Developing evidence-based health education resources: a participatory and iterative approach applied to the one...

The development of health education resources frequently relies on a top-down approach centered on scientific or institutional expertise, which may not always reflect the needs of end users. In a context marked by the emergence of the One Health concept and its forthcoming integration into French school curricula, the development of appropriate educational resources represents a major challenge. This study aimed to describe a participatory, iterative and co-constructive approach to the development of evidence-based educational resources within the e-Bug program.

Resource development followed a five-step process: needs assessment based on an evidence and context review, curriculum analysis and focus groups with teachers; resource design; prototype optimization through a second series of focus groups; scientific and institutional validation; and school-based piloting. Findings from the school-based evaluation are not reported in the present methodological study and will be presented separately. Qualitative data guided successive adaptations of the resources throughout the development process.

The identified needs led to the development of modular educational resources, adapted to different educational levels and readily usable in the classroom. Teacher feedback primarily concerned active learning approaches, content contextualization, activity modularity and the support provided to teachers, leading to further refinement of the resources. Scientific and institutional validation strengthened the accuracy of the content and supported its alignment with school curricula and public health priorities.

This study highlights the value of a participatory approach involving teachers, scientific experts and institutional stakeholders in the development of health education resources. Through this One Health case study, it provides an example of an evidence-based methodology designed to enhance the relevance, acceptability and usability of educational resources intended for school settings.