Implementing distributed leadership to improve health awareness among students in a private-free school in Beirut

النوع : Mémoire

The purpose of this study is to improve students’ health awareness in a private-free school in Beirut by incorporating distributed leadership practices in the school health council. The study focuses on the smoking and drug abuse topic among the school health education topics. Besides, the study employs action research methodology. The study combines quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative data were derived from inquiry data using closed-ended questions of three questionnaires completed by 237 students and 33 teachers. Qualitative data were derived from artifacts, observation and inquiry data using school documents, journals, field notes, semi-structured interviews, conferencing and the open-ended questions of the questionnaires. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 while the qualitative data were treated thematically. Findings indicated that implementing distributed leadership practices among school health council members at the researched school increased students’ health education about smoking and drug dangers, where an improvement in students’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions were noted.