A content analysis of the Turkish National High School health education curriculum using the health education curriculum analysis tool

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 in Turkey. This study compared Turkish national high school health education curriculum which is delivered at grade 9 with the health education curriculum analysis tool (HECAT). Recommendations for possible new K-12 health education curriculum and for existing and further grade 9 curricula to improve were also given. Content analysis was used as a research method. In this research, an appraisal strength table was created which was adapted from HECAT. Only 45 objectives in the national curriculum were found compatible with 1802 expectations of HECAT (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 both curricula. The findings also indicate that health education delivery grades should be expanded in the following years in Turkey same as in the USA. This study is also the first step which formed Turkish national health education standards (TNHES) for K-12 in Turkey. Besides, there is a newly created prospective spiral K-12 curriculum on Turkish health education which is based on recommended TNHES and HECAT.