TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– Health and education are inextricably linked. Health promotion sits somewhat uncomfortably within schools, often remaining a marginal aspect of teachers’ work. The purpose of this paper is to examine the compatibility of an HP-initiative with teacher professional identity. Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative research design was adopted consisting of semi-structured interviews. In total, 49 teachers in two school districts in the Auvergne region in central France were interviewed in depth post having completed three years’ involvement in a health promoting schools initiative called “Learning to Live Better Together” (“Apprendre a Mieux Vivre Ensemble”). Findings– Teachers in the study had a broad conceptualisation of their role in health promotion. In keeping with international trends, there was more success at classroom than at whole school level. While generally teachers can be reluctant to engage with health promotion, the teachers in this study identified having little difficulty in understanding their professional identity as health promoters and identified strong compatibility with the HP-initiative. Practical implications– Teachers generally viewed professional development in health promotion in a positive light when its underlying values were commensurate with their own and when the context was seen as compatible with the school mission. The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice. Originality/value– The promotion of health in schools needs to be sensitive to professional identity and be tailored specifically to blend more successfully with current teacher identity and practice.
VL  - 116
IS  - 2
SN  - 0965-4283
DO  - 10.1108/HE-07-2014-0078
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-07-2014-0078
AU  - Jourdan Didier
AU  - Simar Carine
AU  - Deasy Christine
AU  - Carvalho Graça S.
AU  - Mannix McNamara Patricia
PY  - 2016
Y1  - 2016/01/01
TI  - School health promotion and teacher professional identity
T2  - Health Education
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 106
EP  - 122
Y2  - 2024/04/26
ER  -