The State University of New York
At Potsdam
A COMPARISON OF EFFECTS OF EATING BREAKFAST ON STUDENT
MOTIVATION AND STUDENT ACADEMIC PARTICIPATION
By: Shane Countryman
&
Kevin Richardson
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of
Education
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree
Masters of Science in Education
General Professional Education
Potsdam, New York
August 2007
-2-
This thesis entitled
A COMPARISON OF EFFECTS OF EATING BREAKFAST ON STUDENT
MOTIVATION AND STUDENT ACADEMIC PARTICIPATION
By: Shane Countryman
& Kevin Richardson
Has been approved for the
Department of Education
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Program Coordinator
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Department Chair
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The final copy of the above mentioned thesis has been examined by the signatories
and found to meet acceptable standards for the scholarly work in the discipline in
both form and content
-3-
PERMISSION TO COPY
I grant The State University of New York College at Potsdam the non-exclusive right
to use this work for the University’s own purposes and to make single copies of the
work available to the public on a not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise
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Shane Countryman
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Date
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Kevin Richardson
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Date
-4-
ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, there has been a surge in research relating to the effects of
eating breakfast on the three major factors of the student’s school success: (1)
cognitive performance, (2) attention and energy levels, and (3) student attendance,
tardiness, and punctuality. The results are clear. Student who consume food material
before engaging in academic activity are likely to experience higher success in the
form of increased cognitive performance and better achievement on exams. Also,
students will have more energy and will be able to concentrate and focus better on
learning objectives and tasks. Students will also experience decreased rates of
absence and tardiness. Schools and parents must see the benefits and teach them to
the children so they can make the positive decision: The decision to eat breakfast.
-5-
Chapter 1
Introduction
Problem Statement
Throughout the day, children often seem to become less focused on learning
and less motivated to achieve. Perhaps, the child’s level of nutrition, especially in the
morning hours, is playing a negative role in their academic progress. Zullig (2006)
states that 42% of children are not eating any kind of breakfast before they head off to
school (p.90). Students who are not eating breakfast, for whatever reason, are
missing many of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for proper brain growth
and function. In order to expect the best from students, we must be sure that their
nutritional needs are met before their academic needs.
The Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to research further the impact of eating breakfast
on students’ motivation and participation in the classroom. Research will be done in
a Kindergarten class consisting mostly of 5 year olds. The children who have been
identified as missing breakfast that day will be observed in the morning and then
observed after having eaten lunch. A checklist will be used to track student behaviors
during the two observation sessions. A plan would be developed after the study is
completed to enhance the students’ nutritional intake before formal instruction begins.
-6Research Question
How does eating breakfast influence a kindergartener’s ability to focus,
interact socially, and achieve academically?
Rationale
At the age of five a child’s brain is not yet fully developed. Neuro-Scientists
know that nutrition has a huge impact on any person’s brain, not only in childhood
but for the rest of their lives. In today’s school society, the teacher is expected to
maximize each student’s cognitive potential. Unless each child’s nutritional needs
are fulfilled, a teacher’s quest to help the student develop fully is nearly impossible.
It is the researcher’s goal to identify the students who are in need of better nutritional
behavior and help develop a program in which their nutritional needs are met. Only
after the children’s most basic human needs are met, can we expect to maximize their
cognitive potential.
Assumptions
The researchers are assuming the following things in this study:
1. Proper nutrition helps promote full brain development
2. Some students will eat breakfast and some student will not
3. Students will become more attentive after eating breakfast
4. Students will have more energy, and be more willing to positively interact
with other students
5. All students will eat lunch while at school
6. Teachers and administrators want to know about anything that will help
promote the education and welfare of students.
-7Definition of Related Terms
The following definitions will be used throughout this study:
Achievement – Student accomplishments of work assigned in the classroom to be
done inside or outside the classroom. Typically assessed and given a number grade.
Breakfast – Any food eaten before class, whether served at home or in a school
breakfast program
Nutrition - The process by which humans obtain food and use it for growth,
metabolism, and repair
Neuro-Scientist – A Scientist that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry,
or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue and especially their relation to
behavior and learning
Limitations
This study will be limited by the following limitations:
1. The researchers are the research instrument and will have some biases.
Every measure will be taken to minimize bias to produce the most
objective study as possible.
