Abstract
Education and training support public health practitioners in identifying and addressing challenges related to equitable health concerns. This article details a four-step Curricular Responsive Review Model (CRRM) generated by educators in a Council on Education for Public Health–accredited public health program to systematically understand and gather feedback on how to develop a responsive curriculum for their students. A review of all course syllabi was conducted by two faculty members and a doctoral student to identify curricular gaps and overlap. These findings, critical team dialogues, and a review of the literature informed the development of a survey to identify the health equity concepts and skills needed by MPH students. Community partners (n = 4) responded to health equity education questions to detail the essential concepts and skills needed to teach students. Health equity educators (HEEs; n = 4) were then consulted on how to address knowledge gaps through pedagogy and educational resources. Community partners provided a list of areas that students should be educated in to enrich their health equity understandings. Recommendations were generated for integrating those concepts/skills into course teaching plans. The four-step CRRM in health equity education provides an opportunity for public health programs to engage in systematic mapping and critically reflective review processes to address curricular gaps and overlap. Mechanisms to receive real-world knowledge on health equity from a variety of stakeholders are essential to ensure real-word practical learning. The CRRM identifies systematic, responsive curricular mapping and review in public health as essential for meaningful, real-world equity education in disciplines beyond public health and health promotion.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 366-371 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Pedagogy in Health Promotion |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Funding
The coauthors thank the inaugural Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) committee, whose dedication to health equity helped pave the way for this pilot assessment. We thank the program faculty who responded to questions about their courses and pedagogical approaches, the students who offered candid feedback on the curriculum, and the Community Partners and Health Equity Educators, whose confidential feedback is critical to working toward achieving greater health equity in graduate education and training. Finally, this article honors the late Dr. Virginia “Gini” Bishop, who founded and led the inaugural EDI committee with a fierce passion for health equity. As coauthors, we state her name and honor her legacy. We aim to carry on her legacy, ensure that this program history is known, and carry the work forward. This work is made possible because of her tireless labor and advocacy to develop and lead our unit’s first EDI efforts. Dr. Bishop led by example and taught many of us to be social justice and equity advocates by listening, analyzing what’s happening, and bringing diverse groups together to evolve the constant learning that is the basis of health equity. Dr. B, we honor and thank you now, always and forever. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: We acknowledge the internal grant support received from the Daniel I. Linzer Grants for Innovation in Diversity and Equity at Northwestern University. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: We acknowledge the internal grant support received from the Daniel I. Linzer Grants for Innovation in Diversity and Equity at Northwestern University.
Keywords
- academic public health
- curriculum redesign
- health equity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
