Health is multi-dimensional

 

Students address the physical dimensions of health when they investigate their own or others’ diets in terms of a food-selection model eg the Healthy Eating Pyramid, or a computer analysis program. They address other dimensions of health eg social, emotional and spiritual when they investigate the barriers and enablers to achieving goals, or when they consider options for achieving their goals. They consider for example the pressures of friends, advertising and the cultural norms of their family. They learn how to design, make and appraise plans which enhance their own or others’ nutritional status without compromising other aspects of health.

Autonomy and empowerment

Approaches to technology education which embrace the concept of "appropriate technology" are entirely consistent with an empowerment approach to food and nutrition education.

Students can work in groups to identify the issue of concern to them, they can work collaboratively to identify the root causes of the problem and then take action to redress the issue. In this way the technologies developed are appropriate to the culture of the students, whether a process for managing change in the diet, or food products to support those changes.

Whilst student identification of the issue of concern and subsequent action on the issue means that groups of students are engaged in different tasks, the learning will be relevant to students, and hence more empowering and more likely to be transferred to their everyday lives. Taking a metacognitive approach to technology education will enhance an empowerment approach - students learn processes for change, processes for solving problems, processes for cooperation and so forth.

Learning and teaching

Teaching and learning strategies for effective technology education are supportive of empowerment education - that is they are student centred, cooperative, and metacognitive.

Democratic learning

Democratic learning is exemplified when students determine their own design briefs, their own goals, determine their own barriers and enablers and determine their own action plans. Democracy is also evident when students determine what they will cook to support their goals, as opposed to all students making the same dish as prescribed by the teacher.

Cooperative learning

Cooperative learning takes place when students work in peer groups for the duration of the unit of work. They would work together on the design brief - to support each other in identifying issues of concern, analysing and evaluating information, setting goals, addressing barriers and enablers, exploring options, planning, carrying out the plans and reflecting. In their groups they would lend each other support by giving each other ideas for achieving goals, for addressing barriers. They might also work cooperatively in food preparation classes - if one student wanted to make a particularly complex dish to support his/her goals, the peer group could assist in the preparation of the dish.

Metacognition

Metacognitive learning would take place by students being aware of the process for change, the empowerment process. This might happen by students developing a log book documenting their progress in each of the steps. Metacognition could also be developed by students learning decision-making processes, goal-setting processes and problem-solving processes, in addition to processes for analysing and evaluating food-related behaviours, whether their own or others. Students would, in each case, be taught the processes and then allowed to apply the processes to their own particular situation.

Key Skills

 

Food selection

In all scenarios students are given the opportunity to develop food selection skills, whether designing, making and appraising campaigns, systems or food dishes to achieve their goals. In order inform their decisions related to developing an appropriate campaign, system or dish, they learn how to analyse and evaluate food-related behaviours with respect to a food selection model.

Food preparation

Students can be given the opportunity to develop food preparation skills whether devising personal diet plans or plans to improve food messages in the community. If devising plans to improve their personal food habits, they can prepare food to support their goals. If devising plans to promote health enhancing food behaviours in the community, they can prepare suitable food products for that situation and then, for example, send photographs of the products to the community group concerned, invite the community group to view their products in the school setting, or scan their information on to a website (Internet page).

Advocacy

Whether devising personal or community health promoting action plans, students learn skills of advocacy. In developing personal action plans, they identify people and/or organisations who might present barriers to achieving their goals (for example, family or friends) and learn skills to communicate with these people. In developing plans to promote a healthy food-related environment, students learn how to advocate for health with external agencies - school canteens, media outlets etc.

Principles of inclusiveness

 

Because the students develop their own design brief, devise their own plans and take actions relevant to them, they generally script their own learning and as such it will be applicable to each one of them. The learning experiences are process driven with all students being able to apply the processes to their own lives.