Adopting a Culturally Responsive Approach to Ontario Grade 9 Health Education: The Health Educator’s Culturally Responsive Checklist

Abstract

This major research project explored the potential of implementing a culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in Grade 9 health education in Ontario. CRP emphasizes the value of representation and the integration of students’ diverse backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences into the learning process to foster an inclusive classroom environment. This study focused on how health educators are uniquely positioned to impact the social, emotional, and physical health outcomes of students through the use of CRP. The outcome of this major research project is a resource – The Health Educator’s Culturally Responsive Checklist – which can support Ontario HPE teachers in educating from a culturally responsive lens by providing a research-informed checklist to reference during the health education lesson planning process. This major research project highlights how integrating CRP in health education can not only support the Ontario Ministry of Education’s (OME) commitment to diversity and inclusion, but can also promote health literacy that respects the diversity of students, contributing to more effective and impactful health education outcomes. This study provides recommendations for policy, curriculum development, and teacher professional development (PD) to support the potential adoption of CRP in Ontario health classrooms.