Understanding food processing and systems: Pilot testing a standards‐aligned middle school curriculum

Consumer confidence and trust, as it relates to the food system, is one of the most sensitive areas within consumers’ understanding of food. Surveys have shown that a large majority of people would like to learn more about agriculture and food manufacturing, with young people being among those most eager for more information about where their food comes from. Food‐focused educational resources often go unused due to teachers’ lack of familiarity with the subject area, the pressures of standardized testing, and lack of alignment to state content standards. Building on the success of the Hands On Classrooms platform that developed and validated curricula with high adoption rates by teachers and a demonstrated impact on student knowledge and self‐efficacy, a new curriculum on food system and food processing was developed and pilot tested. Two teachers from rural Virginia and Tennessee participated in the study. Both teachers received online professional development prior to implementation. Students were given pretests and posttests to measure (a) what impact does the curriculum have on students’ knowledge of food systems and processing and (b) to what extent does the curriculum have an impact on student's self‐reported skills related to these topics? A total of 87 students completed the assessments and showed significant improvements from pretest to posttest on both knowledge (p < .001) and skills (p < .001) related specifically to where food comes from and how it is processed, content that is typically not covered in middle school curriculum. Further research can be undertaken to measure the impact on others in different geographic and socioeconomic areas to provide additional data to validate the program.     

Assessment of Knowledge and Behavior Change of a High School Positive Deviance Food Safety Curriculum

High school students are a critical audience for food safety. Students may enter the foodservice industry or become primary meal preparers for their families. The positive deviance food safety curriculum was developed based on the messages from the Fight BAC! Campaign. The curriculum is designed for high school students to overcome barriers to safe food handling practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the positive deviance approach to change food safety knowledge and behaviors among high school students. Students (n = 218) from two high schools participated in this study. The positive deviance method uses group discussions lead by the teacher who reinforces and praises behaviors, which reflect recommended food handling practices. Measurements included pre‐ and postsurveys, preobservations and postobservation cooking classes, take‐home tasks, and in‐class activities. Results indicated that the curriculum significantly increased students’ food safety knowledge. Specifically, the percentage of students believing that color was a good indicator of meat doneness dropped from 52% to 17% after exposure to the curriculum. When observed, the students’ compliance with recommended behaviors increased. Prior to instruction, most ground beef burgers students cooked did not reach 160°F, while after the intervention, almost all of the burgers reached 160°F or higher. The curriculum will benefit from a revision that emphasizes areas such as how to use, calibrate, and to clean food thermometers.     

Development,Dissemination, and Assessment of a Food Safety Systems Management Curriculum for Agribusiness Students in Armenia

This study addresses the development, dissemination, and assessment of a Food Safety System Management (FSSM) curriculum offered to college‐aged, agribusiness students in Yerevan, Armenia. Prior to beginning the program, demographic data were collected and a paper‐based pretest was administered to access the food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude of participants (n = 29). For assessment of a skill, participants’ handwashing techniques were videotaped and scored before the program commenced. Immediately after completion of the entire curriculum, a paper‐based post‐test with identical questions for food safety knowledge, behavior, and attitude was administered and handwashing skills were assessed. ANOVA with repeated measures was used to evaluate significant differences (α = 0.05) for food safety knowledge using a pretest, post‐test, and a 3‐mo follow‐up. A paired t‐test was used to evaluate handwashing skills before and after the curriculum was presented. The pretest score (44.93%, ± 2.87) for food safety knowledge (n = 29) differed significantly (P <0.0001) when compared with the post‐test score (73.21%, ± 3.28) and the 3‐mo follow‐up (n = 23) score (67.76%, ± 3.93). Participants’ (n = 9) handwashing skills prior to delivery of the FSSM curriculum differed significantly (P <0.0001), when compared to handwashing skills after completion of the curriculum. Students’ food safety attitudes and behavior assessed using a five‐point Likert scale, also improved significantly as a result of the FSSM program. The 3‐mo follow‐up survey on food safety attitude and behavior was consistent with the post‐test survey results. The information from this project may be of interest to education experts, Extension professionals, food industry personnel, or regulatory agencies, in the development and dissemination of an international food safety program.     

Development of a Reality‐Based Multimedia Case Study Teaching Method and its Effect on Students’ Planned Food Safety Behaviors

There is opportunity to decrease the frequency of foodborne illnesses by improving food safety competencies and planned behaviors of college students before they begin careers in the food industry. The objectives of this study were to (1) develop a multimedia case study teaching method that provides real world context for food science education; and (2) evaluate the extent to which it improves the intentions of students to implement food safety management systems upon entering the workforce, as well its impact on knowledge gains and students’ abilities to understand complex concepts. The target audience consisted of all participants in an upper‐level undergraduate food safety management systems course (n = 17). A pretest and posttest survey research instrument was developed to measure knowledge gains and also students’ food safety intentions using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Students experienced significant gains in knowledge, attitude, and intention after completion of the course (P < 0.05). One hundred percent of students agreed that the interactive videos aided in their understanding of food safety concepts. A paired t test suggested that both behavioral control beliefs and attitudes of students toward food safety management significantly increased (P < 0.5) after completion of the case study. These results suggest that integrating multimedia case studies into food science education may enhance food safety behaviors.     

