A teacher-to-teacher intervention on school-based vegetable gardens to support resilience

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore how the implementation and outcome of a teacher-to-teacher intervention on school-based vegetable gardens can support resilience in vulnerable communities. The study forms part of the Food Intake and Resilience Support: Gardens as Taught by Educators (FIRST-GATE) research project. The FIRST-GATE project followed on the Supportive Teachers Assets and Resilience (STAR) and Supporting Home Environments in Beating Adversity (SHEBA) projects, where teachers and volunteers had been initiating and participating in school-based projects in support of the psychosocial well-being of vulnerable school-communities. The current study provided a platform for teachers to share practical guidelines and experiences with peer teachers on how to establish and sustain successful schoolbased vegetable gardens. Interpretivism served as the philosophical basis of the study and I followed a Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) methodological approach. I selected a multiple case study research design. The conceptual framework is based on Ozer’s model of potential effects of school garden programmes and the asset-based approach. A convenient and purposive sample of 37 teacher-participants (of which some were principals and deputy principals) from the nine schools in the Eastern Cape Province that formed part of the FIRST-GATE project took part in PRA data generation activities. In addition, I utilised observation-as-context-of-interaction, visual strategies (PRA-based posters and photographs), field notes and a reflective journal for data generation and documentation purposes. Following an inductive thematic analysis, I identified three main themes with related sub-themes. The identified themes relate to the value of being involved in a teacherto- teacher intervention, unexpected positive outcomes (resilience) of school-based vegetable gardens in school-communities, and challenges experienced during the teacher-to-teacher intervention project. Findings of the research acknowledge that, through engagement, the teachers were able to share knowledge, skills and resources with others, gaining from the experiences of peers who work in similar context. As such, the current study contributes to the discourse on resilience in discussing the outcomes and benefits of the FIRST-GATE teacher-to-teacher intervention on schoolbased vegetable gardens in support of vulnerable school-communities. The study further contributes to the field of Educational Psychology by providing an example of an intervention that may be undertaken in collaboration with schools, to support vulnerable school-communities.