Pre-Service Teacher Education for Mental Health and Inclusion in Schools.

Abstract

Pre-service teacher education in mental health and mental health literacy is essential to creating the conditions necessary to support the mental health and wellness of children and youth in schools. Many teachers report never having received any education about mental health, but recognize the importance of this knowledge in meeting the needs of their students in regular classrooms. This article describes the development of a completely online mental health course organized around five learning objectives and delivered in a large pre-service teacher education program in Canada. Next, this article presents the results of research to evaluate impact on the pre-service teacher education students. Results are organized into expected and unexpected learning outcomes. Implications for further research and practice are shared. ISSN 1918-5227 Pages 93118 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei Recommended Citation Atkins, M., & Rodger, S. (2016) Pre-service Teacher Education for Mental Health and Inclusion in Schools. Exceptionality Education International, 26, 93-118. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/eei/vol26/iss2/6 This Article Open Access after 1 year is brought to you by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Exceptionality Education International by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact jspecht@uwo.ca. Exceptionality Education International 2016, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 93–118 ISSN 1918-5227 93 Pre-service Teacher Education for Mental Health and Inclusion in Schools Melanie-Anne Atkins, Susan Rodger University of Western Ontario