Evaluation of the peacemakers program: School‐based violence prevention for students in grades four through eight

This study evaluated the violence prevention effects of The Peacemakers Program, a school‐based intervention for students in grades four through eight. The program includes a primary prevention component delivered by teachers and a remedial component implemented by school psychologists and counselors with referred students. The teacher‐delivered component consists of a psychoeducational curriculum and procedures for infusing program content into the school environment. The study included almost 2,000 students in an urban public school system, with pre‐ and post‐program assessment and comparison to a control group. There were significant, positive program effects on six of the seven variables assessed, including knowledge of psychosocial skills, self‐reported aggression, and teacher‐reported aggression, with a 41% decrease in aggression‐related disciplinary incidents and a 67% reduction in suspensions for violent behavior. On some outcome variables, intervention effects were stronger for boys than girls and for middle school compared to upper elementary school students. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Assessing and Addressing Safe Food Handling Knowledge,Attitudes, and Behaviors of College Undergraduates

ABSTRACT: The authors determined the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of undergraduates (n = 1122) on an urban college campus using a previously piloted survey tool. Data obtained found that while students reported high levels of confidence in their ability to engage in safe food handling practices, their knowledge and self‐reported behaviors indicated that they were not actually engaging in safe food handling practices. Students were particularly lacking knowledge with respect to proper temperatures for cooking, reheating, and refrigerating foods. The data were further analyzed to determine differences in food safety knowledge and practices between populations of different demographics within the students. Differences were found between male and female students, Caucasian and Asian students, and students who had worked in food service compared with those who had not. A final aspect of this study evaluated the effectiveness of a social marketing campaign to increase awareness of safe food handling practices among college undergraduates. A cross‐sectional, quasi‐experimental, pre‐ and posttest design was used. Following the baseline knowledge survey described previously, a social marketing campaign developed for young adults was implemented on the campus over a 4‐wk period that included promotional events and incentives. Postcampaign survey results indicated increases in food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, particularly with respect to appropriate temperatures for cooking and refrigeration and found that e‐mails and posters may be effective ways to communicate food safety messages to this population.     

Reducing Aggressive Behavior and Increasing Motivation in School: The Evolution of an Intervention to Strengthen School Adjustment

The pervasive links between problem behaviors and school adjustment suggest that effective intervention programs to enhance school adjustment must focus both on decreasing the motivation to aggress and increasing the motivation to achieve. We describe a program of intervention research to improve social behavior and academic motivation in elementary school students organized around principles of attribution theory. Our intervention curriculum initially focused on reducing children's aggression and was then expanded to include enhancing personal responsibility. A series of efficacy and effectiveness studies have demonstrated that children's attributions in both the social and academic domains can be changed with cost-effective, educational strategies. These changes in children's cognitions have reliably produced positive changes in behavior. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our work for the design of effective interventions.     

EXTENDING SELF‐MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: THE USE OF A CLASSWIDE APPROACH

Notwithstanding the wealth of research that documents the effectiveness of self‐management programs in the classroom, few investigations have explored classwide use of self‐management procedures as a universal intervention. To extend existing research in this area, we examined the effectiveness of a classwide self‐management intervention for decreasing disruptive behaviors among three at‐risk second‐grade students. We used a multiple baseline across subjects design and evaluated the effects of the self‐management program at both the individual and classwide levels during academic instruction time. Results of the study showed a decrease in disruptive behaviors of the target students and a general decrease in classroom disruptive behavior. In addition, teachers and students provided positive ratings of intervention acceptability and feasibility. Limitations, implications, and future directions for research are discussed.     

Self-efficacy's influence on student academic achievement in the medical anatomy curriculum

Self‐efficacy is defined as a person's beliefs in his or her own abilities to successfully complete a task and has been shown to influence student motivation and academic behaviors. More specifically, anatomical self‐efficacy is defined as an individual's judgment of his or her ability to successfully complete tasks related to the anatomy curriculum; these include dissecting, learning anatomical concepts, and applying anatomical knowledge to clinical situations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of anatomical self‐efficacy on the academic performance of students enrolled in a medical gross anatomy course. To obtain students' anatomical self‐efficacy ratings, surveys containing the same anatomical self‐efficacy instrument were completed by first‐year medical students at a southeastern United States allopathic medical school after each of four gross anatomy assessments. Additional data collected included student demographic information, Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) scores, and anatomy assessment scores, both written examination and laboratory practical. To investigate the potential predictive nature of self‐efficacy for academic performance on both the written examination and the laboratory practical components of medical anatomy assessments, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. For these analyses, academic ability (defined as the sum of the physical sciences and biological sciences MCAT scores) was controlled. The results of the hierarchical linear regressions indicated that all four laboratory practical scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings, while two (i.e., thorax/abdomen and pelvis/lower limb) of the four written examination scores were predicted by the corresponding self‐efficacy ratings (P ≤ 0.05). Anat Sci Educ. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Food‐Based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand‐on, food‐based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: (1) assess 4th graders food‐related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and (2) compare gains in food‐related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food‐based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands‐on, food‐based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n = 9) and North Carolina (n = 9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n = 8) and North Carolina (n = 8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher‐developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple‐choice questions administered pre‐ and post‐test. Only subjects with pre‐ and post‐test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n = 343; Control n = 237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre‐test. At post‐test, the intervention group scored (9.95 ± 2.00) significantly higher (p = 0.000) than the control group (8.84 ± 2.37) on a 13‐point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food.     