2. The study will be limited by the researchers’ ability
3. The study will only represent kindergarten students
4. The study will be limited by the researcher’s personal experiences
5. The researcher’s educational values will cause limitations
6. The student sample will be from one school
7. The study will be limited by time.
-8Delimitations
This study will be further defined by the following delimitations:
1. This study will be conducted within a school district in Watertown,
New York
2. The data collected will be that of one kindergarten class from the
Watertown City School District
3. A checklist developed by the researchers will be used to track data
from the sample of students.
4. The study will utilize the USDA definition of proper nutrition.
Summary
In order to catch a fish, a fisherman needs a few essential tools. He needs a
fishing pole, line, a hook, and bait. Students are similar, in order to succeed they also
need a few tools. One of those tools is proper nutrition. If teachers and parents
expect their students to achieve affectively and cognitively, they need to equip the
student with a sound nutritional base. The first step is providing the child with a
nutritional breakfast before they begin their school day.
-9-
Chapter 2
The Effects of Breakfast on Student Motivation and Achievement
Any teacher can tell you, there are a certain number of children that come to
school everyday without the proper tools for learning. For example the children need
to feel safe when coming to school, have sufficient clothing, and have food in their
stomach. Often, these children are thought to never have a chance in school and in
life. There is a good possibility; however, that there may be a simple solution for
helping these students prepare for a day of school success. Feed them breakfast.
According to Zullig (2006), a staggering 42% of people do not eat any type of food
for breakfast. With such a small amount of students eating breakfast, it is no wonder
that it is a struggle for those students to be attentive and on task in morning learning
activities. One question immediately comes to mind: Why aren’t children eating
breakfast as part of their daily school preparation routine? We will explore some of
the possibilities to that exact question.
We will also investigate the positive benefits of helping students consume
breakfast on the many different facets of their educational self. We will explore the
effects of breakfast on cognitive performance, attention and energy levels, and effects
on student attendance, tardiness, and punctuality. Poor nutrition as a result of not
eating breakfast is an international issue. We will discuss the research done aboard,
as well as the research specific to the United States and our population.
-10Why Aren’t Children Eating Breakfast?
There can be many possible answers to such a generic question. Research
states there are two main reasons why students are not eating breakfast: their
socioeconomic status does not allow for such an expense or the student makes a
choice not to eat. Almost all of the World’s nations are less fortunate than the United
States, especially when it comes to the nutrition of the nation’s inhabitants. One of
the countries that has done extensive research on the effects of nourishment,
especially breakfast consumption, on academic performance is the impoverished
island nation of Jamaica. Simeon and Grantham-McGregor (1989) completed a study
of the effects of breakfast on cognitive performance in Jamaica. Their study
included three groups, (1) children who were hospitalized for malnutrition within
their first two years of life, (2) students stunted in growth, and (3) nonstunted children.
Two of those sample groups were malnourished, because of their socioeconomic
status.
The second major reason why students don’t eat breakfast is by their own
choice. This is most likely the case in the United States and other industrialized
countries. According to Zullig (2006), among Australian youths skipping breakfast is
a conscious choice made for a few reasons. The reasons ranged from not having
enough time to eat breakfast, to not getting enough sleep, to simply not being hungry
before school. Zullig later concluded that the choice to skip breakfast is “part of a
patterned lifestyle of unhealthy weight management” (p. 91).
- 11 Effects of Eating Breakfast on Cognitive Performance
Parents, administrators, educators, and students should all be taught the
benefits of choosing to eat some kind of breakfast before instruction begins. Richter,
Rose, and Griesel (1997) conducted a study in South Africa using coding tests,
vigilance tests, and the national WISC exam as assessment tools. Using second and
third grade students, being rated by their teachers, the study found that eating a school
breakfast improved their overall performance on all three assessments, and
demonstrated marked improvement on vigilance tests (a test used to measure
alertness.) In the same year, 1997, a group of Swedish researchers performed a
similar study. Wyon, Abrahamsson, Jartelious, and Fletcher (1997) examined 195
families from five schools. They found that students who ate a high energy breakfast
(20% of the recommended daily values) made fewer mistakes on number checking
and addition, as well as higher scores in creativity for boys. The facts about breakfast
and its importance to cognitive development and performance are starting to become
clearer, the better the breakfast, the better the grades.
