Towards sustainable futures: development and validation of a Food Education Scale (FES) for upper elementary students in Taiwan

Abstract Background Food education has become an important policy priority in Taiwan following the enactment of the Food and Agriculture Education Act. However, empirically validated instruments for assessing food literacy among elementary school students remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a Food Education Scale (FES) for measuring food literacy among upper elementary school students in Taiwan. Methods The scale was developed based on the six principles of Taiwan’s Food and Agriculture Education Act and Nutbeam’s (2000) framework of functional, interactive, and critical literacy. A two-dimensional framework integrating food education content and literacy competencies was constructed. Through expert review, pilot testing, and large-scale survey administration, a 36-item questionnaire was finalized. The formal survey included 400 upper elementary students from 12 schools across northern, central, southern, and eastern Taiwan. Reliability and construct validity were assessed using Cronbach’s α, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to demonstrate satisfactory construct, convergent, and discriminant validity. Results The results indicated that the FES demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. Internal consistency for all dimensions exceeded the recommended threshold (Cronbach’s α > 0.70), and both EFA and CFA supported the scale’s overall construct validity. In terms of performance patterns, students scored relatively higher in the dimensions related to cherishing food and reducing waste as well as food culture inheritance, while comparatively lower scores were observed in balanced dietary concepts and local production–local consumption. Differences in food literacy were also associated with school types, regional contexts, and family food practices. Conclusions The Food Education Scale provides a validated instrument for assessing food literacy among upper elementary school students in Taiwan. The findings provide a validated, policy-aligned instrument for assessing children’s food literacy and offer practical guidance for curriculum design and sustainability-oriented food education policies.