The Moray House School of Education
Research - Themes & Projects

Researchers

Dr Morag MacNeil & Dr Robert Stradling (Educational Studies, School of Education), University of Edinburgh

Keywords

Resources, schools, substance misuse

Abstract

This review was commissioned by NHS Health Scotland. The following areas are currently being explored:

• The range of resources used by practitioners in the delivery of teaching and learning about substance misuse to children and young people will be assessed.
• Their effectiveness and fitness for purpose will be considered, as measured by officers and practitioners whose remit includes quality assurance for substance misuse education. Of particular interest will be the approaches used, and particularly those associated with effectiveness in the evidence-based research literature.
• Human resources also form part of the review, including the support and training in place to help practitioners deliver this area of the curriculum. This element of the review will focus on perceptions of competence, confidence and training and support needs.  
• Compliance of resources with key current developments and initiatives will also be explored, particularly the following:
  • The draft (at the time of writing) Experiences and Outcomes for the Health and Wellbeing area of the Curriculum for Excellence;
  • The potential for contributing to the input from education to meeting the Scottish Government-COSLA Concordat and its Single Outcome Agreements with the local authorities, including the National Outcomes and their indicators;
  • The potential for contributing to the health and wellbeing of children and young people will also be considered, particularly in relation to the Government's Wellbeing Indicators and their links to the Getting it right for every child initiative.

The review will obtain data from the following respondents:

• Local authority officers holding a remit which includes quality assurance for substance misuse education;
• Senior or principal teachers with school-wide responsibility for coordination of substance misuse education;
• Young people in schools;
• Health promotion officers and police officers who provide support for school-based delivery of substance misuse education.

Data will be obtained through surveys (questionnaires will be semi-structured); a small number of interviews and discussion forums, including electronic discussions and focus groups.   Data collection is underway and a final report expected for the end of September 2008.

Publications

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Start /end date

January to September 2008

Funder /amount

NHS Health Scotland /
Tranche 1: £20,000
Tranche 2: £15,000