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Piloting of a Learner‐Centered Nutrition Curriculum for School Nutrition Staff
Author(s) -
Jones Anna,
Brian K.,
Briggs M.,
ZidenbergCherr S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.910.5
Subject(s) - curriculum , nutrition education , medical education , psychology , reading (process) , medicine , pedagogy , gerontology , political science , law
The purpose of this study was to pilot a nutrition education curriculum for school nutrition staff. Backwards design was utilized to develop lessons centered around learning objectives and key concepts. The curriculum consisted of five lessons about concepts such as nutrients in foods, portion sizes, and physical activity, with applications to the National School Lunch Program throughout. It was piloted in Aug. 2014, in 2 one‐day workshops in 2 school districts in Northern California. The workshops were evaluated qualitatively using a questionnaire completed at the conclusion of each workshop (n=46). The questionnaire results were analyzed for common themes. The curriculum was well received by participants; over 40% of respondents specifically stated the information provided was the most valuable part of the workshop. In particular, participants indicated they learned the most about nutrients in foods (23%) and reading nutrition facts labels (20%). Participants also appreciated the learner‐centered design, with 30% stating that was what they liked best and over 90% agreeing that the course delivery was effective. Improvements to the course were identified; 7% of participants expressed that the course was repetitive at times, while others did not find the lesson on nutrition in the media to be useful (15%). Overall, the results demonstrate that this curriculum has potential utility; further research should be conducted to evaluate effectiveness at improving nutrition knowledge and self‐efficacy. Funding was provided in part by the California Department of Education.