School subject Food and health

Food and Health (FH) is a mandatory, practical-aesthetic subject in primary and lower secondary school. In FH, children and adolescents are to learn about healthy diet, sustainable food habits and consumption and food and meals as an expression of identity and culture through theoretical and practical food preparation and cooking lessons. FH has a key role in the public health work of schools. We research on school practices and teacher education practices with regard to FH.  

LifeLab Food and health. Innovative teaching for the school of the future

  • Project leader: Frøydis N. Vik
  • PhD student: Cecilie Beinert (disputation April 2021)
  • PhD supervisors: Frøydis N. Vik, Nina C. Øverby, Gun Åbacka, Paivi Palojoki
  • Project start: 2017. Project end 2020.
  • Funding: University of Agder

The teaching in the Food and health subject aims to contribute to promote a healthy lifestyle, gain insight and skills in critically choosing and reflecting on food and meals and stimulate the students to prepare food. When looking into the structure of today's food and health lessons, it mainly consists of practical work with cooking. Comparing this to the aim of the subject, what seems like a common challenge, is to nourish the student's creative abilities and foster critical thinking. Another challenge is to provide children training in making conscious decisions and to motivate them to comply to a healthy lifestyle.

LifeLab- Food and health is a three-year long project (2017-2020). The objective of LifeLab is to develop and evaluate different student active activities for the Food and health subject with the aim at increasing children's knowledge and understanding of the correlation between food and health.

The study uses multiple methods. First, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to all primary and lower secondary schools in Norway. 1170 food and health teachers completed the questionnaire regarding different aspects of the subject. The results showed that most teachers (71%) reported using learning activities where students were encouraged to use their senses, followed by exploratory/experimental activities (65%), digital tools (56%) and flipped classroom (14%). Lack of equipment, non-optimal premises and economic factors were most important barriers to good teaching in FH. All teachers highlighted engaged teachers as most important for learning.

Food and health teachers use of the different learning activities investigated in this study varied. Engaged teachers are important for learning, whereas lack of equipment, non-optimal premises and economic factors are barriers to good teaching. Further, we found that 49% of the teachers at the secondary school level had formal Food and Health education despite national requirements. Also, a higher proportion of the formally educated group showed more contentment with teaching and reported to a greater extent mastering teaching (p≤0.001) compared to the non-educated group.

Secondly, focus group and individual interviews was carried out among school leaders and food and health teachers and students having or just finishing their year of food and health. The aim of the interviews was to gain insight in what challenges there are and what wishes there are to consider when developing the activities. Finally, classroom video and audio recording of the activities were conducted to evaluate the activities which was developed in collaboration with teacher students. We found that the students’ learning process was stimulated while they engaged with the learning tasks by working in groups, by being active in interaction, dialogue, communication and collaboration, and by being given the opportunity to listen and argue. Language was used as a pedagogical tool and was central in the students’ learning process. Both the students and their teachers valued the active and practical outline of the learning tasks. Through interviews, we explored teachers’ and students’ perspectives and experiences of current classroom practices in Food and Health. Our findings suggest there is a mismatch between curriculum guidelines and teaching practices. Although teachers understood the benefits of nutrition education, practical cooking activities

were prioritised. Three key themes were identified; students and teachers value cooking and limited time, which both explain this mismatch from the perspectives of students and teachers, and pedagogical solutions to resolve the mismatch, which summarises novel learning activities suggested by students and teachers as a solution for this mismatch.

The ProDiG project (Professional digital competence for students and teacher educators in elementary teacher education, 2018-2020)

The aim of the ProDiG project (Professional digital competence for students and teacher educators in elementary teacher education, 2018-2020) in the subject Food and Health, is to develop and strengthen the professional digital skills of both university teachers and students in this subject. In their studies of Food and Health, both at the university and in their practice at schools, teacher students will try different digital solutions that promote learning in Food and Health. In this way, newly qualified teachers will be better able to meet both the curriculum and the school's requirements and expectations for professional digital competence.

