Associations between Preschool Teachers' Food-Based Learning Frequency, Level of Personal Priority and Identified Resources and Challenges: A Needs Assessment

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 13; p. 2140
• Main Authors: Resor, Jessica, Dixon, Jocelyn B, Wu, Qiang, Hegde, Archana V, Lee, Tammy D, Goodell, L Suzanne, Méndez, Lucía I, McMillan, Valerie Jarvis, Stage, Virginia C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 04.07.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Child, Preschool; Classrooms; Diet, Healthy; early childhood education; Early Intervention, Educational; Female; Food; food-based learning; Fruits; head start; Head Start project; Humans; Learning; Literacy; Male; Meals; Middle Aged; Needs analysis; Needs Assessment; North Carolina; Nutrition; nutrition education; preschool; Preschool children; Preschool education; Preschool teachers; Professional development; School Teachers - psychology; School Teachers - statistics & numerical data; Science education; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teaching; Vegetables; North Carolina; nutrition education; preschool; food-based learning; early childhood education; professional development; head start
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16132140

Food-based learning (FBL) is the use of food as a teaching tool in the classroom, which can expose children to healthy foods to improve preference and consumption. However, more research is needed on the use and perception of FBL in the Head Start (HS) preschool classroom. In an online survey, we explored associations between North Carolina HS teachers' ( = 168) experiences (e.g., resources, challenges, needs, and preferences) with FBL, how frequently teachers implemented it, and how much they prioritized it. We used frequencies and chi-square tests of independence to assess associations between study variables. Teachers reported using FBL regularly with access to FBL resources (e.g., books and center play materials) and experiencing challenges (e.g., lack of funding and material resources). Teachers partnered with parents and farmers markets and expressed a need for additional FBL professional development. Our needs assessment findings revealed specific resources, challenges, and perceptions significantly associated with how often teachers used FBL and their priority level. Additional research should investigate how to alleviate FBL challenges and strategies to create policy and environmental changes that facilitate early FBL.