Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition

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  • Home
    • Overview
    • OHSC Meetings
  • About OHSC
    • OHSC Members
    • Making a Difference
    • Our Partners
  • 2023 Membership
    • Communications
  • Healthy Schools
    • Resources >
      • Quick Links
  • 2022 Conference
    • Partnership Program
    • Exhibitor
  • KNAER
    • Research in Brief
    • Research Links
    • Well-being Briefs
  • ISHN
    • FRESH Network
  • For Members
    • Executive Members
Research in Brief
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Building on its history of research and knowledge mobilization, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) has established a partnership with the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University and four exceptional organizations to build communities of practice aligned with the four key components of Ontario’s well-being strategy
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OHSC Collaborative Inquiry Project
​Knowledge Network on Student Well-being
​Research Report


Collaborative Inquiry (CI) on Healthy Schools Practices
Throughout the 2018-2019 school year, 4 educators from four different schools in two unique school boards (rural vs. urban) in Southern Ontario, participated in a collaborative inquiry project. The project was supported by the Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition with funding from the Knowledge Network on Student Well-being via the Ontario Ministry of Education.  The participating educators worked together to develop their inquiry question, and shared their learnings and ideas to improve their work in the classroom and school. They also discussed ways to deepen student’s learning.
 
The latest research suggests that inquiry-based approaches empower teachers to advance their practice and student learning. According to the Ministry of Education, it is through this grassroots learning style that educators work together to improve their understanding of what learning is (or could be), generate evidence on what’s working (and what’s not), make decisions about next, and take action to introduce improvements and innovations.
 
This collaborative inquiry research project explored the following question: In educating students about fundamental physical literacy skills through a healthy school framework, would their physical activity levels, sense of well-being, and sense of acceptance and willingness to be physically active, improve?

full report: Collaborative Inquiry (CI) on Healthy Schools Practices

​What is the Knowledge Network for Student Well-Being 

The Knowledge Network for Student Well‐Being is a project that connects front‐line educators with evidence‐based practices that improve student wellbeing. It is one of four planned knowledge networks  that are part of the Knowledge Network for Applied  Education Research (KNAER). The Knowledge Network  for Student Well‐Being is a joint project of the  Hamilton‐Wentworth District School Board and the  Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. 

What is Student Well‐Being?  Student well‐being has many parts to it. It includes  individual, community, and broader societal factors. It  is more than just the absence of illness. Promoting  well‐being in education goes beyond the adoption of  any particular practice or body of evidence. Well‐being  requires a broad, integrated view of wellness. Schools  are excellent places to build the skills, attitudes,  knowledge and habits that support well‐being for all  students. 

Who are the partners in the Knowledge Network for  Student Well‐Being? 
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The Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University brings together researchers who are  interested in all areas of child well‐being. The Offord Centre conducted the Ontario Child Health Study in  1983 that first identified that 1 in 5 Ontario children  were experiencing mental health difficulties.  Researchers at the Offord Centre are conducting the  current follow‐up to the Ontario Child Health Study,  and have other research programs that examine  physical health and well‐being, family violence,  developmental disorders, and a variety of other  aspects of well‐being.   

The Hamilton‐Wentworth District School Board has  nearly 50,000 students in over 100 schools in urban,  and rural settings. The Evidence‐Based  Education and Services Team (E‐BEST) is the research  department supporting decision‐makers at the  HWDSB, and has a long history at being at the forefront of knowledge mobilization and implementation  research within the Board.  Who else is involved in the Knowledge Network for  Student Well‐Being? 

The Knowledge Network has also joined with four existing communities of practice who each bring  special knowledge and expertise to an aspect of wellbeing.
  • School Mental Health ASSIST is our community  of practice for Positive Mental Health in schools. 
  • The  Social Planning Network of Ontario brings expertise in  Equity and Inclusive Education. 
  • PREVNet is a network of leading researchers and organizations, working  together for Safe and Accepting Schools.
  • The Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition is a dynamic and innovative coalition supporting Healthy Schools for the optimal  health and learning of Ontario’s children and youth.

These organizations reflect the four policy areas identified in Ontario’s Well‐Being Strategy for  Students, which are:
  • equity and inclusive education, 
  • healthy schools, 
  • positive mental health, 
  • and safe and accepting schools. 

​Together with the network leaders they will work together to connect front‐line  educators with leaders in the field, in order to  enhance uptake of evidence‐based practices. ​ They will  also work with front‐line educators to identify promising practices, and to engage researchers to help educators in evaluating these practices. 


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Ontario Healthy Schools Coalition
​PO Box 11 Station Main
Strathroy, ON
​N7G 3J1

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Photo used under Creative Commons from ToGa Wanderings