Skip to main content

HPV Education powered by STEAM: Exploring peer-to-peer creative critical engagements

Year Awarded

2022

Amount

€45,366

  • Organisation:Maynooth University (MU)
  • Audience:Transition Year Students
  • Format:Non-formal Education
  • Location:Kildare, Offaly
  • Topic:STEAM

Project Summary

This study explores the impact of innovative peer-to-peer creative, critical engagements between post-primary and primary students in Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) education. Led from Maynooth we include academics from Biology, Design, Education and Behavioural Psychology, and the Irish Cancer Society (ICS), in an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international collaboration. Our aim is to explore the impact of peer-to-peer creative, critical engagements with HPV vaccine education.

We will use a mixed methods approach gathering data before, during and after our learning Science through Design Thinking and Drama (STEAM) workshops. Following our previous IRC funded workshops, participant Transition Year (TY) students (±16 yr olds) learn from Scientists about immunology, how vaccines work and benefit society, exploring concerns around vaccination. Designers and Educationalist will assist them to co-create peer-to-peer narratives expressed in short videos, or other creative outputs themed on HPV vaccine awareness.

In phase two, participants will show their creative outputs to Y6 primary school classes, co-operating with their science teachers to facilitate discussions on immunisation and the HPV vaccine, supported by printed and online resources from ICS and the Team.

The evaluation of our success and impact will be led by our Behavioural Psychologist. Over the year a longitudinal mixed methods evaluation will use qualitative focus groups and quantitative surveys with the primary school pupils examining their attitudes and intentions leading to and following their HPV vaccination; and study the impact of the workshops amongst TY participants and their peers, contributing data and insights to the European Cancer Organisation’s HPV Action Network.