Reconceptualising Food Education in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Curriculum Analysis, Teacher Capacity, and Student Outcomes in the Context of a Changing Food Environment

Formal food and nutrition education delivered through secondary school Home Economics curricula has significant potential to shape lifelong dietary behaviours, yet the relevance and quality of this education in Nigeria require critical examination in light of a rapidly changing food environment. This study reconceptualised food education in Nigerian secondary schools through integrated analysis of curriculum content, teacher capacity, and student outcomes, conducted across four geopolitical zones: South West, South East, North West, and South South. A multi-site, multi-phase design combined critical curriculum discourse analysis of current Home Economics syllabi, a national survey of 200 teachers assessing food education content knowledge and pedagogical skills, and a natural experiment comparing food literacy and dietary behaviour outcomes between 400 students in schools with and without active practical Home Economics instruction. Curriculum analysis was conducted using Bernstein's curriculum theory and critical food literacy frameworks. Survey data were analysed using structural equation modelling, and outcome comparisons used propensity score-matched analysis. Results showed that current curricula are oriented toward domestic skills rather than critical food literacy, failing to address food environment navigation, food sovereignty, or sustainable diet concepts. Teacher content knowledge gaps were significant in food science and contemporary nutrition, and laboratory infrastructure was severely deficient in public schools. Students receiving practical food education demonstrated significantly higher food literacy scores and healthier dietary patterns. The study presents a reconceptualised food education framework appropriate for twenty-first century Nigeria. Keywords: food education, curriculum analysis, Home Economics, teacher capacity, Nigeria