pesantren can develop in accordance with the times, the used model is the model and paradigm of pesantren education which is the orientation and foundation in the curriculum of pesantren educational institutions, which includes: basic, goals, concepts and values, with this model hope boarding school can be achieved.

SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE UAE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Health education is an essential aspect of health promotion. As such, health related skills have become crucial factors of individual’s and community’s efficiency in the 21st century. Health education involves learning of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, skills and competencies. Also, it is a vital measure for students to identify risk behaviors and conditions which influence them. Thus, the main components of health education are disease prevention and early detection and health information and practice. Therefore, it is encouraging students to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations identified strategies to improve students’ health to promote learning. In addition, the CDC developed broad curriculum for school health education that has been adopted by the ministries of education in many countries all over the world (Maurer & Smith 2012). Therefore, the comprehensive focus of health education is not merely to increase knowledge about the health behaviour of individuals and communities but also to develop skills that demonstrate “various forms of action to address social, economic and environmental determinants of health” (WHO 2012). Hence, health education is attained through approaches that necessitate participation, interaction and critical analysis that are going beyond the dissemination of information (WHO 2017). This review aims to shed light on the evolution of School Health Education Program that was an initiative in the year 2013 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and currently it is implemented in all governmental secondary schools in the UAE.