Practice-based research to engage teachers and improve nutrition in the preschool setting
The objective of this pilot project was to evaluate the feasibility of a research partnership in which teachers collaborated with nutrition researchers to design a research project to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in preschool children. Researchers collected data on teachers’ perceptions of preschool nutrition through interviews, focus groups, and observations.
The study found that teachers were engaged in research and the research–teacher partnership, but were uncomfortable with the use of a control group, making formal evaluation of their quasi-experiments difficult. Preschool teachers can be agents of change for improving young children’s nutrition, and engaging teachers through teacher-driven research projects may hold promise. Future collaborations should carefully consider preschool teachers’ possible discomfort with disrupting children’s routines.
Full citation: Kenney EL, Henderson KE, Humphries D, Schwartz MB. Practice-Based Research To Engage Teachers and Improve Nutrition in the Preschool Setting. Childhood Obesity. 2011;7(6):475-479. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2011.0028