In search of 21st-century high-quality health education teachers

Abstract

PurposeTeachers with subject-area knowledge and certification in their teaching content areas positively contribute to student academic achievement. This study aims to identify the trends in academic majors and subject-area certifications of K-12 US public school staff teaching health education during this century.Design/methodology/approachData were extracted from a comprehensive nationally representative survey of school employees conducted regularly by the National Center for Educational Statistics of the US Department of Education.FindingsApproximately 60% of the health education teachers indicated they were certified in health education during the study period. Nearly two-thirds of staff teaching health education did not have an academic major in health education. These findings suggest an ongoing trend of granting teachers state certification in health education devoid of any academic major in health education. Other increasing trends include staff with an academic major in physical education and no academic major in health education teaching health classes and certified in physical education teachers who were not certified in health education teaching health classes. Overall, students in the USA were not taught health education by quality or qualified health education teachers as defined by having an academic major and certification in health education.Originality/valueThe findings are a call to action to hire health education teachers who not only have certification in health education but also an academic major in health education, which is imperative to increase healthy behaviors, reduce risk behaviors and increase academic achievement among youth.