AMIS AND PRINCIPLES OF HEALTH EDUCATION-THREE

 

6.      It is necessary to have a free flow of communication. The two way communication is particularly of importance in health education to help in getting proper feed back and to get doubts cleared.

7.      The health educator has to make himself acceptable. He should realize that he is an enabler and not a teacher. He has therefore to win the confidence of his clients.

8.      The health educator should not only have correct information with him on all matters that he haws to discuss but also should himself practice what he professes. Otherwise he will not enjoy credibility.

9.      The health educator has to adjust his talk and action o suit the group for whom he has to give health education. This is particularly necessary when the health educator has to deal with illiterates and poor people. He has to get down to their level of conversation and human relationships so as to reduce any social distance. It is only when he can identify himself with the group that there can be any meaningful interaction and exchange of ideas, felling, opinions, etc., needed for promotion of attitudes and behaviour.

 

10.   A health educator has to employ all possible methods of education. He should also have a basic knowledge and should be fully familiar with all the learning principles. He should therefore apply the teaching-learning methods appropriately to different groups and individuals by using his judgment.

         All principles of education and leaning are fully applicable in health education. All methods of education have to be fully explored and exploited for different situations. A variety or diversity of methods is essential not only for effective teaching learning process but for creating interest and for involvement of the learner or the client.

11.  Since the ultimate aim of health education is to bring about desired health related behaviours, the health educator should as far as possible make every effort to reason out and rationalize, so that the client is able to internalize the relevant ideas.

12.   Unplanned health education is a wasteful effort. Health education without proper educational diagnosis will not be able to match the need with the solution and resources.

 

            Programmed health education will have much more effect than unplanned ad hoc attempts. To ensure a full understanding of the problems and its solution by the clients a well planned programme is necessary. The content of the programme and the method of approach will have to be based on the educational diagnosis and care should be taken to include the implementation and evaluation along with the clients. In other words, the health education effort is not a mere one time talk or discussion but a continuous programme and identifying problems with the clients and working out its solution and reviewing from time to time to ensure enduring behaviour.

13. The use of A.V. aids for support and reinforcement is of particular significance in health education because of the different illiterate and literate groups that have to be involved and also because of the technical nature of the subject matter.