An Ethnographic Case Study of the impact of food upon learning and social skills at Peartree Academy Gurpinder Lalli PhD Student School of Education University of Leicester

Contents Purpose & Focus Research Questions Research Design Methodology Current Status & Key Themes Moving forward Concerns 2

Purpose & Focus To investigate the impact of food upon learning and social skills at a school that I have chosen to call the Peartree Academy. To explore the social and life skills which pupils develop through meeting, making choices, eating and talking together in an inviting ‘restaurant culture’ rather than the traditional ‘school canteen’. 3

Research Questions 4 Main research question An Ethnographic Case Study of the impact of food upon learning and social skills at one 3 – 16 Academy. Subsidiary research questions 1.To what extent have food programmes challenged learning in schools? 2.Do children’s eating habits affect their attitudes towards learning in school life? 3. How do eating habits impact on social skills development in schools?

Research Design 10 days of observations in the school restaurant 54 interviews (26 Staff, 16 Pupils and 12 Parents) School Restaurant, Staff room and learning spaces used to conduct interviews 5

Methodology Based on my assumptions of the world, I will take a social constructivist position where I will attempt to look at social interactions in situations (Vygotsky, 1962). For me, multiple observations can be made from situations whenever or wherever they arise and multiple interpretations can be made. (Extract from thesis) ‘Ethnographic Techniques’ ‘Case Study’ ‘Semi-structured interviews’ ‘Observations – Am I really an insider?’ Documentary Evidence 6

Current Status & Key Themes Current Status Data collection complete 2 short articles produced Moving towards ‘writing-up’ Key Themes The ‘Pedagogic Meal’ (2013) – Concept developed in 1970s Sweden Modelling Behaviour ‘Meet and Greet’ 7

‘The Pedagogical Meal’ “Although most staff had a good understanding of how to practice a ‘pedagogic meal’; a concept developed in Sweden in the 1970s, they remained uncertain of how to present themselves in the meal situation (Sepp, 2006)”. How can I judge whether or not role models are being presented in the school restaurant at Peartree Academy? How will I portray the account of the school restaurant at Peartree Academy? 8

Moving Forward Aim to: 1.Develop the literature and build a strong knowledge base around food and learning 2.Address methodological issues as they arise in readings and fieldwork 3.Develop suitable data analysis techniques 4.Draw on the richness of the data and explore deeper 9

Thank you for listening! Q&A 10

References Osowski, C. P., Goranzon, H., Fjellstrom, C. (2013) ‘Teachers’ interaction with children in the school meal situation: The example of pedagogic meals in Sweden’, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour, 45 (5), pp. 420 – 427 Sepp, H., Abrahamsson, L., Fjellstrom, C. (2006) ‘Pre-school staffs’ attitudes toward foods in relation to the pedagogic meal’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, 30 (2), pp. 224 – 232 Vygotsky, L. (1962) Thought and Language, Cambridge: The MIT Press 11