An educational framework for implementing healthy lifestyle practices in primary school curricula

Abstract

The aim of the study is to verify the educational method developed in the field of health education, environment, and lifestyle through prepared interactive assignments in real conditions of the pedagogical process. In the introduction, we refer to some models of implementing health education in curricula, presented by experts in relevant sources. Programs for health education are most appropriate to implement as preventive programs in elementary school conditions. We prefer a natural pedagogical experiment with the implementation of prepared assignments in selected subjects, and we investigate a statistically significant difference in knowledge during the experiment within the control and experimental groups. Because there is no individual subject of health style and healthy nutrition within the national curriculum, the assignments are scattered in a cross-curricular manner. The present paper examined the effectiveness of a 3-year project on a healthy lifestyle at 10 selected primary schools with groups of 9–10-year-old students. First, a pilot study was conducted to validate the research concept. Consequently, activities were organized by teachers at elementary schools. The research team of university teachers built a set of 3 innovative packages of tasks and activities. The main evaluation method was quantitative analysis, including descriptive statistics, box plots, and statistical testing of hypotheses for control and experimental classes regarding the significance of the input and output tests. Therefore, the discussion concluded that the application of prepared assignments contributes to improving knowledge about healthy nutrition, a healthy lifestyle, and physical and mental health.