Author Identifier

Margaret Miller: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1872-1530  

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

First Supervisor

Amanda Devine

Second Supervisor

Johnny Lo

Third Supervisor

Matt Byrne

Abstract

Introduction: Poor eating habits in children affect their academic performance and wellbeing, which unless addressed can track into adulthood increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases and unsustainable, unhealthy diets. Primary school children spend a significant proportion of their day at school with their classroom teacher who could act as a role model and educator to influence children’s food and nutrition attitudes, food literacy and food choices. Whilst knowledge of barriers is growing, little is known of what motivates and supports primary school teachers to include important topics such as food and nutrition education (FNE) in their teaching role. This research aimed to investigate this question from a work motivation perspective.

Methods: A three-phase exploratory sequential mixed methods study design was used, framed by established work motivation models and integrated using the domains and constructs of a validated Work Practice Questionnaire (WPQ), to investigate motivators, barriers and supports in individual, team, workplace (school) and organisation (education authority) work domains. The aims of phase 1 were to confirm the validity of the WPQ for use with teachers and to collect rich data on FNE motivators, barriers and supports across and within the different work domains. Phase 2 aimed to investigate the relationships between constructs in the work domains and their relative importance in a FNE work motivation logic model (WMLM). In Phase 1, 18 purposively recruited primary school teachers completed semi structured interviews, interpreted using thematic analysis and data displays in QSR N-Vivo. In Phase 2, a convenience sample of 196 teachers completed a modified WPQ (P2Q), analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in WarpPLS. In Phase 3, integration of the phase results was achieved using a visual joint display, with ‘fit’ between inferences derived from each phase results and literature interpreted as concordance, discordance, or expansion. The ‘fit’ and meta inferences derived were discussed in a woven narrative using self-determination theory (SDT) and other work motivation theories, to justify the conclusions.

Results: Phase 1: Analysis by work domains found dominance of individual domain motivators, particularly Personal Views about the importance of nutrition and children’s poor diets; perceptions of role as a FN educator; feelings of Role Adequacy, Role Legitimacy and Job Satisfaction; and FNE Training and Experience. Experiences teaching FNE, either health curriculum or cross-curriculum focused, or extra curricular as incidental or whole school programs were motivating, especially if students engaged and parents or other school community gave positive feedback. Workplace domain physical and socio political environments and access to relevant resources and professional learning were highly motivating when present but were amongst the main barriers overall when absent. Informal Supports defined by WPQ were motivating at team level whilst more Formal Supports at school and system level such as culture, policies and resources provided motivation in the workplace and organisation domains. System wide supports included the curriculum, aligned curriculum resources, online communities and professional learning through mentor schools. Overall, analysis by domains found gaps in teacher references to some WPQ constructs, as well as new items for inclusion, leading to modifications of WPQ and revalidation as P2Q. Phase 2: Teacher’s Job Satisfaction, Role Legitimacy and Role Adequacy each had large predictive validity in the motivation model, with explained variance around 40% (R2=0.40, 0.40 & 0.43 respectively) compared with Career Motivation at half this (R2=0.24). Path analysis showed large positive influences of Role Legitimacy and Role Adequacy on Job Satisfaction ((β=0.316, p < 0.001, f2=0.171) and (β=0.347, p < 0.001, f2=0.194) respectively) and a medium influence of Role Legitimacy on Career Motivation (β=0.231, p < 0.001, f2=0.092). In turn, FNE Experience and the team domain construct Informal Support, were the main contributors to Role Legitimacy, with medium indirect effects on Job Satisfaction but small for Career Motivation. Personal Views of FNE importance and system Networks also significantly impacted Role Legitimacy but with negligible mediated indirect effects on Job Satisfaction. The constructs Useful Training, Formal Support and FNE Experience had significant medium to large influences on Role Adequacy and small indirect effects on Job Satisfaction and Career Motivation. Pre-service FN training and teacher Concern for Kids were not significant in the model. Phase 3: The results of Phase 2 compared with Phase 1 and literature review provided concordance for four constructs, discordance for two and expansion for five.

Conclusions: The significance of this thesis is its focus on FNE as part of a primary school teacher’s work and therefore the motivations, barriers and supports are considered in the context of the different work domains that may influence teacher motivation. This is an area not explored in the literature and one that provides a novel approach to understanding the complexity of influences on teacher motivation as well as the supports not previously identified that might help teachers to implement FNE in a primary school workplace. Because of the domains approach to the research, roles and responsibilities for supporting teacher motivation are made clear and provide a focus for discussion with teacher training and accreditation authorities, health and primary school education authorities, school leaders, teachers and members of the school community about how this role can be better supported in future.

Access Note

Access to this thesis is embargoed until 10th February 2031 

DOI

10.25958/pr9y-x303

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Available for download on Monday, February 10, 2031

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