The Current Status of Health Education in Libyan Elementary and Preparatory Schools.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to obtain baseline data essential for future health education curriculum development in Libyan public schools. This study was the first of its nature conducted in Libyan schools. It was developed from the National School Health Education Study (SHES) conducted in the United States some sixteen years ago. Since that time, several states in the U.S. have conducted similar studies to assess their schools' health education. This study consisted of three parts. The first part assessed the health knowledge of a sample of sixth grade students, the second part assessed the health knowledge of a sample of third grade preparatory (ninth grade) students and the third part ascertained the health instructional practices of a sample of classroom health teachers from the sample schools. It also provided comparison of the health knowledge of Libyan and Indiana (as an example of U.S.) students of the same grade level, to determine similarities and differences in the health knowledge of students of the two countries. The American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation's Cooperative Health Education Tests Form 4 and Form 3A were appropriately modified, translated, pre-tested, and used in this study. Form 4 was administered to a sample of 1,667 sixth grade students and Form 3A was administered to a sample of 948 ninth grade students. These samples were stratified and r and omly selected from the 10 mohafadas (districts) of the country. A self-administered questionnaire was developed by the investigator and completed by a sample of 100 classroom health teachers. The results of this study revealed certain weaknesses in the health knowledge of elementary and preparatory school students in most content areas. Some health areas appeared to have received better instructional support than others, resulting in a wide variation in the students' knowledge of current health topics. Students of some mohafadas showed that they were much more knowledgeable in certain health areas than those from other mohafadas. This variation is attributed to the differences in the teacher education programs from one mohafada to another. Sixth grade female students achieved significantly higher scores on the health knowledge test than did male students of the same grade level. This did not hold true in the ninth grade. The differences in the health knowledge of Libyan and American students of the same grade level, while significant, were not great. Newly graduated health teachers and those who were mainly prepared for teaching made more frequent use of modern health instructional methods than did those with higher qualification or a longer period of time in teaching. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the need for improving the current health instructional practices, as well as teacher education programs. Health education materials produced in the U. S. can, to some extent, appropriately be translated and used in Libyan schools.