The research gaps and the focus of this thesis

This thesis focuses on the examination of four stakeholder groups’ (food system professionals, secondary school teachers, parents, and young adults) opinions of the new Food Studies curriculum and general senior secondary food literacy education (Figure 2.5).

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Figure 2.5 The model of stakeholder involvement in secondary school food literacy education, showing the thesis foci outlined in red

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Generally, food system professionals possess skills and knowledge of various food- related areas and they are aware of the dynamics of the contemporary food system (Trexler, Johnson & Heinze 2000; Aksoydan & Mizikaci 2015). Moreover, they are highly aware of the careers, training, and higher education opportunities available for young people in food-related areas (Trexler, Johnson & Heinze 2000; Aksoydan & Mizikaci 2015). Accordingly, it is expected that they should have informed opinions about the content of secondary school food literacy education. Therefore, it is important that their views and advice are taken into consideration during the design and implementation of any new food-related curriculum. According to the best of candidate’s and her supervisors’ knowledge, the opinions of broad range of food system professionals were not sought during the design of the Food Studies curriculum.

Moreover, a broad range of food system professionals’ opinions of general senior secondary school food literacy education in overseas and Australia have not been explored before. Although the recent work of Sadegholvad and colleagues has explored Australian food system professionals’ opinions regarding secondary school nutrition and food system education (Sadegholvad et al. 2017c, 2017b), these investigators did not focus specifically on broad food literacy topics at senior secondary school levels. The research gaps identified in this section highlight the need to examine a broad range of food system professionals’ perceptions of secondary food literacy education in general, as well as their views specifically of the new Food Studies curriculum.

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Most of the teachers who taught the previous VCE Food and Technology curriculum were trained in home economics, hospitality, or food technology. This training facilitated their teaching of the previous VCE Food and Technology curriculum including food product development, food safety, and use of cooking equipment, etc. In the new Food Studies curriculum these aspects are presented as minor components and the focus is now on other aspects of food literacy including food origins, food supply chain, nutrition and food science principles, and other broader food system-related issues (Compton 2016, 2017; Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 2018a).

This major change can be quite challenging for those teachers who have not learnt about these aspects of Food Studies in their earlier training or who have not taught these aspects before. Until now, to the best of the candidates’ and her supervisors’ knowledge, no formal studies have explored teachers’ opinions regarding the new Food Studies curriculum content or its teaching. Therefore, exploration of teachers’ awareness and views of the content of the new Food Studies curriculum and their confidence to teach the various components of it, are of utmost importance. Equally important is an understanding of the barriers teachers experience in the delivery of Food Studies, and the resources and training that teachers require to successfully implement Food Studies. These findings will inform the curriculum and education authorities (VCAA and Victorian Department of Education and Training), teacher training (Home Economics Victoria) and resource providers (book publishers), school administrators, and teacher leaders

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about the challenges faced by teachers in delivering the new curriculum and ways to assist teachers facilitate their classroom Food Studies teaching.

In addition to teachers and food professionals, there are other groups of stakeholders who can provide input into the design and implementation of food literacy education at secondary school. These include parents and young adults. Parents play a significant role in their children’s food and educational choices. The examination of parents’ views of secondary school food literacy education will provide an understanding of what they expect their children to acquire from secondary food literacy education as well as gauge their support for food-related subjects relative to other school subjects. As noted above (Section 2.6.2 of

Chapter 2) a previous Australian study (Pendergast, Garvis & Kanasa 2011) sought

lay people’s opinions of secondary school food literacy education, but not specifically those of parents’. Some overseas studies from Hong Kong, United States, and India have asked parents, about their views of status and role of school food and nutrition education (Moore, Asay & Curry 2006; Lai-Yeung 2015; Rathi, Riddell & Worsley 2017a) but nothing has been done in an Australian context with this important stakeholder group.

Young adults belong to the immediate age group following adolescence. Their recent experiences in school food education and their present food-related needs (as independent young adults) enable them to provide valuable suggestions for improving secondary school food literacy education to better prepare adolescents for their future lives as food consumers and citizens. A previous overseas study examined young adults (i.e. university students) opinions regarding role of

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secondary school home economics and food and nutrition education and its importance compared to other subjects (Slater & Hinds 2014). No previous Australian studies have asked these groups’ opinions regarding the school food literacy education.

In recent research studies conducted in Australia and abroad, teachers have pointed out the lack of recognition and value for food and nutrition-related subjects by the general public, including parents, as a barrier to the successful delivery of this form of education (Slater 2013; Ronto et al. 2017b). Teachers have also expressed concern regarding the elective status of food-related subjects and lack of timetable time allocation for these subjects compared to maths, science subjects (Slater 2013; Ronto et al. 2017b). In a recent Australian study, teachers mentioned that food literacy subjects are offered as compulsory subjects in lower secondary school years such as years 7 and 8 and thereafter these subjects are offered as elective subjects (Ronto et al. 2017b, 2017a). According to the best of candidate’s and her supervisors’ knowledge, previous Australian or overseas studies have not asked parents and young adults whether food literacy education should be compulsory for secondary school students, and, how many school hours should be allocated for food literacy education in secondary schools. Accordingly, one of the studies in this thesis aims to explore parents’ and young adults’ opinions regarding these aspects along with their views of the importance of different food-related knowledge and skills for secondary school students.

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