Diverse perspectives on pupil health among professionals in school-based multi-professional teams

Abstract

Internationally, educators have proposed a shift from a narrow diagnostic view to a holistic and salutogenic perspective on pupils’ school-related difficulties. There is, however, little evidence to suggest that such a shift has taken place, despite being talked about by school administrators. In Sweden such a shift is proposed through a new organization of school services (‘pupil health’) with the distinct aim of psychosocial and physical health promotion in schools. The aim of the present study was to explore the meaning attributed to the new concept of ‘pupil health’ by school psychologists and different school-based professionals (i.e. their social representations of the concept and the services provided). Questions investigated include: What meanings do school-based multi-professional teams attribute to ‘pupil health’? What patterns of meaning can be distinguished between different professional groups and across professional groups? A mainly inductive qualitative content analysis adapted from Graneheim and Lundman (2003) was used. The result is a model, a matrix, which illuminates diversity in ‘pupil health’ as a new concept. The matrix describes four different perspectives on pupil health. The practical implications of those perspectives are discussed with reference to research on multi-professional teams, social representation theory and salutogenic perspectives.