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Target Audience Barriers, Motivators (Benefits), and Competition 139

TA R GE T A UD IEN C E B A R R IER S, M O TI V ATO R S ( B ENEF I T S) ,
A N D C O M P E TITI O N

Barriers to Performing the Behavior

Head Teachers
A purposive sample of head teachers from the region was identified and selected
to participate in the study with the help of three members of the project’s steer-
ing group. The head teachers all managed primary schools. Sampling was based
on area, size of school, and current uptake of school meals (classified as high,
medium, or low by members of the steering group). The main barriers identi-
fied by the head teachers were:

• Communication clutter—due to school meals being a government
priority, head teachers have been bombarded with information,
legislation, and advice. Confusion exists, however, as to who manages the
catering services within a school (the heads themselves or the local
education authority?) and what exactly can and cannot be included in
school meals (e.g., can an individual school deviate from the government
menus if it still meets nutritional guidelines?).
• Quality of the food (poor cooking skills of the cooks) and a lack of
availability of popular items for the children served last.
• Concerns over the composition of the food the children eat for lunch
(e.g., children were often reported to choose only carbohydrates).
• Lack of dining hall management, understanding of nutritional standards,
and customer service skills of the dinner nannies.
• Children’s lack of cooking skills and knowledge of the different food
products (e.g., many head teachers commented on how their children
did not know what certain vegetables and fruits were, such as kiwi fruits
and parsnips).
Research conducted with parents and children also identified a range of
barriers.

Parents

Barriers identified by the parents included:
• Loss of ability to give their children something they know they will eat.
• Worries over lack of availability of popular items for the children served
last.