LEAD (Learning and digitalisation in home economics education)

  • Funding: Erasmus+
  • Project leader: Gun Åbecka
  • Project member: Hanne Dvergsnes

The LEAD-project (2018-2021) is a project funded by Erasmus+ and consist of a group of teacher educators and researchers in home economics from 4 Nordic-Baltic universities (Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Norway). The LEAD-project has two intertwined intentions. First, to find methods how to implement ICT purposefully in home economics lessons. The innovation lies in a novel understanding of how to effectively use digital technologies in home economics education to promote students learning in a real way. Today, there are few existing pedagogical solutions for home economics teachers to apply in subject teaching. Therefore, LEAD is interested in finding solutions that would give students help during the learning process when constructing knowledge individually or in the group. Second, we are interested in finding innovative ideas for novel learning tasks, where students are experimenting and constructing knowledge. Putting school-learned knowledge into action helps students to transfer their knowledge into practice in everyday situations.

Food and health for the school of the future 2 – Food and chemistry

  • Project period: 2021 - 2026
  • Project manager: Vigdis Guttormsen
  • Internal project staff: Tormod Bjørkkjær, Dagrun Engeset, Hanne Andersen Dversnes, Margrethe Røed and Mona Linge Omholt. Master's students (2022): Stine Storstein Tollefsen and Kaja Heiberg
  • External collaborators: Päivi Palojoki (University of Helsinki) and Polly Hardy-Johnson (University of Southampton)

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the usefulness of nine self-produced subject-didactic videos tested in food and health and science subjects at the primary- and lower secondary levels. There are some Nordic studies that addresses the benefits of interdisciplinary approaches, including a Swedish study that focused on mathematics and food and health and two Finnish studies, where the advantages of integrating multiple school subjects with home economics were investigated as well as interdisciplinarity among practical-esthetical school subjects The lack of such studies in Norway emphasizes a need to further develop interdisciplinary subject-didactics in food and health. In this project, we investigate the educational?? Usefulness of the videos, how interdisciplinary educational videos are used in teaching, and how they are suitable for different levels. Also, a purpose of the study is to highlight the quality assurance of digital resources. A subsequent goal is to build up a resource bank with associated tasks for food and health and science teachers.

To understand the use of the designed educational videos, we have used an Educational Design Research (EDR) approach in our project. Data is collected through qualitative focus group interviews. The sample groups are teachers in food and health and science and pupils in the 6th and 9th grades at three schools in southern Norway.

Competence needs in food and health (KOMAH)

  • Project period: 2021-2031
  • Project leader: Vigdis Guttormsen
  • Internal project team members: Tormod Bjørkkjær, Margrethe Røed, Julie Telhaug (master student), and Olaug Marie Kaiser (master student)
  • External collaborators: Eli Kristin Aadland (HVL)

The purpose of this study is to generate more systematic knowledge about the long-term competence needs within food and health education in primary and lower secondary schools. This longitudinal study spans a duration of 10 years. In Norway, food and health is the school subject with the fewest trained teachers and there are few men who teach. There are more older people than young people with specialization in the subject, and teaching is often added to the contact teacher, especially in grades 1st to 7th grades. The KOMAH- study aims to monitor changes within the teaching situation over time for a selected group of individuals who have completed further education in food and health and investigate the extent to which this education has influenced or altered teaching practices.

Data will be collected through quantitative survey questionnaires and qualitative in-depth individual interviews. The sample group comprises primary and lower secondary school teachers (students) who have completed further education (30 ECTS) within food and health at three Norwegian institutions (UiA, HVL, and USN) in the period of 2021 - 2023. These teachers (teacher subject experts) currently work in schools and teach food and health.

FENN Food Education Network North

  • Project period: Start-up 2023 (annual applications for funding).
  • Funding: Nordplus
  • Project leader: Margrethe Røed
  • Internal project staff: Cecilie Beinert, Tormod Bjørkkjær, Vigdis Guttormsen
  • External partners: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, University of Gothenburg, University of Helsinki, University of Tallinn

Purpose: FENN is a Nordplus Network for employees in higher education who work with food education in schools. In the network we want to develop the subject both related to teaching and research.

Methodology/selection in brief: Employees in higher education. Master's students and other interested are invited to annual seminars.

Preliminary results: The network has annual meetings and will develop a website where research and teaching from the various countries are presented.

