Attitudes of preschool teachers towards food waste

Today, we encounter the issues of food discards often. It is important that preschool children already learn responsible and sustainable handling with food. In the bachelor’s thesis, I researched how preschool teachers inform children about discarded food and how they influence the child’s attitude towards discarded food. In the theoretical part of the bachelor’s thesis, the issues of food discards in Slovenia is presented. In the second part of the bachelor’s thesis, the results of the research are presented, by which I was ascertaining what attitudes preschool teachers have towards food discards and in what ways they inform children with food discards. In the research, I used a quantitative method of research. 52 preschool teachers and assistant preschool teachers were included in the sample. They filled in the questionnaire and the checklist. I ascertained that preschool teachers and assistant preschool teachers believe that the most important reason for the emergence of food discards is the attitude of the preschool teacher towards food and food discards. They find a type of food less important. I ascertained that there are no bigger differences in the method of performing measures for the reduction of the number of food discards between the preschool teacher and the assistant preschool teacher. Preschool teachers speak to children directly on the attitude towards food more often and explain the issues of food discards in the world to the children and educate children in a way of responsible handling with food. Assistant preschool teachers believe that the emergence of food rejects and the power of influencing on the children is possible in direct contact with food and that example showing responsible and rational handling with food is more important than conversation. I ascertained that there are differences in using the approaches for preventing the emergence of food rejects with regards to the age of children. Preschool teachers and assistant preschool teachers encouraged children until the age of three to reducing the emergence of food discards mostly by raising awareness of sensing the feelings of satiation and hunger. They raised the awareness of children older than three years in a manner that food is energy for their body and encouraged them to explain to them why they did not wish to eat something. A problem of food discards emerges in Slovenia and in the world. It is important that educational institutions educate children in a manner of responsible handling with food. Preschool teachers contribute to food discards reduction with their attitudes, behavior and performing the appropriate activities importantly