Approaches to Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to explore health approaches that influence teachers and children. Furthermore, through this exploration, the complexity of implementing health and wellbeing in schools is identified. As established in the previous chapter, there have been numerous approaches to education which have instinctively influenced physical education (PE) curriculum. Similarly, there have been a number of approaches in society towards public health which have also influenced the delivery of health and wellbeing in schools and, more specifically, Health, Wellbeing and Physical Education (H, W & PE). Three key public health models embedded within different approaches are investigated in this chapter, the medical model [biological approach], “transtheoretical model of behaviour change” [behavioural approach] and the socio-ecological model/socio-cultural approach [social approach].