Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students
The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a garden-based teaching unit about “Food and Nutrition” on students’ knowledge and habits of sustainable healthy diets, and to compare it with that of a more traditional unit from a textbook. This communication is framed in a research project (EDU...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/168 |
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| author | Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero Rafael Suárez-López María Sagrario Andaluz Romanillos Susan Rees |
| author_facet | Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero Rafael Suárez-López María Sagrario Andaluz Romanillos Susan Rees |
| author_sort | Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a garden-based teaching unit about “Food and Nutrition” on students’ knowledge and habits of sustainable healthy diets, and to compare it with that of a more traditional unit from a textbook. This communication is framed in a research project (EDUCYL2020-01 “Sembrando interés, cosechando competencia”, financed by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León through the Dirección General de Innovación y Formación del Profesorado (ORDEN EDU/262/2020, de 9 de marzo, <i>por la que se convoca la selección de proyectos de investigación educativa a desarrollar por equipos de profesores y equipos de inspectores que presten servicios educativos de la Comunidad de Castilla y León durante los cursos 2020/2021</i>)) whose aim is to improve science education by approaching scientific topics of the official curriculum from a context-based strategy. The authors first designed a teaching-learning sequence, using an organic learning garden as a context, including real-life activities to promote reflection and debate among students. Such a sequence was implemented in a group of 40 students at the third course of Spanish compulsory secondary education, whose results were compared with those of a group of 15 students who followed the textbook. The impact was assessed by posing four open questions to students from the two groups, both at the beginning and the end of the instruction, whose answers were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results show that implementing the sequence constituted an educational improvement with respect to traditional teaching, since students’ answers on the topic were overall more comprehensive and evidenced better preparation for making real-life decisions. Students from the experimental group became more aware of the environmental impacts of human nutrition, and of sustainable healthy diets. It was also indicated that the health and nutrition-centered approach that still predominates in education needs to be overcome, and a sustainable approach needs to be taken. This is a novel study that leads a new line of research devoted to addressing education about sustainable food, which arises from the demands of raising awareness among citizens toward changing diets within the transition toward sustainable food systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:54:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2d36e3c4ab5146288cba3162b504e2c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:54:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2d36e3c4ab5146288cba3162b504e2c52023-11-24T00:59:00ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022022-02-0112316810.3390/educsci12030168Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School StudentsMarcia Eugenio-Gozalbo0Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero1Rafael Suárez-López2María Sagrario Andaluz Romanillos3Susan Rees4Department of Experimental, Social Sciences and Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education of Soria, University of Valladolid, 42004 Soria, SpainDepartment of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Education and Social Work of Valladolid, University of Valladolid, 47002 Valladolid, SpainPadre Julio Marrero Botanic Garden, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Santo Domingo 230203, EcuadorBiology and Geology Department, IES Virgen del Espino, 42003 Soria, SpainEnglish Department, CP Los Doce Linajes, 42004 Soria, SpainThe purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a garden-based teaching unit about “Food and Nutrition” on students’ knowledge and habits of sustainable healthy diets, and to compare it with that of a more traditional unit from a textbook. This communication is framed in a research project (EDUCYL2020-01 “Sembrando interés, cosechando competencia”, financed by the Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León through the Dirección General de Innovación y Formación del Profesorado (ORDEN EDU/262/2020, de 9 de marzo, <i>por la que se convoca la selección de proyectos de investigación educativa a desarrollar por equipos de profesores y equipos de inspectores que presten servicios educativos de la Comunidad de Castilla y León durante los cursos 2020/2021</i>)) whose aim is to improve science education by approaching scientific topics of the official curriculum from a context-based strategy. The authors first designed a teaching-learning sequence, using an organic learning garden as a context, including real-life activities to promote reflection and debate among students. Such a sequence was implemented in a group of 40 students at the third course of Spanish compulsory secondary education, whose results were compared with those of a group of 15 students who followed the textbook. The impact was assessed by posing four open questions to students from the two groups, both at the beginning and the end of the instruction, whose answers were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results show that implementing the sequence constituted an educational improvement with respect to traditional teaching, since students’ answers on the topic were overall more comprehensive and evidenced better preparation for making real-life decisions. Students from the experimental group became more aware of the environmental impacts of human nutrition, and of sustainable healthy diets. It was also indicated that the health and nutrition-centered approach that still predominates in education needs to be overcome, and a sustainable approach needs to be taken. This is a novel study that leads a new line of research devoted to addressing education about sustainable food, which arises from the demands of raising awareness among citizens toward changing diets within the transition toward sustainable food systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/168context-based science educationfood sustainabilityorganic learning gardens (OLGs)secondary education |
| spellingShingle | Marcia Eugenio-Gozalbo Guadalupe Ramos-Truchero Rafael Suárez-López María Sagrario Andaluz Romanillos Susan Rees Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students Education Sciences context-based science education food sustainability organic learning gardens (OLGs) secondary education |
| title | Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students |
| title_full | Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students |
| title_fullStr | Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students |
| title_short | Introducing Food Sustainability in Formal Education: A Teaching-Learning Sequence Contextualized in the Garden for Secondary School Students |
| title_sort | introducing food sustainability in formal education a teaching learning sequence contextualized in the garden for secondary school students |
| topic | context-based science education food sustainability organic learning gardens (OLGs) secondary education |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/3/168 |
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