More PEAS Please! Process Evaluation of a STEAM Program Designed to Promote Dietary Quality, Science Learning, and Language Skills in Preschool Children.

Background/Objectives: Traditional nutrition education can increase children's exposure to healthy foods, but preschool teachers face barriers such as limited time and competing priorities (e.g., kindergarten readiness). Integrating nutrition into other learning domains (e.g., science) has been iden...

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Publicado en:Nutrients Vol. 17; no. 11; pp. 1922 - 1948
Autores principales: Stage, Virginia C., Dixon, Jocelyn B., Grist, Pauline, Hegde, Archana V., Lee, Tammy D., Lundquist, Ryan, Goodell, L. Suzanne
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: MDPI Jun2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jun2025
      vid: 17
      iid: 11
      pid: 97109
      pub: MDPI
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        10.3390/nu17111922
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        atl: More PEAS Please! Process Evaluation of a STEAM Program Designed to Promote Dietary Quality, Science Learning, and Language Skills in Preschool Children.
      aug:
        au:
          Stage, Virginia C.
          Dixon, Jocelyn B.
          Grist, Pauline
          Hegde, Archana V.
          Lee, Tammy D.
          Lundquist, Ryan
          Goodell, L. Suzanne
        affil: Department of Agricultural & Human Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Program Evaluation
          Diet
          Food Quality
          Project Head Start
          Science Education
          Language Development In Infancy and Childhood
          Communication Skills
          Nutrition Education In Infancy and Childhood
          School Health Education
          Professional Competence
          Program Development
          Human
          Funding Source
          Child, Preschool
          Health Food
          Professional Development
          Pilot Studies
          Rural Areas
          North Carolina
          Teachers
          Interviews
          Seminars and Workshops
          Learning Environment
          Black Persons
          African Americans
          Descriptive Statistics
          Personal Satisfaction
          Confidence
          Child, Preschool: 2-5 years
      ab: Background/Objectives: Traditional nutrition education can increase children's exposure to healthy foods, but preschool teachers face barriers such as limited time and competing priorities (e.g., kindergarten readiness). Integrating nutrition into other learning domains (e.g., science) has been identified as a potential solution. However, teachers need more professional development. We developed the More PEAS Please! program to support preschool teachers' integration of food-based learning (FBL) and science, seeking to improve children's science learning, language development, and dietary quality. Methods: In this pilot study, we used a mixed-methods process evaluation to assess the program in five Head Start centers (n = 23 classrooms) across three rural North Carolina counties. We collected teacher data via surveys and interviews. Results: A total of 24 teachers participated in the full intervention by attending a one-day workshop, completing at least one of four core learning modules, and implementing 16 food-based science learning activities in their classrooms. Teachers were Black/African American (81.1%) and 43.56 (11.89) years old. Teachers reported varying engagement levels and high satisfaction with the program, sharing increased confidence in FBL and science integration. However, barriers such as time, technology, and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) limited full participation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the program is feasible and well received in Head Start settings and has promising impacts on classroom teaching practices. The findings will guide revisions to the PEAS program. Future research evaluating the revised program using a comparison group will be explored.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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