Developing Your Personal Philosophy of Public Health Education

Posted on | by Linus

Why does creating a personal philosophy of public health education matter? Your personal philosophy influences the decisions you make and actions you take as a public health educator. And, as expressed in the quote above, you are more likely to take responsibility for the choices you make as a public health educator by clearly articulating your beliefs and perspectives. Developing a personal philosophy has additional professional benefits. For instance, employers in an interview may ask you to state your personal philosophy of public health education. Knowing your personal philosophy not only prepares you to respond, it also allows the employers to determine whether you fit within their organization’s culture.

To prepare for this Assignment:

  • Review the process for developing a philosophy of public health education, as well as the examples of public health education philosophies, provided in Chapter 3 of the Cottrell, Girvan, and McKenzie course text.
  • Begin to draft your own personal philosophy of public health education practice and the approaches you will use in your work.
  • Review the “Predominant Health Education/Promotion Philosophies” section of Chapter 3 and be prepared to compare your philosophy with these philosophies. Use the questions at the end of the “Developing a Philosophy” section to guide your comparison.

To complete this Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following:

  • Your personal philosophy of public health education (1–2 pages), which should be based on one of the five predominant philosophies of public health education
  • A comparison of your philosophy to one or more of the five predominant philosophies of public health education
  • Note: Your personal philosophy is not about “telling your story.” Rather, it involves thinking about your own practice of health education and how you will apply theories in the field.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate.

🔴 Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Step 1: Understand What the Assignment Is Really Asking

Before writing, clarify the goal. You are not sharing a personal narrative. Instead, you are:

  • Selecting one predominant public health education philosophy

  • Explaining how it shapes your professional practice

  • Comparing it thoughtfully to other philosophies using theory

Keep your focus on practice, theory, and application, not autobiography.

Step 2: Choose One Predominant Philosophy

From Chapter 3, select one philosophy that best aligns with how you see yourself practicing as a public health educator. Examples include:

  • Behavior Change Philosophy

  • Social Change Philosophy

  • Empowerment Philosophy

  • Educational Philosophy

  • Health-Oriented Philosophy

💡 Tutor tip: Choose the philosophy you can defend most confidently using theory and evidence.

Step 3: Plan Your Paper Structure (APA Style)

Introduction (½ page)

  • Briefly introduce public health education

  • Explain why having a professional philosophy matters

  • Clearly state the philosophy you are adopting (your thesis)

Section 1: Your Personal Philosophy (1–2 pages)
In this section:

  • Define the philosophy in your own academic voice

  • Explain how it guides:

    • Program planning

    • Community engagement

    • Health behavior interventions

  • Reference relevant theories (e.g., Social Cognitive Theory, Ecological Model)

  • Support claims with citations from the course text and scholarly sources

📝 Remember: This is about how you will practice, not your life story.

Section 2: Comparison With Other Philosophies (½–1 page)

  • Compare your chosen philosophy with one or more others

  • Highlight similarities and differences

  • Discuss:

    • Strengths

    • Limitations

    • Situations where each philosophy is most effective

Use the guiding questions from the “Developing a Philosophy” section to stay focused.

Conclusion (Short, Focused)

  • Reinforce the value of your philosophy

  • Explain how it prepares you for professional practice

  • End with a forward-looking statement about your role as a public health educator

Step 4: Use Strong Academic Support

You should:

  • Cite the Cottrell, Girvan, & McKenzie text

  • Include peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Follow APA 7th edition formatting for:

    • Title page

    • In-text citations

    • Reference list

Step 5: Revise Before Submitting

Ask yourself:

  • Did I clearly identify one philosophy?

  • Did I explain how it applies to real-world public health practice?

  • Did I compare it meaningfully to other philosophies?

  • Is my tone professional and academic?

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