Development of Engaging Whiteboard Videos to Support Head Start Teachers’ Understanding of Evidence-based Strategies for Teaching Preschool Children (3-5 years) Science in the Context of Healthy Eating
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Date
2023-12-07
Access
2024-12-01
Authors
Lewis, Amy Grace
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Publisher
East Carolina University
Abstract
Learning Objective: Identify Head Start teachers’ and relevant professionals’ perceptions of whiteboard videos designed to support understanding evidence-based strategies for teaching preschool children (3-5 years) science in the context of healthy eating.
Background: Preschool children, especially those from low-income households, do not consume adequate amounts of vegetables. It is critical to address this low consumption of vegetables in childhood, as it is associated with an increased risk of disease later in life. There is evidence that incorporating food-based learning into STEAM activities in the classroom can improve both learning and vegetable consumption. This project used educational videos to engage and educate Head Start teachers on evidence-based strategies for integrating science and nutrition concepts in their classrooms through STEAM learning activities that incorporate food.
Methods: A series of 5 3-7-minute-long videos were developed, each focused upon an evidence-based strategy for incorporating healthy eating into science education in Head Start classrooms. Participants included 5 Head Start teachers working in Eastern NC as well as 5 professionals in fields relevant to video topics, including a pediatric dietitian, food safety expert, child care health consultant, health department policy expert, and an occupational therapist trained in feeding. Participants were asked to fill out pre-interview reflection sheets describing their perceptions of each video and participated in approx. 30-minute cognitive interviews. Interview questions gauged participant perceptions of the videos’ quality, relevance, and applicability. Transcribed interviews underwent thematic analysis by the research team using basic coding techniques.
Results: Participants shared their perspectives on diversity and representation within the videos, relevant video audiences, their experiences and perspectives regarding representation in video content and general audiences, video strategy implementation, video content, suggestions for the addition, removal, or changing of video elements, and general video characteristics.
Conclusion: Head Start teachers and professionals in relevant fields were able to provide a breadth of unique perspectives regarding a series of 5 professional development videos created in order to empower Head Start teachers to implement Food-Based Learning activities into their own STEAM curriculum. These perspectives will help to inform the future development of these videos as well as any other educational nutrition videos for early childhood educators in the future.
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Keywords
Head Start, Professional Development, Early Childhood Nutrition, Videos, Virtual Professional Development, Nutrition, Preschool, Vegetable Consumption, Food Based Learning, STEAM