Rationale

VCE Health and Human Development provides students with broad understandings of health and wellbeing that reach far beyond the individual. Students learn how important health and wellbeing is to themselves and to families, communities, nations and global society. Students explore the complex interplay of biological, sociocultural and environmental factors that support and improve health and wellbeing and those that put it at risk. The study provides opportunities for students to view health and wellbeing, and development, holistically – across the lifespan and the globe, and through a lens of social equity and justice.

VCE Health and Human Development is designed to foster health literacy. As individuals and as citizens, students develop their ability to navigate information, to recognise and enact supportive behaviours, and to evaluate healthcare initiatives and interventions. Students take this capacity with them as they leave school and apply their learning in positive and resilient ways through future changes and challenges.

VCE Health and Human Development offers students a range of pathways including further formal study in areas such as health promotion, community health research and policy development, humanitarian aid work, allied health practices, education, and the health profession.

Aims

This study enables students to:

• understand the complex nature of health and wellbeing, and human development

• develop a broad view of health and wellbeing, incorporating physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions, and biological, sociocultural and environmental factors

• examine how health and wellbeing may be influenced across the lifespan by the conditions into which people are born, grow, live, work and age

• develop health literacy to evaluate health information and take appropriate and positive action to support health and wellbeing and manage risks

• develop understanding of the Australian healthcare system and the political and social values that underpin it

• apply social justice principles to identify health and wellbeing inequities and analyse health and wellbeing interventions

• apply the objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to evaluate the effectiveness of health and wellbeing initiatives and programs

• propose and implement action to positively influence health and wellbeing, and human development, outcomes at individual, local, national and/or global levels.

 

​Structure

The study is made up of four units.
Unit 1: Understanding health and wellbeing
Unit 2: Managing health and development.
Unit 3: Australia’s health in a globalised world
Unit 4: Health and human development in a global context