Measuring Health Promoter Core Competencies Among Graduate Students Enrolled in a Health Promotion Course - Article 10 - Abstract

Oct 15, 2026

Global public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for skilled public health graduates and graduate programs. Core Competencies for Public Health help graduate-level programs ensure students gain appropriate knowledge, tools, and skills for effective practice. Case-based learning supports learner-centered application to real-world scenarios and higher-order thinking. This study surveyed University of Guelph students before and after an experiential group health promotion assignment to assess competency gains.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Purpose and background

Core competencies and learning approach

Study design and assessments

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 15 | Issue 3 | Article 10 | | --- | --- | | Winter 12-31-2024
Measuring Health Promoter Core Competencies Among Graduate Students Enrolled in a Health Promotion Course
Lauren M. Sherk
University of Guelph, [lsherk@uoguelph.ca](lsherk@uoguelph.ca)[ ](lsherk@uoguelph.ca)Melissa MacKay
University of Guelph, [melissam@uoguelph.ca](melissam@uoguelph.ca)[ ](melissam@uoguelph.ca)Jennifer E. McWhirter
University of Guelph, [j.mcwhirter@uoguelph.ca](j.mcwhirter@uoguelph.ca)[ ](j.mcwhirter@uoguelph.ca)Andrew Papadopoulos
University of Guelph, [apapadop@uoguelph.ca](apapadop@uoguelph.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.14384](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.14384) | | Recommended Citation Sherk, L. M., MacKay, M., McWhirter, J. E., & Papadopoulos, A. (2024) . Measuring health promoter core competencies among graduate students enrolled in a health promotion course. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(3). [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.14384](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.3.14384) Measuring Health Promoter Core Competencies Among Graduate Students Enrolled in a Health Promotion Course Abstract Global public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic create public awareness of the need for skilled public health graduates and public health graduate programs. Core Competencies for Public Health are tools that can guide graduate-level public health programs to ensure students are receiving the appropriate knowledge, tools and skills required to become effective public health practitioners that comprise a strong public health workforce. Case-based learning is a learner centered approach that allows students to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, promoting higher-order thinking. The University of Guelph Master of Public Health graduate program incorporates both the Core Competencies for Public Health in Canada as created by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Pan-Canadian Health Promoter Competencies developed by Health Promotion Canada (HPC), as well as experiential learning to ensure students are receiving a high-quality learning experience throughout the course of their studies. Assessments of the program, individual courses within the program, and assignments within the courses are beneficial to ensure alignment with the Public Health Core Competencies—including Health Promotion Core Competencies. In the present study, surveys were administered to students enrolled in the University of Guelph Winter 2021 semester Health Promotion class before and after completion of an experiential group health promotion assignment worth 50% of their grade. The assignment used case-based learning within a group setting, allowing students to engage and apply knowledge gained through the semester to solve a real-world public health issue. Students reported increased self-perceived proficiency in all Core Competencies after completion of the practice-based group health promotion program assessment. Des événements mondiaux de santé publique tels que la pandémie de la COVID-19 sensibilisent le public à la nécessité de disposer de diplômés et de diplômées qualifiés en santé publique et de programmes d'études supérieures en santé publique. Les compétences de base en santé publique sontdes outils qui peuvent guider les programmes d'études supérieures en santé publique afin de garantir que les étudiants et les étudiantes reçoivent les connaissances, les outils et les compétencesnécessaires pour devenir des praticiens de santé publique efficaces qui constituent une main-d'œuvresolide dans le domaine de la santé publique. L'apprentissage par cas est une approche centrée sur l'apprenant qui permet aux étudiants et aux étudiantes d'appliquer leurs connaissances

FAQs

What is the purpose of using Core Competencies for Public Health in graduate programs?

They guide graduate-level public health programs to ensure students receive the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to become effective public health practitioners.

How does case-based learning contribute to the learning experience described in the paper?

It is learner-centered and lets students apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, supporting higher-order thinking.

How were students assessed in the present study?

Surveys were administered to students before and after completing an experiential group health promotion assignment worth 50% of their grade.

Oct 15, 2026

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