‘A long way to get here and a long way to go': a case study on changing lunch meal practices in a Norwegian kindergarten

Abstract

This article presents a case study on changing food practices from traditional cold sandwich meals to hot meals in a Norwegian kindergarten. Data were sourced from interviews, complemented by non-participatory video observation and observational notes. Building on Fullan's model for understanding a change process, this paper presents the initiation, implementation, continuation and results of such a change, and identifies three key factors that contributed to the successful change in practices in the case kindergarten. These factors are: (1) shared leadership in the change process; (2) the support for change from the parents; and (3) children's (as change partners) involvement and participation. The conclusion section of the paper discusses the implications of the findings for kindergartens and educators in terms of how to facilitate a locally relevant and context-specific change. In addition, this paper illuminates children's agency and their indispensable roles in the change implementation in particular, and sheds light on the importance of their involvement to increase the likelihood of a successful change.