Research has also been done in the U.S. In one of the largest samples studied
on this topic, over 1000 students, Meyers, Sampson, Weitzman, Rogers, and Kayne
(1989) found that students consuming a school breakfast scored significantly higher
on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills. Students who ate breakfast gained
roughly 5 total points on their CTBS scores. If you were going to ask parents if they
would like their children to get higher grades and receive higher test scores all would
say yes. It seems that by enrolling your child in a school breakfast program or by
- 12 allowing time for them to eat before school it’s a viable way to help increase scores,
if the child is not already eating breakfast.
If a student is not consuming breakfast, that student may be nutritionally at
risk. In a questionnaire study done by Kleinman, Hall, and Green (2002), student
who were nutritionally at risk had significantly lower grades than students not
classified at risk. After only a six week free breakfast program, students who
decreased their nutritional risk shown significantly greater improvement in math
grades than students who did not decrease their nutritional risk (p. 30)
Pollitt, Cueto, and Jacoby (1998) have tried to prove the worth of breakfast to
cognitive development and performance. They found that boys who ate breakfast
performed better on number discrimination activities, Peabody Picture Vocabulary
tests, Raven Progressive Matrices, and computer tests of reaction time and stimulus
discrimination (p.783). Cognitive performance is how we as educators evaluate our
students. If we would like to give the students their best chance for success, we have
to be sure that they start their day by eating breakfast.
Effects of Eating Breakfast on Student Attention and Energy Levels
Simply stated, if a student doesn’t feel like doing something, they probably
are not going to do it, let alone do it well. Eating breakfast will give students the
energy and motivation to complete assigned school tasks and activities. And not just
complete those tasks, but complete them to their full potential.
Edward and Evers (2001) held focus groups in three communities to initiate
food programs for their schools. Students and parents attending the “Breakfast Club”
noted improvements in behavior at school. The teachers in the groups felt that
- 13 students who had eaten breakfast were better inclined to study, to concentrate better,
and were better listeners. Supporting the findings in the above study, GranthamMcGregor, Chang, and Walker (1998) found that students’ attention to task in school
increased significantly with breakfast.
Effects of Eating Breakfast on Attendance, Tardiness, and Punctuality
The biggest factor in the non-success of students in school is the lack of time.
Often teachers are asked to teach so much material that any day the student may miss
becomes extremely important. Students would are absent from school are more apt to
fall behind the pace set by the teacher and their peers. Eating breakfast has proven in
numerous studies to increase attendance, decreasing absenteeism and tardiness.
According to Murphy, Pagano, Nachmani, Sperling, Kane, and Kleinman
(1998), students who increased participation in the school breakfast program
decreased rates of absence and tardiness. Students who decreased participation in the
school breakfast program increased their rates of absence and tardiness. Later
research done in 2002 by Kleinman, Hall, and Green agrees by stating that prior to a
school breakfast program, nutritionally at risk students were absent more often and
were less punctual. Six months after enrolling in the program, students participating
were significantly less absent.
Edward and Evers (2001) say that even parents agree. Parents felt that
children who were eating breakfast were absent from school less. In order to combat
the ill effects of lost learning time from school absence, eating breakfast may be a
way of helping ensure that students are in school the maximum amount of time. Less
time of missed instructional time is always a positive step.
- 14 Other Possible Benefits of Eating Breakfast
While the benefits of breakfast on cognitive performance, attention, and
attendance are well studied and presented, there are still more benefits of consuming a
pre-school meal. Wyon, Abrahamsson, Jartelious, and Fletcher (1997) found that
physical endurance was better among students with a high energy breakfast. Also,
Powell, Walker, Chang, and Grantham-McGregor (1998) found that undernourished
students had improved height and weight as a result of adding breakfast to their daily
nutritional intake.
