Description

Abstract

This study assesses the impact of the Nourishing Schools Foundation (NSF) toolkit on students’ health behaviours and academic performance in rural schools in India. The NSF toolkit uses a gamified, participatory learning approach to promote nutrition, hygiene, and agricultural practices among children aged between 9 and 14 years. This study addresses the research gap in understanding the connection between health factors such as nutrition, and hygiene habits, with school absenteeism and academic outcomes. It employs a mixed methods approach involving 62 rural schools and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, enrolled in grades 4 to 9. The theoretical framework integrates Human Capital Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Theory of Planned Behaviour to explore how interventions utilizing the NSF toolkit impact cognitive function and educational outcomes among students.