Comparison of creative dietary teaching efficacy and dietary perception according to the frequency of participation of elementary school pre-service teachers in meal preparation

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to analyze the differences in creative dietary teaching efficacy and dietary perception among pre-service elementary school teachers according to their levels of participation in meal preparation.Methods: Data were collected nationwide from 345 pre-service elementary teachers using a self-administered 5-Likert questionnaire from October to November 2023.Results: First, the participation rate in meal preparation was significantly higher among male pre-service teachers compared to female pre-service teachers (p < 0.01).The participation rate exhibited an upward trend with increasing grade levels; however, a decline was observed in the fourth grade pre-service teachers (p < 0.05).Second, the mean score for creative dietary teaching efficacy was recorded at 3.90, with the subgroup that participated daily achieving the highest mean score of 4.07.A statistically significant difference was identified among three groups: those participating daily, those participating 1-5 days per week, and those rarely participating (p < 0.001).Third, the average score across the eight factors of dietary perception was 3.85.The subgroup participating more than three days per week demonstrated a significantly higher average score compared to the other groups (p < 0.001).The average scores for the factors of Convergence Utilizing Dietary Area competency, dietary value, cooking capacity, and dietary knowledge exhibited significant variations based on the frequency of participation (p < 0.001).