Summary
Over the past decade, there has been a surge in research relating to the effects
of eating breakfast on the three major factors of the student’s school success: (1)
cognitive performance, (2) attention and energy levels, and (3) student attendance,
tardiness, and punctuality. The results are clear. Student who consume food material
before engaging in academic activity are likely to experience higher success in the
form of increased cognitive performance and better achievement on exams. Also,
students will have more energy and will be able to concentrate and focus better on
learning objectives and tasks. Students will also experience decreased rates of
absence and tardiness. Schools and parents must see the benefits and teach them to
the children so they can make the positive decision: The decision to eat breakfast.
-15-
Chapter 3
Problem Statement
Throughout the day, children often seem to become less focused on learning
and less motivated to achieve. Perhaps, the child’s level of nutrition, especially in the
morning hours, is playing a negative role in their academic progress. Zullig (2006)
states that 42% of children are not eating any kind of breakfast before they head off to
school (p. 90). Students who are not eating breakfast, for whatever reason, are
missing any of the necessary vitamins and minerals needed for proper brain growth
and function. In order to expect the best from students, we must be sure they are
nutritional satisfied before they are academically satisfied.
The Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study if to further research the impact of eating breakfast
on students and their motivation and participation. Research will be done in a
Kindergarten class consisting of mostly 5 year olds. The child will be observed in the
morning having not eaten breakfast and then observed in the period after lunch. A
checklist will be used to track student behaviors during the two observation sessions.
Research Question
How does eating breakfast influence a kindergartener’s ability to focus,
interact socially, and achieve academically?
-16Participants
The students that participated in the study were primarily from three ethnic
backgrounds and a homogenous socioeconomic status. The three ethnic groups
represented in the study are Caucasian, Hispanic, and African-American. A high
percentage of the students are from lower middle class families. The parents and
guardians of the students in the study either work within the City of Watertown at
various retails stores or are enlisted members of the United States Armed Forces and
are stationed at nearby Fort Drum. All the students are in Kindergarten class. The
group also included students who have been classified as learning disabled.
Criteria for the Selection of the Participants
The following criterion was used in the selection of the study’s participants:
1. The participants must be willing to participate in the study.
2. The participants live within the Watertown City School District,
namely within the Ohio Street School population
3. The participants must be in Kindergarten
4. The participants attended a full school day to participate that day
Methodology
The methodology used in this study was Teacher Action Research, which is
defined by Mills (2007) as:
This research is done by teachers, for teachers. The teachers choose this
methodology for themselves; it has not been imposed on them. It engages
teachers in a four-step process…includes identifying an area of focus,
- 17 collecting data, analyzing it, interpreting data, and developing an action plan.
(p. 5)
Rationale for the Methodology
The researchers in this study used action research, which is a qualitative
approach to research. They were looking for a way to help students maximize their
cognitive potential and thought that testing the nutrition of the students would help
them accomplish that goal. The study is designed to benefit all teachers at every level.
Action research is a way that teachers can do studies that will impact their own
teaching, but can also impact the field of education in a positive way. On top of the
teachers being beneficiaries, the students will also benefit by being nutritionally ready
to learn and receive all the physiological benefit of proper nutrition.
Procedure Used for Data Collecting and Analysis
The teacher/researcher developed a checklist for the teacher to follow when
assessing whether the students consumed breakfast or not. The students were asked
by the teacher/researcher upon entry into the classroom first thing in the morning. As
the students entered the classroom, they replied “yes” or “no” to the question: “Did
you eat breakfast this morning?” The students that replied yes were given a “Y” next
to their name and the students who replied no were given an “N” next to their name,
under the breakfast column. It was assumed that all students ate lunch, whether
provided from home or by the school, so they were all given a “Y” under the lunch
column. The students were then observed by the researcher in their normal daily
classroom routines. If the students seemed unmotivated or lacking in energy they
received a check in the appropriate box. These characteristics were observed for the
- 18 morning session aster arrival until lunch, and then again observed in the period just
after lunch until school dismissal.
