Evaluation of Practical Component of Food and Nutrition Education in Federal Government Colleges in South East Nigeria

This study evaluated the practical component of food and nutrition education in Federal Government Colleges in the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Food and nutrition education requires robust practical engagement, including cooking demonstrations, dietary analysis, and food science experiments, for students to develop functional competencies. The study used a mixed descriptive and evaluative design, involving 300 SS2 students, 40 food and nutrition teachers, and 20 laboratory supervisors from 10 federal government colleges across Enugu, Imo, Anambra, Abia, and Ebonyi States. Instruments included a practical evaluation checklist, teacher questionnaire, and document review of lesson plans. Findings showed that practical sessions constituted only 28 percent of total instructional time, well below the recommended 50 percent benchmark, and that laboratory equipment was functional in only six of the ten schools sampled. Students in schools with well-resourced food laboratories consistently outperformed peers on practical assessment tasks. The study recommends that the Federal Ministry of Education mandate a minimum practical time allocation for food and nutrition education, allocate annual maintenance budgets for food laboratories, and develop standardized national practical assessment frameworks. Training workshops for food and nutrition teachers on contemporary food science pedagogy are also essential. Keywords: food and nutrition education, practical assessment, Federal Government Colleges, South East Nigeria, vocational education.