Vector-Borne Disease Education Project
e-Bug is delivering a comprehensive project to develop and evaluate educational resources addressing the growing public health threat of vector-borne diseases (VBDs).
As changing environmental conditions and global travel increase the spread of these diseases, there is a clear need to improve public awareness and understanding from an early age.
Project Overview
This project brings together research, resource development, and real-world evaluation to support effective teaching on vector-borne diseases for children and young people aged 5–18. Through international collaboration, it aims to equip educators with engaging, evidence-based materials that promote infection prevention and encourage positive health behaviours
Key Project Activities
- Teacher research and needs assessment
Focus groups were conducted with teachers across England, France, Norway, and New Caledonia to understand current knowledge, teaching practices, and resource gaps.
- Identification of resource gaps
Exploring barriers such as limited curriculum coverage, lack of existing materials, and time constraints, alongside identifying facilitators for classroom implementation.
- Development of educational resources
Designing curriculum-aligned teaching resources incorporating visual content, real-life examples, and interactive activities to support effective teaching and learning.
- Incorporation of teacher feedback
Using insights from educators to ensure resources are clear, practical, and relevant to classroom needs.
- Pilot implementation in schools
Delivery of classroom lessons by teachers using the developed resources in England and France targeting primary and secondary school students.
- Evaluation of impact
Assessing improvements in students’ knowledge and understanding, as well as their motivation to adopt preventative behaviours, through pre-, post-, and follow-up questionnaires.
- Teacher feedback and engagement
Gathering qualitative insights from educators through focus groups to evaluate usability, relevance, and effectiveness of the teaching resource and materials.
- Resource refinement and dissemination
Using evaluation findings to further improve the resources and prepare them for wider release
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Impact and Purpose
The project aims to empower young people with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves from vector-borne diseases, while supporting teachers to deliver high-quality, engaging health education. Children are key agents of change, helping to reinforce health messages within their communities
Looking Ahead
Following testing and refinement, the resources will be made freely available on the e-Bug website, alongside evaluation findings and academic outputs to support wider adoption and long-term impact.