Assessing the Impact of School-based Feeding Program in Enhancing the Academic Performance Among learners at Kasambuhan Village Elementary Schools

Nurisa Ajibun; Mary Ann Lim

doi:10.62596/pqmkmk12

Authors

Nurisa A. Ajibun School of Graduate Studies, Sulu State College, Jolo 7400, Philippines Author
Mary Ann G. Lim School of Graduate Studies, Sulu State College, Jolo 7400, Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62596/pqmkmk12

Keywords:

School-Based Feeding Program, Academic Performance, Nutritional Status, Early Childhood Development, Educational Policy, Pedagogical Scaffolding

Abstract

Education's efficacy is often undermined by socioeconomic barriers like malnutrition, yet the localized translation of nutritional interventions into measurable cognitive and scholastic achievement remains underexplored in resource-constrained community schools. This study assesses the extent to which the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) enhances the academic performance, health, and participation of elementary learners at Kasambuhan Village Elementary School. Employing a descriptive quantitative design, data were collected from 100 purposively selected learner-beneficiaries using a structured, locally adapted questionnaire. Statistical treatments, including weighted means, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson’s correlation, were utilized to evaluate program impacts and demographic variances. Results indicated a high perceived programmatic impact across all domains, with the most profound improvements observed in health and nutritional effects. Developmental disparities were evident, as learners aged nine and below reported significantly greater physiological and academic benefits compared to older peers. Crucially, while a strong positive correlation linked health improvements to academic outcomes, the direct relationship between mere program participation and scholastic achievement was only moderate. These insights reinforce that while feeding initiatives successfully mitigate foundational biological deficits, converting these physiological gains into sustained educational mastery requires deliberate pedagogical scaffolding. Evolving current caloric delivery systems into holistic, instructionally integrated educational frameworks is essential for equitable academic advancement.

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