The updated Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020, came into effect in April 2021. The Scottish Government (2020) recognises that schools do not hold sole responsibility in shaping the choices of children and young people but do play a key role in supporting healthier dietary choices. Cotton et al (2020) consider teachers as key agents in promoting health and nutrition within schools. The SG's health promotion guidance for schools states that ‘there should be flexibility to allow teachers to promote aspects of health and wellbeing in a holistic way and to make innovative provision within food and health education which addresses current circumstances and meets pupils’ changing needs’ (SG, 2020:14). As part of incorporating these updated guidelines into an integrated masters Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme it seemed fitting to explore preservice teacher’s understanding of this guidance and of food and nutrition education as well as their perceived role in supporting pupils’ with health promoting behaviours.

Health justice is an individual’s moral entitlement to develop a capability to be healthy. Health as ‘meta-capability’ goes beyond the health care provision so that social architecture facilitates a healthy life to allow individuals to flourish (Venkatapuram, 2011).  Sen (2001) posits that freedom should be the driver for development and that political frameworks should not define human goals and what is required for human dignity.  Walker and Unterhalter (2007) note that although all individuals may be provided with the same information/ knowledge it does not necessarily result in the same educational outcomes for all. Therefore individuals should have opportunities/ freedoms to behave and live in a way they chose to- not just access to resources but an ability to purposefully utilise resources and gain from them in a meaningful way. Race (2006) describes reflection as a process to deepen learning and this process can be used to facilitate and enrich learning dialogues, where teachers and learners can identify what has been achieved and what development is required. According to Nussbaum (2011), if an organisation or system values human flourishing it will address ten core capabilities. Nussbaum's capabilities approach has been used as a theoretical framework for this study in which wellbeing is considered in terms of capabilities and functionings to explore how educators do and could support learners to ‘fulfil one's potential as a human being’ (Nussbaum, 2011).  This research explores the question: what are preservice teachers’ understanding of food and nutrition education and their role in supporting pupils’ capabilities in adopting health promoting behaviours?  This empirical research study was guided by an interpretivist paradigm based on what Guba and Lincoln (1994:107) describe as ‘epistemological assumptions’ in which knowledge is built through the qualitative study of participants' individual views and lived realities. It focuses on the perceptions and experiences of ITE students from the Master of Education Programme with Primary Teaching Qualification in the University of Glasgow (hereafter, UofG). Although this study took place in one ITE institution in Scotland, it is also relevant for other ITE educators in the UK, Europe and other global countries that have responsibility for supporting preservice teachers to understand their role in providing effective support in schools for pupils to develop health promoting behaviours through effective food and nutrition education. This study can also be used in developing health and wellbeing career long professional learning experiences for teachers.

Purposive sampling was used to recruit preservice teachers at the University of Glasgow studying on the integrated masters in education programme with primary teaching qualification (MEduc). The participants are all initial teacher education students (ITE) in the penultimate or final year of study (years four or five). Nine participants from across both year groups were selected from volunteers, in the order the students volunteered, to form a focus group. The focus group lasted for approximately 60-120 minutes. The questions were open, semi-structured and based on nutrition and health learning and teaching themes. The focus group data was recorded in writing by participants using a collaborative learning carousel activity. This form of data collection is based on what Gibbs (2012) describes as participant group interaction rather than individual interviews conducted in a group setting. This approach utilises dialogue among participants where they can discuss and share their experiences in relation to the research themes to stimulate thinking especially amongst student teachers who may have little experience of the topic. This is considered a supportive data collection method as participants have time and space to immerse themselves in the research topic before responding to questions as group as they carousel round open research questions and provide written responses following a group discussion without direct questioning from the researcher. The participants were split into three groups during the focus group. Each group moved round a large piece of flip chart paper that contained the open questions/ themes. The groups will have time to discuss their own experiences in relation to each question/theme and then compile their responses. Carroll (2018) states that as part of these responses groups can add their own response, agree/ piggyback with another group response by adding a tick or can expand on another group’s response. Groups were asked not to change or remove the response of another group. For more in-depth information the participants were invited to volunteer for an online individual interview following the focus group. These interviews lasted up to 45 minutes and the questions were open, semi-structured and based on the nutrition and health learning and teaching themes following on from information from the focus group. The interviews were audio recorded to allow for a transcript to be generated. This qualitative data gathered from the focus group carousel activities and individual interviews was analysed using inductive coding based on Braun and Clarke’s approach to thematic analysis.

The analysis of the focus group and individual interviews is still ongoing and so currently there are no definitive findings or recommendations. From the initial analysis conducted so far, the themes of confidence, subject knowledge, collaboration and professional learning have all been identified. The expected findings are that the preservice teachers recognise and appreciate the significance of their role in supporting learners in adopting health promoting behaviours. However, there is a lack of subject knowledge in food and nutrition which impacts on confidence in teaching and learning experiences. It is anticipated that the preservice teachers will place value on professional learning and collaboration to develop subject knowledge and confidence to enhance health and nutrition education experiences. Following the completion of data analysis more robust and accurate findings and conclusions will be presented.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2017). Thematic analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12 (3), 297-298 https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1262613 Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589-597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806 Carroll, M. (2018). Collaborative Learning in McCulloch, M. and Carroll, M. Understanding teaching and learning in primary education (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Cotton, W., Dudley, D., Peralta, L., & Werkhoven, T. (2020). The effect of teacher-delivered nutrition education programs on elementary-aged students: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 20, 101178 101178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101178 Gibbs, A. (2012). Focus Groups and Interviews in Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R., & Hedges, L.(2012). Research methods and methodologies in education. Newsbury Park, CA: Sage Publications Ltd. Nussbaum, M. C. (2011). Creating capabilities. The human development approach. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Race, P. (2006) Evidencing reflection: Putting the ‘W’ into reflection. Esclate: Higher Education Academy. Available from: http://escalate.ac.uk/resources/reflection/ (Last accessed (24/02/2022) Scottish Government (2017). Initial teacher education: content analysis. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Available from: https://www.gov.scot/publications/initial-teacher-education-content-analysis-2017/ (Last accessed: 02/10/2022). Scottish Government. (2020). Healthy Eating in Schools: A guide to implementing the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. Edinburgh: Scottish Government. Walker, M., & Unterhalter, E. (2007). Amartya sen's capability approach and social justice in education (1st ed.). Palgrave Macmillan. Venkatapuram, S. (2011). Health justice: An argument from the capabilities approach. Polity.