Green Backpack

  • Project period: to be completed 2023
  • Funding: EEA and Norwegian grants
    Project leader: Adamina Korwin-Szymanowska
  • Internal project staff:
    Margrethe Røed (Department of Nutrition and Public Health)
    Kirsti Vindal Halvorsen (Faculty of Engineering and Science)
    Merete Lund Fasting (Department of Sports Science and Physical Education)
    Gunn Bjørnsen (Department of Teacher Education)
  • External partners: Maria Grzegorzewska Universitetet

Purpose: The Green Backpack project is a collaborative project between Maria Grzegorzewska University, which initiated it, and the University of Agder. The main aim is to exchange experience, good practices and knowledge in the field of environmental and health education between selected Polish and Norwegian primary school teachers in order to involve them in education for sustainable development. From teacher education in Agder, both science and physical education are involved in addition to food and health. Information about the project: https://eeagrants.org/archive/2014-2021/projects/PL-EDUCATION-0178

Method/selection in brief: Polish teachers were in Norway in September 2022 and they were asked in a questionnaire about their experiences from this visit. https://www.uia.no/om-uia/fakultet/avdeling-for-laererutdanning/nyheter-lu/green-backpack-for-baerekraftig-utdanning

Preliminary results: Article is under development.

Nordic taste – a common sustainable food culture

  • Project period: 2022-2025
  • Funding: DKK 3066,000 - funded by A.P MØLLER OG HUSTRU CHASTINE MC-KINNEY MØLLERS FOND TIL ALMENE FORMÅL
  • Project leaders: Camilla Damsgaard (UCN) and Marianne Hald (UCN). Vigdis Guttormsen is the local leader for the Norwegian group involved in the project.
  • Internal project team members: Hanne Dversnes Andersen, Jorunn Larsen, and Anne Lien
  • External collaborators: Camilla Damsgaard (UCN), Marianne Hald (UCN), Gun Åbacka (Vasa), Heidi Håkans (Vasa), Anne-Marie Kronholm (Vasa), Anine Samuelsen (Eide School), Thor Ivar Fløystad (Eide School), Anne Grethe Kjøstvedt (Vardåsen School), Eli Riber (Vardåsen School), and students at UiA: Oda Line, Hedda Marie Dalen Mossin, Henrik Håland Brekke, Elise Jeppesen Ceeberg, Henriette Hersvik Ersland, and Thea-Celine Andersen.

The purpose of this project is to establish a collaboration between three teacher training institutions in the Nordics (Professionshøjskolen University College Nordjylland (UCN), Åbo Akademi - Vasa Övningsskola (Vasa), and the University of Agder (UiA) to strengthen a common cultural understanding and Nordic cohesion between the participants of the project. Through the project, lecturers, students, teachers, and students will become familiar with neighbouring languages and other cultural values. Nordic teaching resources will be developed and produced, which will demonstrate the differences and similarities in Nordic nature and food culture. The resource will be digital and freely accessible to everyone.

Nordic taste is a development project that aims to design and test an interdisciplinary teaching resource for the subjects of science and food and health in upper primary school (5th – 7th grade). This is done as a collaboration between staff in teacher training institutions, students, and teachers in upper primary schools. The teaching resource will provide insights into Nordic food culture and will consist of three themes: Food of the past in the Nordics, Food of the present in the Nordics and Food of the future in the Nordics.

Through concrete and realistic learning experiences, students will acquire knowledge about natural resources, sustainability, food production, health, and food culture. Food is a common denominator that fosters cultural understanding and cohesion between the countries. The teaching resource is based on an innovative didactic approach, where students will investigate natural resources and food culture through tasks. At the same time, it invites innovative processes through experiential learning.

Early efforts in the school subject Food and Health

  • Project period: 29.01.18 - 30.06.24
  • Funding: The project is supported by the Gjensidige Foundation and UH-Nett West
  • Project manager: Professor Eli Kristin Aadland, University of Western Norway
  • Internal project staff: Professor emerita Anne Selvik Ask, University of Agder
  • External partners: Associate Professor Merete Hagen Helland, University of Stavanger, Associate Professor Camilla Sandvik, Nord University

Purpose: Survey the teaching offer in food and health in grades 1-4 to highlight the variations and challenges that characterize today's teaching.

Method/sampling: Data was collected through semi-structured, qualitative interviews with teachers, school leaders and students at 12 randomly selected practice schools in all parts of Norway.

Results: It is random how food and health are taught in grades 1-4. There is a lack of teaching aids in the primary school, and there are large variations in the framework factors from school to school. There is a low level of professional competence among teachers who teach food and health.

Scientific articles:

 

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Published June 4, 2024 - Last modified June 11, 2024