All the data will be collected on a single checklist, organized by student name
and time of day. Notes were taken on the margins of the checklist when necessary or
relevant.
Data Analysis
The analysis done in this study was inductive and constant comparative. The
checklists were completed and analyzed in order to organize the data and look for
patterns in the energy levels and motivation levels. This allowed the researchers to
organize the data into categories and look for emerging themes.
Data Management and Validity
Triangulation helped to ensure the validity of the action-based research, which
is important to the credibility of the study. Triangulation is the process of using
information from at least three different sources. This method ensures the
trustworthiness, transferability, dependability, and conformity. Member checks, peer
review, and an audit trail also contributed to the validity of the study.
Role of the Researcher
The researcher is the research instrument and will be limited by personal bias.
Reliability
The strength of the reliability in Action Research comes from the use of
multiple data sources. In this study, the researcher will collect data from the students.
“Reliability is also the consistency to which our data measures what we are
attempting to measure over time” (Mills, 2003, p.87). To be reliable, the data must be
- 19 able to be reproduced if the same study was performed again in the same situations.
Triangulation, peer review, member checks, and an audit trail will help keep data
reliable.
Trustworthiness and Credibility of Analysis
In order to make sure that this study is trustworthy and credible, four main
areas must be addressed; transferability, dependability, conformability, and credibility.
Time is always an issue in research, to ensure credibility the study must happen over
a specific amount of time. Time allows for correction and for the data to be reevaluated. Another tool that must be utilized to ensure credibility is other
professionals who are unbiased. The professional are used to give constructive
criticism and ideas to the researchers in order to create the best possible product. At
the conclusion of the study, the researchers will review the data and compare it
against studies done in the same arena.
Audit Trail
An audit trail was compiled by the researchers throughout the entire study.
The audit trail includes all notes taken, preliminary checklists, and data analyzed,
whether formal or informal.
- 20 References
Edward, H.G & Evers, S. (2001). Benefits and Barriers Associated with Participation
in Three Low-income Ontario Communities. Canadian Journal of Dietary
Practices, 62, 76-81
Grantham-McGregor, Chang, & Walker. (1998). Evaluation of School Feeding
Programs. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67, 785-789
Meyers, Sampson, Weitzman, Rogers, & Kayne. (1989). School Breakfast Program
and School Performance. American Journal of Diseases of Children, 143,
1234-1239
Mills, G.E. (2003). Action Research: A guide for the teacher researcher. Upper
Saddle River: Prentice Hall
Murphy, Pagano, Nachmani, Sperling, Kane, & Kleinman. (1998). The Relationship
of School Breakfast to Psychosocial and Academic Functioning. Archive of
Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 152, 899-907
Kleinman, Hall, & Green. (2002). Diet, Breakfast, and Academic Performance in
Children. Annual Nutrition and Metabolism, 46, 24-30
Pollitt, Cueto, & Jacoby. (1998). Fasting and Cognition in Well-nourished and
Under-nourished School Children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67,
779-784
Powell, Walker, Chang, & Grantham-McGregor. (1998). Nutrition and Education: A
Randomized Trial of the Effects of Breakfast in Rural Primary School
Children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 68, 873-879
- 21 Richter, Rose, & Greisel. (1997). Cognitive and Behavioral Effects of a School
Breakfast . South African Medicinal Journal, 87, 83-100
Simeon, D.T. & Grantham-McGregor, S. (1989). Effects of Missing Breakfast on the
Cognitive Functions of School Children of Differing Nutritional Status.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 49, 646-653
Wyon, Abrahamsson, Jartelius, & Fletcher. (1997). An Experimental Study of the
Effects of Energy Intake at Breakfast on the Test Performance of 10-year old
Children in School. International Journal of Food, Science, and Nutrition, 48,
5-12
Zullig, Ubbes, Pyle, & Valois. (2006). Self-Reported Weight Perceptions, Dieting
Behavior, and Breakfast Eating Among High School Adolescents. Journal of
School Health, 76, 86-92