Exploring the Theory of Health Promotion Leadership of Elementary School Principals

Author : Chih-Feng Lai

Abstract :Educational leadership is an important area of educational administration, and emerging leadership theories are leading education toward a better future. In recent years, the COVID-19 epidemic has had a profound impact on education, and health promotion leadership for principals is a realization of turning crisis into opportunity. Health promotion leadership has been widely explored, echoing the United Nations' goal of ensuring and promoting sustainable development for healthy living and well being, and the research on health promotion leadership for principals is original. Epidemic preparedness during normal school hours, as well as the promotion and enhancement of health awareness among teachers and students, have become part of the daily operation of schools, and health promotion leadership in schools is an extremely important issue in epidemic era. The World Health Organization first introduced the concept of health promotion in 1986 in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, in the hope that people would strengthen their control over their own health and increase their own health, so that each person could achieve maximum health. Since the implementation of the Ottawa Charter in 1986, health-promoting schools have been introduced to school campuses and have become a global movement. Health-promoting schools are everyone's business, requiring the input of multiple stakeholders, and at the same time, health promotion in schools is effective in enhancing student well-being and health, making them more visible and persuasive in times of epidemic. In summary, there are four theoretical bases for health promotion leadership. First, according to the work resource model, health promotion leadership can increase members' work resources, reduce work demands, and ultimately affect members' health and well-being through changes in members' perceived work characteristics. Second, echoing social learning theory, health promotion leaders create a culture and climate that promotes health and influences members' health and well-being through behavioral role models. Furthermore, social exchange theory suggests that health promotion leaders may influence member health by making organizational commitment to their health clear to members, which in turn encourages members to exhibit desired behaviors. Finally, based on conservation of resource theory, health promotion leadership affects member health and well-being by providing internal and external resources to change members' health values, health perceptions, and health behaviors. Summarizing the views of scholars and the theoretical foundations mentioned above, this study proposes a definition of health promotion leadership as follows: "Leaders strive to shape members' healthy perceptions, values, commitments, and behaviors through self-management of health by example, effective communication and motivation, and the provision of internal and external resources to create a healthy organizational work environment and cultural atmosphere, which will continue to enhance the physical and mental health and well-being of members".

Keywords :Educational leadership, health promotion leadership, COVID-19, school health, well-being, epidemic preparedness, health-promoting schools, work resource model, social learning theory, social exchange theory, conservation of resource theory, school administration, student health, teacher well-being, organizational health culture.

Conference Name :International Conference on Education, Learning and Management (ICELM-25)

Conference Place Fukuoka, Japan

Conference Date 15th Jan 2025