The Role and Status of Food and Nutrition Literacy in Canadian School Curricula

Authors

  • Heather Anderson University of Manitoba
  • Thomas Falkenberg University of Manitoba

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v62i1.56182

Keywords:

food literacy, nutrition literacy, Canada, school curriculum, document analysis, Mots clés, connaissances en matière d’alimentation, connaissances en matière de nutrition, programmes d’études, analyse documentaire

Abstract

The obesity epidemic in North America has given greater attention to food and nutrition literacy in Canadian schools. However, the review of relevant literature on food and nutrition literacy reveals quite a range of understandings of what such literacy means. This raises the question of what understanding of food and nutrition literacy is actually represented in Canadian curriculum documents, considering that it is the curriculum that primarily drives teaching and learning in schools? Using a document analysis approach, the study reported upon in this article enquires into this very question. While the study finds a range of conceptualizations represented across provinces, territories and subject areas, it identifies the preferred framing of food and nutrition literacy as being related to food consumption and health at the individual level.

L’épidémie d’obésité en Amérique du nord a attiré une plus grande attention vers les connaissances en nutrition et en alimentation dans les écoles. Par contre, un examen de la littérature sur le sujet a révélé toute une gamme d’interprétations de ce qu’est une éducation en nutrition et en alimentation. La question suivante se pose alors : quelle représentation fait-on de la nutrition et l’alimentation dans les programmes d’études au Canada, le curriculum étant surtout ce qui véhicule ces connaissances? S’appuyant sur une approche d’analyse de documents, la présente étude s’est penchée sur cette question. Les résultats indiquent qu’il existe un éventail de conceptualisations selon les provinces, les territoires et la matière à l’étude, et que le cadre préféré pour aborder la consommation alimentaire et la santé repose sur l’individu.

 

 

Author Biographies

Heather Anderson, University of Manitoba

Heather Anderson is a Doctoral Candidate in Education at the University of Manitoba with a focus on gender policy. She is a gender justice scholar and advocate for marginalized youth. Her second area of research focus is in curriculum studies.

Thomas Falkenberg, University of Manitoba

Thomas Falkenberg is Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, Canada. He is the editor or co-editor of seven books, including Sustainable Well-Being: Concepts, Issues, Perspectives, and Educational Practices and the recently published Handbook of Canadian Research in Initial Teacher Education. He is also the editor of a special journal issue on Philosophical Perspectives on Education for Well-Being. From 2011-2016 Thomas was the coordinator of the interdisciplinary Education for Sustainable Well-Being Research Group at the University of Manitoba (www.eswbrg.org). He is also on the editorial board of the Education for Sustainable Well-Being Press of the University of Manitoba (www.eswb-press.org). More details about his research and academic background can be gleaned fromhttp://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~falkenbe/index.html

 

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Published

2016-09-02

How to Cite

Anderson, H., & Falkenberg, T. (2016). The Role and Status of Food and Nutrition Literacy in Canadian School Curricula. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 62(1), 87–109. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v62i1.56182

Issue

Vol. 62 No. 1 (2016): Spring

Section

ARTICLES

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