Children and their families as health-promoting actors in a home-school partnership program, 2010-2013

Responsible leader: Professor Kerttu Tossavainen, University of Eastern Finland, Department of Nursing Science, P.O.B. 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland

The main objectives of this action research project focus on mutual social capital and capacity building as well as changing home and school cultures for home-school partnership and health promotion of children (cf. cultural, social and economic capital in health promotion). To reach these objectives, the following sub-objectives have been formulated:

  • to identify the existing functions of home-school collaboration and to recognize sub-groups that are not participating and find out the reasons for non-participation,
  • to further develop the previously piloted home-school partnership model in collaboration with pupils, their families, school personnel and the research group by using interactive and innovative methods,
  • to test the model in practice and evaluate it during the process and at the end,
  • to develop theoretical and methodological knowledge regarding the home-school partnership and health promotion of children,
  • to develop indicators for home-school partnerships to be used in schools.

Evidence-based, tested and suitable home-school partnership programs targeted at children’s positive health promotion in the school community are basically lacking in Finland. In this research project, a piloted (2008-2010) home-school health promotion model is going to be developed further and tested in 40 schools in the Finnish Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) network.

From autumn 2010 to spring 2013 action research will be implemented in collaboration with the pupils, their families, teachers, school nurses and the research group by means of interactive and innovative methods. We use a longitudinal design with quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative methods (e.g. individual and focus-group interviews). A baseline and follow-up surveys will be collected from children (N=2500), parents (N=2500) and teachers (N=1500). Process evaluation will be carried out by focus groups and individual interviews for children (N=50), parents (N=50), teachers (N=50) and school nurses (n=40) in different phases of the process. The data will be analysed with statistical and qualitative methods.

This action research study will develop and test new, innovative way of combining home-school partnership with a lifelong health learning process in collaboration with children, parents, teachers and school nurses and will produce indicators to evaluate home-school partnership to support children's wellbeing and health promotion. The home-school partnership model can be disseminated in other schools in Finland and internationally in SHE network schools.


The following researchers are involved in this research program in the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Eastern Finland:

  • Adjunct professor, senior researcher Hannele Turunen, Ph.D, has expertise in both health promotion and health pedagogies. She has been a member of the ENHPS partnership since 1997 in co-operation with Kerttu Tossavainen, the Finnish Centre for Health Promotion, and a nominated member of the SHE international research group. 
  • Postdoctoral researcher, Ph.D Terhi Saaranen's doctoral dissertation in 2006 was titled "Promotion of School Community Staff's Occupational Well-being in Co-operation with Occupational Health Nurses. Participatory Action Research in Eastern Finland in 2001-2004". She will continue her interest in school staff's health and well-being, and how it will be developed as social capital with parents. Her other areas of interest are school children’s health promotion, the roles of tutoring and web-based learning environments in support of studying and teaching. 
  • Doctoral student, MSc Marjorita Sormunen's study, ”Primary school-aged child’s health learning path: Home-school partnership as participatory action research, 2008-2010” will provide piloted results and a model of home-school collaboration for further development in this research program. (http://www.peda.net/veraja/kuopio/klaslukio/lapsi/)
  • Doctoral student, MSc Pia Suvivuo's study ”Sexual health choices of teenage girls in the frame of self-control" - a narrative study" examines girls’ experiences and autonomy in sexually motivated situations.
  • Doctoral student, MSc Marianne Antikainen's study "Non-governmental health organization as an actor in promotion of adolescents' non-intoxicant use - partnership intervention in schools" examines a very little studied topic of NGOs' work in health education.
  • Doctoral student, MSc Arja Kainulainen's study concentrates on examining adolescents’ mental health promotion in the school community in partnership with pupils, parents, teachers, school health nurses and a non-governmental organization (Suomen Mielenterveysseura / Finnish Mental Health Association).

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