Evaluation of implementation of an interdisciplinary nutrition curriculum in middle schools

This paper provides an evaluation of teachers' implementation and perceptions of Mid-LINC, an interdisciplinary nutrition curriculum for middle school students. Evaluation methodology included both quantitative and qualitative procedures. Quantitative evaluation included distribution of a survey instrument to measure teacher attitudes toward the curriculum, their implementation of the curriculum, and factors related to attitude and implementation. Qualitative evaluation included classroom observation, depth interviews with teachers, and focus group interviews. On average, elementary and home economics teachers taught the highest number of lessons, and language arts teachers taught the fewest. The number of college nutrition courses taken by the teacher was the best predictor of implementation of the curriculum. Overall, the response to the curriculum was very favorable, with teachers rating it easy to use, flexible, and complete. The perceived importance of team teaching, the extent to which the teacher felt informed about nutrition, and the felt importance of nutrition in the middle school curriculum were significant predictors of comfort with the curriculum. Important facilitators to successful implementation are a project manager, teacher interest, and common planning times. Barriers to implementation include scheduling constraints, teacher resistance, personnel changes, and lack of administrative support.