Teacher’s malaise in discussions about teaching nutrition: speeches of basic education teachers in virtual forums

Abstract

Institutional and social expectations related to teaching work have intensified. The teaching activity is nowadays characterized by precarious work, associated with a conception of the school as a company, in which multiple work links with a high workload are frequent, with negative consequences on teaching health. In the present study, we report qualitative findings obtained from the analysis of posts by teachers of basic education in a virtual forum on nutrition education. Such spontaneous discussions by the teachers revealed a contrast between the intense concern with the nutritional health of their students that masks the attention to these issues in relation to themselves. The incorporation of socially imposed expectations by teachers in order to solve complex issues such as obesity among students seems to acquire such dimensions that obliterate the discussion on nutritional health itself. These expectations, when imposed without the means to meet them, can contribute to teacher suffering. We also highlight the importance of the existence of spaces and listening conditions for teachers involved in education on health issues in schools.

teacher malaise; virtual forums; internet; nutritional health