Interdisciplinary work regarding nutrition and health in Swedish compulsory school : a survey study

• The Swedish National Agency for Education state that implementation of education should involve possibilities for pupils to work interdisciplinary and experience knowledge in different ways. The aim of the study was to explore the presence of interdisciplinary work related to the content of nutrition and health in Swedish compulsory school, and factors influencing interdisciplinary work. To investigate this, two web-based nationwide questionnaires were sent out in 2014 to compulsory schools in Sweden. One questionnaire was aimed at teachers in five subjects: Home and Consumer Studies, Physical Education and Health, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The second questionnaire was aimed at head teachers. A total of 388 teachers and 216 head teachers answered the respective questionnaires. The study showed that 40% of the teachers and 59% of the head teachers reported that their school worked interdisciplinary regarding nutrition and health. Lack of time for planning and scheduling problems were seen as the main barriers by both teachers and head teachers. A pre-requisite for interdisciplinary work to be successful is that teachers have a chance to meet and plan, and the study indicate that frame factors have a critical impact on what is possible to perform regarding interdisciplinary work in Swedish schools. Improving the interdisciplinary work regarding nutrition and health might increase the potential for schools to achieve the overall goal of pupils gaining knowledge and understanding of the importance of their lifestyle for health, the environment and society.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Interdisciplinary work

nutrition and health

compulsory school

frame factors

Food and Nutrition

Kostvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)