Health Education and Promotion – (M.A.)

National policy developments in both the health and education sectors have stimulated an increase in health promotion programmes and infrastructure. The change from "health education" to "health promotion" represents a growth in both theory and practice. "The practice of health promotion requires an integration of existing knowledge from areas such as community development, adult education, health education, public heath, social psychology, medicine, community mental health, political science and social marketing"(Health Promotion Strategy).

Therefore there is increasing need to provide the tools to develop effective multi agency and multi professional programmes as well as an understanding of contemporary health promotion.

Objectives

* Critically evaluate their understanding of and attitudes towards health education and promotion;
* Develop personally and professionally through participative and experiential learning; and through empowerment;
* Develop skills of critical appraisal so as to assess the needs of their own institutions in the context of the communities which they serve;
* Learn and apply relevant knowledge, theory and research findings;
* Conduct research into chosen aspects of health education and health promotion;
* Understand the concepts of empowerment, community development and social actions as they apply within health education/promotion and to apply them to their work practice;
* Gain some experience of alternative working environments through a combination of first-hand experience of alternative working and peer tutoring with a view to reflecting on their own situation.
* To provide teachers with an opportunity to obtain a postgraduate qualification arising from participation in a National initiative in Inservice.
* To enhance the pedagogy and practical skills of teachers in the context of revised curricula.
* To encourage teachers to develop new approaches to evaluation and assessment strategies and to become effective facilitators of learning.

Careers

Professionals working in health and social care, Health Board administrative staff, teachers at primary, post-primary and adult education levels, initial and further vocational education and training and those working at the interface between school and community.