Undergraduate Course: Promoting Health and Wellbeing in Primary School: theory and policy into practice (EDUA10186)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education and Sport |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Drawing from research and current practice, the course aims to give students a deeper understanding of the role of the teacher in the promotion of wellbeing and what this means in practice. |
| Course description |
.The course is underpinned by wellbeing promotion theory and policy but much of the content is determined by student interest within wellbeing, so there is plenty of scope for exploring wellbeing within any classroom context. Students are asked to carry out a self audit before week 1 to identify their strengths, interests and development needs in hwb. This is used to co-construct the final course content, through identification of strategies, approaches, policy, theory and practice most relevant to students' needs within wellbeing promotion. For both assessments, students can choose the wellbeing approaches they are interested in and situate this within their own context.. Through reading, discussion and practical activities students will gain a deeper understanding of wellbeing and mental health policies, and how to enact them. Ethical, moral and wellbeing considerations of the teacher's role will also be explored
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 19 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 27,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
169 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Students will be expected to investigate an approach to wellbeing promotion; drawing from related theory, policy and observed practice:
Part 1 (weighting-20%) Students will give a presentation on their chosen approach showing how they would implement the approach, drawing from key literature and knowledge of current practice to justify their choices. The external examiner will be invited to observe the process. They will be given a mark out of 100 according to the grade related assessment criteria.
Part 2 (weighting-80%) Students will write a 3000 word paper in which they critically evaluate one or more approaches used to promote wellbeing, drawing from theory, policy, research and their knowledge of current practice in Scottish schools. It is expected that the students will write about the approach on which they gave their presentation, using feedback from the presentation formatively.
There is compensation across these two assessment elements 20:80 and students are required to achieve a minimum of 40% in order to pass the course. The assessment criteria for the presentation and written paper are different ensuring that students are not receiving credit for the same work twice. |
| Feedback |
Draft proposals for the presentation will be discussed formatively at the mid point of the course. Following the presentation, students will receive feedback that will inform their final written paper. There will be regular informal feedback opportunities in each workshop |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of key concepts, policy and literature relating to positive mental health promotion and the wellbeing of children in primary schools.
- Demonstrate understanding of and the difference between approaches and interventions that promote positive wellbeing for all pupils, those designed to support pupils experiencing health difficulties and those intended to remove demoting factors.
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the teacher¿s role in promoting wellbeing in their pupils, particularly but not exclusively within the current context in Scotland and Scottish education
- Engage with relevant research and theoretical perspectives and use these to offer a critical analysis of initiatives and policies that have been employed to improve the social, emotional and mental wellbeing of children in primary school.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the barriers, constraints and ethical considerations that influence the teacher¿s role in wellbeing promotion.
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Reading List
Indicative readings:
Ekornes, S., Hauge, T., and Lund, I. (2012). Teachers as mental health promoters: A study of teachers' understanding of the concept of mental health. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.14 No.5, pp. 289¿310.
Holt, D., Gray, S., Dey, D. & Campbell, L. (2024) Early career teachers' learning about promoting health and wellbeing: a narrative study. Pastoral Care in Education, Vol. 43 No.2 pp.306-327
Keyes, C. (2002) ¿The Mental Health Continuum: From Languishing to Flourishing in Life.¿ Journal of Health and Social Behavior, vol. 43, no. 2, 2002, pp. 207¿22.
Kidger, J., Gunnell, D., Biddle, L., Campbell, R. and Donovan, J. (2009) Part and parcel of teaching? Secondary school staff¿s views on supporting student emotional health and well-being. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 36 No.6, pp.919¿935.
Levin, K., Inchley, J., Currie, D. and Currie, C. (2012) Subjective health and mental well-being of adolescents and the health promoting school: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis. Health Education, Vol.112 No.2, pp.170-184,
McLellan, R., Faucher, C. & Simovska, V. (2022) (Eds) 2022 Wellbeing and Schooling. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing
Noble, T., and H. McGrath. (2012). Wellbeing and resilience in young people and the role of positive relationships. Roffey, S. (Ed), Positive Relationships, Springer, Netherlands, pp.17¿33.
Samnøy, S., Thurston, M., Wold, B., Jenssen, E. S., and Tjomsland, H. E. (2020). Schooling as a contribution or threat to wellbeing? A study of Norwegian teachers¿ perceptions of their role in fostering student wellbeing. Pastoral Care in Education, Vol.40 No.1, pp.60-79.
Shackleton, N., Jamal, F., Viner, R. M., Dickson, K., Patton, G., & Bonell, C. (2016). School-based interventions going beyond health education to promote adolescent health: systematic review of reviews. Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol.58 No.4, pp.382-396,
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students on this course will have knowledge of:
¿ the schools and learning communities in which they teach and their own professional responsibilities within them;
¿ health promotion theory, policy and practice in the context of the primary school;
Students on this course will have the following research skills and be able to:
¿ use scholarship to access and evaluate relevant professional literature;
¿ critically review and evaluate knowledge, skills and thinking in relation to health promotion in the primary classroom;
¿ use communication methods, including a variety of media, to motivate and sustain the interest of their audience;
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| Keywords | health and wellbeing,emotional wellbeing,mental health promotion |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Deborah Holt
Tel: (0131 6)51 6609
Email: Deborah.Holt@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Dr Florenc Mene
Tel:
Email: fmene@ed.ac.uk |
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