Correlation between Food Provision, Teachers’ Involvement and Pupils’ Engagement in Learning: A Case of Primary Schools in Arusha City, Tanzania

Abstract

This study sought to establish the relationship between food provision, teachers’ involvement and pupils’ engagement in learning using descriptive-correlational design. A sample of 217 pupils from 14 public primary schools in Arusha City filled the questionnaire. Content validity was ensured through expert judgment and reliability test yielded the Cronbach’s Alpha of above 0.7 before data collection.  Ethical standards were ensured through anonymity, confidentiality, avoidance of plagiarism and voluntary participation. The study established a significant positive relationship between the quality of food provision and pupils’ engagement, between the quality of food provision and teachers’ involvement and between teachers’ involvement and pupils’ engagement in learning. Pupils were actively engaged through giving contributions, critical thinking, peer interaction and group discussions. They were satisfied with the quality of food provision in their schools. While teachers were approachable and gave support to learners, female pupils considered teachers to be more involved in helping them than their male pupils’ counterparts. Therefore, it is recommended that the effectiveness of food provision in primary schools should be maintained to raise teachers’ involvement and pupils’ engagement. Teachers need to take advantage of the active participation of the pupils as this behavior increases learning effectiveness.