Medicine education for schoolchildren: what do the teachers think?

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate teachers' attitudes towards medicines and to determine what they are willing to teach children about medicines. This study is part of a larger project where medicine education materials accessible on the internet (www.uku.fi/laakekasvatus, in Finnish with English introduction) were designed, developed, and evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from a convenience sample of primary (n=11) and junior secondary (n=3) schoolteachers who attended three focus group discussions (FGDs). Before the FGDs, the teachers had taught three medicine education sessions based on medicine education curriculum materials to their own classes.

Findings

Three different types of teachers were found: empowering (n=6), paternalistic (n=6), and material evaluating (n=2). An empowering teacher was ready to facilitate the empowerment of children as medicine users. A paternalistic teacher wanted to teach children the dangers of medicines and also the importance of a healthful lifestyle. The material evaluating type of teacher commented mainly on the usefulness of the medicine education materials without expressing any attitude towards medicines.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the small number of teachers participating in this study, it may be regarded as a pilot study that generated a hypothesis. Results need to be verified with a larger sample of teachers and with quantitative research methods before generalizations can be made.

Originality/value

This study suggests a need to educate teachers about what medicine education is and how it could be taught with an empowering approach.

Citation

Hämeen‐Anttila, K., Airaksinen, M., Timonen, J., Bush, P. and Ahonen, R. (2006), "Medicine education for schoolchildren: what do the teachers think?", Health Education, Vol. 106 No. 6, pp. 480-490. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280610711424