The Early Childhood Mealtime as a Learning Environment: Practices, Children's Behaviors, and Teachers' Perspectives

Abstract

This dissertation examines the early care and education mealtime as a learning environment. Manuscript one proposes a new improved conceptual framework that addresses the need for better alignment of teachers’ practices during the mealtime from both the education and nutrition field. Manuscript two examines the associations between teaching practices as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System and feeding practices as measured by the Mealtime Observation in Childcare Checklist. Manuscript two also explores children’s behaviors during the mealtime and associations with teachers’ practices. Manuscript three provides a qualitative analysis of teachers’ perspectives of the mealtime gathered by interviews.