Teachers As Health Workers : A Critical Understanding of the Health-education Interface

Schooling has long been held responsible for the health and well-being of children. However, against an international background of rising concern about students’ performance and well-being, schools and teachers have faced escalating expectations of their health-related work. While various stakeholders have ideas about what teachers’ health work entails, we know little about teachers’ contributions, engagement and personal satisfaction with this work. As teachers’ work represents a significant national investment, insight into the cost–benefit of teachers’ health work is vital to establishing the broader economic contribution of schools to society.

Teachers as Health Workers offers a critical perspective on these matters, documenting the day-to-day work of Australian teachers as they grapple with the challenges, and joys, of balancing education and health-related responsibilities. Whilst shifts in policy, economics and globalisation influence localised enactment of teachers’ health work, the economic modelling, theorising and methodological innovations of this research address enduring themes and challenges. Consequently, this book’s critical perspective reveals policy-practice gaps in government strategies seeking to create a healthy and productive population.

The book will inform education, health and industrial policies and provide direction for teachers’ initial or ongoing preparation as health workers.

Louise McCuaig served as Associate Professor for Health and Physical Education (HPE) at the School of Human Movement & Nutrition Science, The University of Queensland (UQ). At UQ, Louise’s teaching and research focused on the role that teachers, schools and HPE play in shaping young people’s healthy living. Currently, she is Head of Pastoral Programs at Matthew Flinders Anglican College.

Eimear Enright is a senior lecturer in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at The University of Queensland (UQ). She teaches, researches and writes, broadly speaking, about health and physical education policy and practice. She has recently finished work on two Australian Research Council Discovery projects that examined teachers’ labour and policy in relation to health and globalisation.

Tony Rossi is Deputy Dean of the School of Health Sciences and Discipline Lead of Sport, Health and Exercise Science within the school at Western Sydney University. His research in the field of Health and Physical Education (HPE) focuses on the changing nature of teachers’ work.

Doune Macdonald is Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) at The University of Queensland (UQ), where she is responsible for the quality of teaching, learning, assessment and enriching the student experience. Prior to this role, she was Head of the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at UQ.