Gross National Happiness through Gross National Healthiness: Cross Cultural Approaches of Pre-Service Teacher Education through School Students' Health Education

Abstract

The philosophical and culturally aligned role of pre-service teacher education in Paro, Bhutan and Armidale, Australia is the context for the paper. The effect of these programs to prepare teachers to impart key health information on nutrition is reflected through interviews of school-aged children in Paro (n=8) and Armidale (n=6). The knowledge evidenced from these data included confused and inaccurate understanding of 'sometimes' and 'everyday' foods and what constitutes three basic food groups of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Students in Armidale regularly cited fast-food chains as synonymous with foods to be limited while this was less of a concern of the students in Paro. Such commercial food availability and other culturally specific differences underline the comparisons in these two locations. The implications of these findings have relevance to the role of school-based teachers and pre-service teacher educators, negotiating for creative space in programs of study employing a research informed position.