Content area
Abstract
Studies in public health and the emerging field of health literacy consider the appropriateness of educational resources used with high-risk populations. Rural women in Morocco with limited educational backgrounds and/or limited access to health services fit into the high-risk category on several levels. Health education research does not consider how oral methods of teaching, such as traditional art forms of storytelling and drama, contribute to the process of understanding and using health information as part of the cultural dynamic in constructing meaning for oral learners. This grounded theory study explores how rural women in Morocco construct meaning leading to understanding and using health information presented through oral methods of teaching. The research focused on personal interviews with a sample of Moroccan women who had learning experiences in the past with oral methods of teaching. Coding and analysis of the interview data revealed broad categories contributing to general themes on oral methods of teaching. The central understanding to emerge from this study was that in the context of rural Morocco information presented through oral methods of teaching resulted in genuine health literacy for women with limited literacy. Emerging themes showed that oral methods of teaching (1) fit within the relational and educational dynamic that are part of the participants’ socio-cultural context; (2) created a positive and appealing learning experience that helped the participants remember the health message information; (3) led participants to construct meaning in the learning process to understand the information; and (4) contributed to motivating the use of information provided. This qualitative study provides interdisciplinary insight into cross-cultural health education. Findings contribute significant theoretical understanding of the learners’ process of creating meaning in health education. Health educators working internationally or in a multicultural context will benefit from principles of teaching and lesson development for adults with limited literacy or for adults who are oral in learning preference style.
