Efficacy of Peer Learning Communities in Developing a Model of School Health Education

Abstract

Background: Peer Communities of Learners (PCLs) is considered one of the most effective strategies in Education that involves school students, teachers, parents and other community members as a targeted group of learners. Developing PCls in schools helps to develop of social communication and to exchange knowledge between targeted groups. Aim: Measuring the effect of PCLs on developing a curriculum based model of school health Education was the research objective. Method: 15 subjects in Kasr Aldoubara School in Cairo were involved in the PCL group of learners. They represent all language teachers in the school (N=9) and school administrative staff members (N=6). Study subjects were trained through 6 Successive training sessions aimed at: (1) Adding skills related to PCLs development among school teachers, (2) Curriculum based on health education modules and (3) Language Curriculum as a tool in development of School Health Education. Tools were developed by researches. They include: (1) School PCLs Checklist, (2) School Health Education Checklist. Validity and reliability of the tools were confirmed before their use in the final form. Results: Wilcoxon test revealed significant development of PCLs based language teacher skills as rated by School PCLs Checklist and School Health Education Checklist at the level of (0.01) and (0.01) respectively. 12 Lesson were selected to be a part of adding health education messages. They were selected by language teachers as a part of PCLs sessions. They involved messages related to physical, mental and social health directed to primary and preparatory students that can be introduced through ordinary language curriculum (Arabic, English, German and French languages). School administrative staff members demonstrated 6 case studies of Health Education Messages related to physical, mental and social health that are directed to students, teachers and parents.