Project Activities
The research team first worked with content experts, curriculum developers, teachers, students, and parents to develop a brain-based health curriculum that met mandated National Health Education Standards to replace the existing Healthful Living ninth-grade curriculum currently required in North Carolina. The new curriculum was then pilot tested with teachers and their students to determine feasibility and inform further modifications to the course. In the final year, a larger pilot test was conducted in which teachers implemented the new brain-based health curriculum or continued to implement the existing Healthful Living curriculum based on random assignment. The promise of the new course for increasing targeted student outcomes was then determined.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research took place in two large North Carolina public school districts.
Sample
Approximately 750 ninth-grade students participated in this 3-year development project. This included approximately 600 students who participated in the pilot test during Year 3. In addition, approximately 38 teachers and over 700 parents participated by providing feedback on the development of the health curriculum. Of those teachers, 12 participated in the pilot test in Year 3.
Intervention
The proposed intervention built upon the current, state-mandated Healthful Living course which was being taught in North Carolina at the ninth-grade level. The current course consisted of 45 class sessions equally distributed across five content units: (1) mental and emotional health; (2) personal and consumer health; (3) interpersonal communications and relationships; (4) nutrition and physical activity; and (5) alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. This was a year-long course offered in a regular or block schedule, with half of the instruction covering the standards listed above and the other half dedicated to physical education. The new neuroscience-based course was designed for the block schedule and met all state and national health education requirements to facilitate implementation with minimal effort by the participating schools. The new curriculum built on the existing lessons in the five content units and integrated explicit instruction about adolescent brain development and functioning and concepts from social cognitive theory such as observational learning, reinforcement, self-control, and self-efficacy. This enhanced the course's potential and promoted actual health behavior changes (e.g., better nutrition and sleep) in students, thereby supporting their success in school over time.
Research design and methods
In Year 1, the research team developed a prototype of the neuroscience-based health curriculum through an iterative process of review with content experts and focus groups of teachers, students, and parents. In Year 2, fidelity measures were developed as the prototype was tested for feasibility with approximately six teachers and their students. Weekly student surveys and biweekly coaching sessions with teachers provided feedback on this preliminary version of the curriculum and revisions for the full pilot test in Year 3 were made. The full pilot test included 2 teachers in each of six schools (12 teachers in total) who implemented the new neuroscience-based health curriculum or continued to implement the existing health curriculum based on random assignment.
Control condition
The teachers in the control group delivered the Healthful Living curriculum for ninth graders who were in the North Carolina school districts.
Key measures
Measures of proximal outcomes included (1) a researcher-developed assessment of knowledge of brain structure and function, (2) the Theory of Brain Abilities and Effort Beliefs Measure to assess a growth mindset (3) the Children's Multidimensional Self-Efficacy Scales, (4) the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire, and (5) the Adolescent Risk and Health Behavior Survey. Distal outcomes were assessed using the North Carolina Education Research Data Center that included scores on end-of-course tests.
Data analytic strategy
Focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed and themes were identified. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze the pilot data and the potential impact of the intervention on proximal and distal outcomes was determined.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Select Publications:
Babinski, L. M., Murray, D. W., Wilson, W. A., Kuhn, C. M., & Malone, P. S. (2018). Impact of a neuroscience-based health education course on high school students' health knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63(4), 489-496.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator: Wilson, Wilkie
Questions about this project?
To answer additional questions about this project or provide feedback, please contact the program officer.
