ANAYLSIS OF THE BEHAVIOURS OF SCIENCE TEACHER CANDIDATES TOWARDS HEALTHY LIVING
Journal Name:
- The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies
Keywords (Original Language):
| Author Name | University of Author | Faculty of Author |
|---|---|---|
Abstract (2. Language):
Problem status: Nowadays, the patterns of modern life are necessitating more than ever an adherence to behaviors associated with healthy living. As human longevity increases, it becomes more and more important to maintain lifelong health. In order to live longer and healthier lives, it is important to demonstrate healthy living behavior. In the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), “Being Healthy” was defined in 1946 as “not only the absence of disease or disability, but also as a state of physical, psychological and social well-being” (Kesgin and Topuzoğlu, 2006). Nowadays, the notion of “being healthy” is defined more as “the body knowledge for the preservation, maintenance and improvement of health.” Furthermore, the increasing awareness on healthy living which begins at an individual level will contribute to the development of a society composed of healthy individuals.
It would be especially beneficial to evaluate the health-related behavior of Education Faculty students, both as individuals and as important candidates who will influence the development and improvement of their students’ health when they begin their careers as teachers. In addition, this study may also serve as a guide for the development and conduct of education programs, by determining the areas in which students’ health-related behaviors are adequate or inadequate.
For these reasons, this study aims to assess the prevalence of healthy living behaviors among elementary school science teacher candidates, who will contribute in the future to the development of effective health-related behaviors among children within the elementary education age group, which constitutes the most important and critical age group for education. Based on this approach, the question the problem which is addressed within the context of this study is, “What is the level of the behaviors associated with healthy living among first and fourth year who are receiving their education in Elementary School Science Teaching?” is.
Method: This study is a survey model study that investigated the behaviors associated with healthy living among first and fourth year students receiving their education at the Department of Science Teaching. The sample of the study was composed of 90 students who were receiving their education in a university’s Education Faculty Science Undergraduate Teaching Program during the 2011-2012 educational year. Of these students, 49 were first year students, while 41 were fourth year students.
The “Questionnaire Regarding Healthy Living Behaviors” developed by Hallab (1999) was used within the context of this study. This questionnaire includes six dimensions: Regular exercise, nutritional habits, smoking, coping with stress, safety and medical care.
Results: The results obtained during the study are provided below for each dimension:
Exercise: It was observed that there were no significant differences between first and fourth year students with regards to regular exercise, and that most students in both grades did not have a regular exercise routine.
Nutrition: No differences were identified between the students with respect to their current grade level. Based on an evaluation of the general nutritional habits for both grades, it is possible to say that their nutritional habits were rather poor due to the consumption of refined food products instead of whole grain food products, the consumption of desserts with high fat content, the low number of fruit and vegetable servings consumed, and the frequency of fast food consumption.Smoking: It was observed in both grade levels that the proportion of students using cigarettes or tobacco products was not high.
Stress: It was observed that students in first and fourth grades experienced stress on occasions; but that they were able to cope with these stresses and that they were generally happy.
Safety: It was observed that first and fourth year students accorded the same level of importance to traffic safety.
Medical Care: When the medical care of first and fourth year students were evaluated, it was observed that only general health examinations were attended more frequently by fourth year students, while other medical care-related responses were generally in parallel between the two grade levels. Based on the six medical care-related questions that were asked to the students, it is possible to say that students in both grades have a low level of awareness regarding their health (in other words, that they did not pay much attention to their health).
Results and Discussion Based on the answers of science teacher candidates regarding behaviors associated with healthy living, it was determined that these students did not exercise regularly, that their nutrition was not composed of healthy and balanced meals and the they neglected their medical examinations. In addition to these observations, the proportion of smokers among the students was not very high, and the students paid attention to their safety in traffic. Based on this study, it is recommended that:
- As the study results regarding healthy living behaviors were far from adequate, a more significant place should be allocated to health-related subjects within the context of education programs on science teaching; or, in order to improve behaviors concerning their own health, mandatory courses on health-related topics should be provided in vocational education programs.
- In order to raise awareness regarding positive health behaviors and to encourage the improvement of their own health, efforts to actualize the positive knowledge acquired during their education into behavior patterns should be supported, and instructors should perform their responsibilities by guiding, counseling and serving as role model for the students in order to support the development of these behaviors.
- Following this study, variables that might affect health-related behaviors in a positive way should be investigated in studies conducted on larger and different groups.
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Abstract (Original Language):
Günümüzde teknoloji hızla ilerleyip insanoğlunun çoğu sağlık sorununa tedavi yöntemleri getirirken bir yandan da sağlıkla ilgili başka sıkıntılar doğurmaktadır. Böyle bir ortamda ilerde sağlık konularını içeren fen ve teknoloji dersini verecek olan öğretmen adaylarının sağlıklı yaşam davranışlarının tespiti öğrencilerine rol-model oluşturacakları için önemlidir. Buradan hareketle çalışmada fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının sağlıklı yaşam davranışlarının ve birinci ve dördüncü sınıf arasında bir fark olup olmadığının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla fen bilgisi öğretmenliği anabilim dalında öğrenim görmekte olan birinci ve dördüncü sınıftan toplam 90 öğrenci çalışmanın örneklem grubu olarak seçilmiştir. Seçilen gruba Hallab (1999) tarafından geliştirilen Sağlıklı Yaşama Yönelik Davranış Testi uygulanmış ve veriler yüzde ve frekans değerleriyle yorumlanmıştır. Fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının sağlıklı yaşam davranışıyla ilgili cevaplarından hareketle öğrencilerin düzenli egzersiz yapmadıkları, beslenmelerinin sağlıklı ve dengeli öğünlere ayrılmadığı ve tıbbi kontrollerini ihmal ettikleri tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte öğrenciler büyük oranda sigara kullanmamakta ve trafikte güvenliklerine dikkat etmektedirler. Bu çalışmanın ardından; Fen bilgisi öğretmenliği öğretim programlarında sağlığı geliştirme konularına daha fazla yer verilmesi, mesleki eğitim süreçleri içinde sağlıkla ilgili zorunlu derslerin bulunması, öğrencilerin olumlu sağlık davranışlarının farkına vardırılması ve kendi sağlığını geliştirmelerine yönelik eğitimleri boyunca olumlu bilgileri davranışa dönüştürme çabalarının desteklenmesi ve bu konuda öğretim elemanlarının rehberlik, danışmanlık ve rol model olma gibi sorumluluklarını yerine getirmeleri önerilebilir.
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