人與食物的距離─鄉村小學食農教育課程發展之行動研究

An Action Research on Food and Farming Education Curriculum Development in a Rural Elementary School

在現代化的發展下，農村結構面臨劇烈的變化，農村孩童對土地及農家認同上的傳承逐漸疏遠。針對此一現象，世界許多國家皆推行小學食農教育，例如烹飪課程及學校菜園種植，以促進孩童與食物、環境及社區的連結。本研究旨在發展一套「從土地到餐桌」的食農教育課程架構，以供小學推動參考。第一作者為小學專任老師，兩位作者於2011年至2012年間，擇苗栗縣一鄉村小學，帶領五、六年級學生實作「食農教育」，透過三個學期的行動研究歷程，發展出「農事課程」、「烹飪課程」及「食農知識性課程」三大課程架構。本研究發現這些課程能帶給學生多元有趣的學習經驗，並在學習者身上產生具體且正向的改變，在農地及種植知識取得容易，又易獲得社區居民協助的鄉村學校，十分適宜推動。在實務操作上，本研究提出五點建議:老師可考慮採用實作且彈性的教學方式、結合在地人力資源、運用學校的閒置空間、可組織志同道合的教師團隊相互支持或與環境教育接軌，發展成具有特色的學校本位課程。

Rural agricultural demographics and farming structure has shown fierce changes in the modernizing society over the past years. The young generation in rural areas has distanced from the land and their families’ farmer identity. Countries worldwide has revamped their “food & farming curriculum” to include cooking lessons and school gardens at the elementary school stage to strengthen children’s connection with food, environment and the community. This study developed a framework of “food & farming curriculum” through action research to establish farm-to-table experience for elementary students. The framework includes “farming experience activities”, “cooking lessons” and “knowledge of food and farming lessons.” The curriculum was carried out for fifth and sixth grade students for three semesters in a rural elementary school in Miaoli County, from 2011 to 2012. The study found that this curriculum brings positive changes to pupils and helps in regaining their passion to learning. The curriculum is suitable to be applied especially in rural schools because of the accessibility of land, agricultural knowledges and community support. The study proposed five suggestions to teachers who are interested in food and farming education, including hands-on and flexibility teaching; using the local human resources; applications of unused space in the school; looking for like-minded teachers to form a teaching team; and combining environmental education with school-based curriculum.