Competencies of Florida school health educators

Area of Science:

• Health Education
• Educational Administration
• Public Health

Background:

• School health education is crucial for student well-being.
• Competency requirements for health educators may differ by academic level.
• Understanding these differences informs professional development and training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the essential competencies for bachelor's and master's level school health educators in Florida.
• To identify specific skill sets needed at each educational level.
• To inform curriculum development and training programs for health educators.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to 69 school health educators in Florida.
• A five-point Likert scale assessed the importance of 135 competencies.
• Competencies were categorized into administration, evaluation, general health knowledge, and communication.

Main Results:

• Bachelor's level educators require competencies focused on direct health instruction delivery.
• Master's level educators demonstrated a greater need for competencies in administration and evaluation.
• Significant differences were observed in competency importance based on educator degree level.

Conclusions:

• The findings highlight distinct competency needs for different levels of school health educators.
• Training programs should be tailored to the specific requirements of bachelor's and master's level professionals.
• This research supports evidence-based professional development for enhancing school health education effectiveness.