Nutrition Knowledge and Attitudes of Early Elementary Classroom Teachers

The principal objective of this study was to determine nutrition knowledge and attitudes of kindergarten, first, second, and third grade classroom teachers in the state of Nebraska. Contributing objectives were as follows: (a) to determine the influence of nutrition sciences as part of the preparatory curriculum on nutrition knowledge and attitudes of elementary teachers, (b) to determine the apparent influence of nutrition education campaigns of commercial organizations, professional organizations, and foundations on nutrition knowledge and attitudes of early elementary classroom teachers, and (c) to determine the influence of nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and preparation of elementary teachers on their approaches to achieving desirable food behavior changes in young children. For this study, a mail survey technique was employed. The testing instrument was evaluated and pretested by a small group of elementary classroom teachers in Lincoln, Nebraska, and by a professional statistician of the Statistical Laboratory of the Agriculture Research Station of the University of Nebraska.The testing instrument was composed of four parts: (a) general information concerning the college background, methods used in teaching nutrition, and participation in school feeding programs; (b) nutrition knowledge, including general knowledge of nutrition, food composition, application of nutrition principles, and food misconceptions; (c) attitudes and techniques relating to teaching principles and methods; (d) attitudes pertaining to school lunch quality, school feeding program directors, and coordinated classroom-lunchroom programs. A complete listing of elementary teachers was obtained from the Nebraska State Department of Education.The sample (1,500 teachers) was drawn by the use of a table of random numbers from a total listing of Nebraska’s 3, 661 kindergarten, first, second, and third grade teachers.Sixty-one percent (910) of the testing instruments were returned. Advisor: Constance Kie