2024 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 292-302
Objective: To report on classes aimed at the learning of “skills” in coping with stress in the health education of junior high school.
Activities: A three-hour class on coping with stress was conducted in each class in December 2023 for a total of 102 students in three classes of first graders at a public junior high school. Classes were developed with a focus on group discussions and practical exercises so that students could exchange opinions with their peers based on their own life experiences and so that they could develop their “knowledge” and “skills.”
Assessments: Pre- and post-surveys were conducted in each class the week before the first period and the week after the third period, respectively, using a before-and-after comparative research design. The percentage of correct responses to the knowledge test questions about coping with stress was significantly higher in the postsurvey for one of the five questions. Scores on the self-efficacy scale for stress management were not significantly different between the pre- and post-surveys. The percentage of respondents who were “currently stress-free” was lower in the postsurvey than in the presurvey.
Recommendations for future activities: To develop “skills” in stress management, it is necessary to further improve the teaching methods that lead to the effective learning of “skills” even in a limited time by providing feedback among teachers and students on the activities in the practical training and by actively using team-teaching from the viewpoint of individualized teaching.
