Student and Faculty Perspectives on the Use of Movies in Public Health Pedagogy

Abstract

Introduction. Movies can be used in public health pedagogy to illustrate concepts and build students’ connection to the material. This study describes the perspectives of undergraduates and faculty on effective strategies for using movies to achieve key public health learning outcomes. Method. In this cross-sectional study, a survey was administered to undergraduate majors in health studies (n = 109) and faculty who teach health-related courses (n = 27). The survey included measures of usage and attitudes toward pedagogical applications of movies, which were informed by Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. Results. Students and faculty expressed favorable attitudes toward the use of movies in undergraduate public health education. Additionally, both groups endorsed the usefulness of movies for affective and cognitive learning outcomes, with appraisals of affective learning being significantly higher. Movies were most frequently applied to building the core public health competencies of analyzing public health issues, communicating effectively, relationship building, and cultural competency. Among students, 74% stated that watching health-related movies reinforced their current career trajectory, encouraged them to consider other careers, or changed their choice of career. Discussion. Preparation of the future public health workforce requires students to develop both cognitive skills and an emotional connection to efforts that address health-related challenges. The findings of this study indicate that movies support both types of learning outcomes and therefore deserve further investigation as pedagogical tool in population health instruction.