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Health education teachers' historical bodies: constructing teacher identity and teaching information evaluation

Tuula Nygård (Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)
Noora Hirvonen (Information Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)
Sari Räisänen (Faculty of Education, Oulu University Teacher Training School, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)
Riitta-Liisa Korkeamäki (Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland)

Health Education

ISSN: 0965-4283

Article publication date: 15 December 2020

Issue publication date: 19 January 2021

315

Abstract

Purpose

This article describes how Finnish health education teachers verbalise and construct their teacher identity based on their lifestyle, subject area and relationships with their students.

Design/methodology/approach

Narrative interviews were conducted amongst eight secondary and upper secondary school teachers. The nexus analysis was used to analyse teachers' methods of teaching students information-seeking, evaluation and critical thinking skills.

Findings

The teachers' historical bodies – their skills, interests, information-seeking habits and familiar sources – impacted the chosen teaching methods. The results indicate that teacher identity is constructed along different paths and is constantly performed and transformed in the classroom through interactions with students.

Originality/value

The study illustrates the reconstruction of teacher identity through interaction in interviews. Teachers act as role models, information gatekeepers and trustees who guide students to choose credible health information sources.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The study was funded by the Academy of Finland (Grant No. 299112) and Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation.Disclosure statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Citation

Nygård, T., Hirvonen, N., Räisänen, S. and Korkeamäki, R.-L. (2021), "Health education teachers' historical bodies: constructing teacher identity and teaching information evaluation", Health Education, Vol. 121 No. 1, pp. 59-74. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-10-2020-0096

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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