Nutritional Education Practices and Learning Outcomes in Public Pre-Schools in Homa Bay County, Kenya

Abstract

Adequate nutrition plays a critical role in children’s physical growth, cognitive development. Many public preprimary schools in Homa Bay County continue to experience nutrition-related problems which may adversely affect learning outcomes. Despite the importance of nutritional education provision in pre-primary school settings, limited empirical evidence exists on how nutritional education practices affects learning outcomes. The paper is guided by pragmatic research paradigm and utilising a concurrent triangulation design to assess the relationship between nutritional education practices and learning outcomes in public pre-primary schools in Homa Bay County. The target population consisted of 877 public pre-primary schools, 877 head teachers, 1,211 teachers and 40 Early Childhood Development Education field officers. A sample of 44 head teachers, 301 teachers, and 40 ECDE supervisors was obtained and sampled using purposive and stratified random sampling methods. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and observation checklists. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data were subjected to thematic content analysis. There was a statistically significant strong positive relationship between nutritional education practices and learning outcomes (r = 0.643, p < 0.05). This implied that effective nutritional education practices would improve learners’ knowledge, skills and attitudes towards learning. Provision of nutritional education is key towards enhancing pre-primary school pupils learning outcomes. The paper recommends the need for county and national governments to strengthen teacher capacity, teachers to educate parental on importance of proper nutrition for their children, and government to support nutrition education programmes to improve children’s learning outcomes.