A content analysis of Turkish national high school health education curriculum using the health education curriculum analysis tool (HECAT)*
Date
2021-01-15Source Title
Elementary Education Online
Publisher
Ankara University
Volume
20
Issue
1
Pages
251 - 264
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
55
views
views
44
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downloads
Abstract
Health education helps students to promote their mental, social and physical well-being. Health
educators follow a specific curriculum for health promotion in the high schools of Turkey. This study
compared Turkish national high school health education curriculum (HEC) which is delivered at grade 9
with the health education curriculum analysis tool (HECAT) used in the United States. Recommendations
for possible new K-12 health education curriculum and for existing and further grade 9 curricula to
improve was also given. Content analysis was used as a research method. In this research, an appraisal
strength table was created which was adapted from HECAT in order to compare the curricula. Only 45
objectives in the national curriculum were found compatible with 1802 expectations of HECAT
(correspondence rates: 6% for all grades and 7% for grades 9-12). Furthermore, the most represented
level according to Bloom’s revised taxonomy cognitive domains was understanding, whereas applying
was minimum represented level in HEC. The findings also indicate that health education delivery grades
and contents should be expanded immediately in Turkey same as in the U.S. due to several reasons
emerged recent years on health. Moreover, this research suggests to form Turkish national health
education standards (TNHES) for K-12 education and draft TNHES were shared in this study.