Food, Health & Choices (FHC): Teacher Engagement Related to Student Reception in Curriculum Intervention, but Not Wellness

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine how classroom teacher engagement affected students' reception of two different interventions (curriculum vs. wellness policy) with trained instructors implementing the intervention.Study Design, Setting, Participants, and InterventionTwenty New York City public schools with predominately Hispanic and black students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: curriculum (23 lessons based on social cognitive and self-determination theories); wellness (classroom food policy and daily 10-minute Dance Breaks); curriculum+wellness; or delayed control. Both interventions were implemented by trained, master's degree-level instructors. After each classroom visit, instructors recorded process data on a previously validated feedback form (n=1,348).Outcome, Measures and AnalysisData were aggregated by class and curriculum (n= 31) and wellness (n=30) were analyzed separately. Descriptive statistics were calculated for student participation, student behavior, classroom teacher attitude, and classroom teacher participation (all rated on a 3-point scale). 2-tailed Pearson's correlations were used to assess relationships.ResultsFor curriculum, student participation and student behavior (together, “student reception”) were 2.8 and 2.6. Teacher attitude and teacher participation (together, “teacher engagement”) were 2.6 and 2.1. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were significantly correlated with student participation (both r=.39, p<.05) and student behavior (r=.46, p<.01 and r=.41, p<.05, respectively). For wellness, student participation and student behavior were 2.9 and 2.8. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were 2.7 and 2.4. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were not correlated with either student participation or behavior.Conclusions and ImplicationsBased on these results, it appears that it is very important to get teacher buy-in for a lesson-based intervention, but this may not be as important for physical activity-based wellness intervention.FundingNIFA ObjectiveTo examine how classroom teacher engagement affected students' reception of two different interventions (curriculum vs. wellness policy) with trained instructors implementing the intervention. To examine how classroom teacher engagement affected students' reception of two different interventions (curriculum vs. wellness policy) with trained instructors implementing the intervention. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and InterventionTwenty New York City public schools with predominately Hispanic and black students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: curriculum (23 lessons based on social cognitive and self-determination theories); wellness (classroom food policy and daily 10-minute Dance Breaks); curriculum+wellness; or delayed control. Both interventions were implemented by trained, master's degree-level instructors. After each classroom visit, instructors recorded process data on a previously validated feedback form (n=1,348). Twenty New York City public schools with predominately Hispanic and black students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: curriculum (23 lessons based on social cognitive and self-determination theories); wellness (classroom food policy and daily 10-minute Dance Breaks); curriculum+wellness; or delayed control. Both interventions were implemented by trained, master's degree-level instructors. After each classroom visit, instructors recorded process data on a previously validated feedback form (n=1,348). Outcome, Measures and AnalysisData were aggregated by class and curriculum (n= 31) and wellness (n=30) were analyzed separately. Descriptive statistics were calculated for student participation, student behavior, classroom teacher attitude, and classroom teacher participation (all rated on a 3-point scale). 2-tailed Pearson's correlations were used to assess relationships. Data were aggregated by class and curriculum (n= 31) and wellness (n=30) were analyzed separately. Descriptive statistics were calculated for student participation, student behavior, classroom teacher attitude, and classroom teacher participation (all rated on a 3-point scale). 2-tailed Pearson's correlations were used to assess relationships. ResultsFor curriculum, student participation and student behavior (together, “student reception”) were 2.8 and 2.6. Teacher attitude and teacher participation (together, “teacher engagement”) were 2.6 and 2.1. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were significantly correlated with student participation (both r=.39, p<.05) and student behavior (r=.46, p<.01 and r=.41, p<.05, respectively). For wellness, student participation and student behavior were 2.9 and 2.8. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were 2.7 and 2.4. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were not correlated with either student participation or behavior. For curriculum, student participation and student behavior (together, “student reception”) were 2.8 and 2.6. Teacher attitude and teacher participation (together, “teacher engagement”) were 2.6 and 2.1. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were significantly correlated with student participation (both r=.39, p<.05) and student behavior (r=.46, p<.01 and r=.41, p<.05, respectively). For wellness, student participation and student behavior were 2.9 and 2.8. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were 2.7 and 2.4. Teacher attitude and teacher participation were not correlated with either student participation or behavior. Conclusions and ImplicationsBased on these results, it appears that it is very important to get teacher buy-in for a lesson-based intervention, but this may not be as important for physical activity-based wellness intervention. Based on these results, it appears that it is very important to get teacher buy-in for a lesson-based intervention, but this may not be as important for physical activity-based wellness intervention.