Impact of intersectoral health and education training on school learning outcomes and emotions

Abstract

Objectives: Schools that have partnerships with health services have shown improvements in attendance and academic performance. This study examined the effects of intersectoral educational training (IET) between the health and education sectors on students’ learning outcomes, emotional experiences and subjective task values. Design: In this experimental field study, students in the control group were taught about health by a regular team of teachers, the experimental group was taught by a teacher–general practitioner team. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected at three different points of time. Setting: The study was conducted with students aged between 13 and 14 years in three classes at a secondary school in Baden-Wuerttemberg. Methods: Data were collected on demographic variables as well as learning outcomes assessed by a multiple choice test. For the assessment of emotional experiences, the validated Achievement Emotions Questionnaire was used and for subjective task values a modified Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire was employed. Quantitatively, descriptive statistics were calculated and correlation analyses were conducted to explore the association of positive emotions and task value with knowledge after the intervention and follow-up. Results: Over time, 69 of 76 participants (91%) completed all three surveys. Both groups showed significant and sustainable knowledge increases, but there were no significant differences between the groups in knowledge increase, positive emotions and task values. Conclusion: Health education in public secondary schools seems useful for increasing students’ health knowledge both in the short- and longer-term. However, future research will need to examine the potential effects of IET approaches on students’ cognitive and motivational experience.