Food Safety Practices Assessment Tool: An Innovative Way to Test Food Safety Skills among Individuals with Special Needs

Abstract: This article describes an innovative assessment tool designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a food safety skills curriculum for learners receiving special education services. As schools respond to the increased demand for training students with special needs about food safety, the need for effective curricula and tools is also increasing. A Food Safety Education for High School and Transition Special Needs Students curriculum served as the basis upon which our assessment tool was developed. The project was a collaborative effort by food safety and education professionals in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. This USDA‐funded initiative emerged from teacher‐generated data that identified critical gaps in food safety knowledge and skills among students with disabilities (SWD) receiving special education services. As an adjunct to this curriculum, a Food Safety Practices Assessment Tool was developed to: 1) conduct observations of students as they demonstrate food safety practices, and 2) use this information to design classroom‐based learning activities that are aligned with students’ Individual Education Plans (IEP). Pilot data suggest that the tool is valid and reliable for use in a kitchen‐based setting. This is the first known tool of its kind to test food safety skills of individuals with special needs in a real‐world environment. Further testing is needed to determine the usefulness of the tool for broader audiences.     

Increasing Content Knowledge and Self‐Efficacy of High School Educators through an Online Course in Food Science

Purdue Univ.'s College of Agriculture developed an Advanced Life Sciences (ALS) program in partnership with several high schools across Indiana. As part of ALS, secondary educators take an introductory food science (FS) course (ALS‐Foods) and teach it at their high school. High school students taking the ALS‐Foods receive dual credit for an introductory course required for all FS majors at Purdue. The goal of this project was to develop an online course to improve content knowledge and self‐efficacy of secondary educators in the field of FS. The course was offered over a 3‐wk period and consisted of 3 learning modules focused on food chemistry, food microbiology, and food processing. Modules included class activities, videos, study questions, and teaching tools. Participants were assessed on content knowledge through written assignments, quizzes, and a final examination. Twenty secondary educators from several states were enrolled. Overall, content knowledge increased significantly (P < 0.05) across all 3 modules after completing the course. Highest scores were in food microbiology/safety (84%), followed by food processing (76%) and food chemistry (70%). A precourse survey indicated that the majority (>80%) of participants felt they had “no‐confidence” to “little‐confidence” in teaching FS concepts related to the 3 modules. Upon completing the course, the confidence level of all participants increased to “some‐confidence” or “complete confidence.” By strengthening the knowledge level of secondary educators, they will be better prepared to teach FS and subsequently, more high school students could be exposed to FS and consider it as a career.     

Outcomes of a curriculum‐based anti‐bullying intervention program on students' attitudes and behavior

The aim of this paper was to examine the short‐term and long‐term effects of a curriculum‐based anti‐bullying intervention program on students' attitudes towards bullying, intentions to intervene in bully–victim problems, perceived efficacy of intervening and actual intervening behavior. The intervention program was applied in primary schools and was implemented by trained teachers within the classroom context. The sample consisted of 454 pupils drawn from fourth to sixth grade classrooms of 10 primary schools in central Greece. A quasi‐experimental pre‐test/post‐test design was used. The findings indicate positive short‐term program outcomes concerning students' attitudes towards bullies and victims, perceived efficacy of intervening in bully–victim incidents and actual rates of intervening behavior. However, the magnitude of the program effects was quite small, since the positive short‐term outcomes were not sustained in the long‐term (post‐test two measures). The results of the study also indicated clear time effects for attitudes towards bullies and victims, self‐efficacy of intervening and intention, as well as actual intervening behavior. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for anti‐bullying interventions.     

Effects of antibullying programs on teachers’ interventions in bullying situations. A meta‐analysis

Even though teachers are key figures of a program's effectiveness, most intervention studies have not focused explicitly on the effects of antibullying programs at teacher level. We conducted a meta‐analysis into the effects of school‐based antibullying programs on determinants of teacher intervention, including teachers’ attitudes towards bullying, their self‐efficacy and knowledge regarding intervention strategies, and the effects on teachers’ bullying intervention itself. Following the PRISMA guidelines, 13 peer‐reviewed papers were retrieved that reported outcomes on teachers, staff, and students (N = 948, 2,471, and 138,311, respectively). Antibullying programs had a significant moderate effect on determinants of teacher intervention (g = 0.531) and a significant small to moderate effect on teacher intervention in bullying situations (g = 0.390). Results of the meta‐analysis indicate that the effectiveness of antibullying programs may increase when components are included to reinforce teachers’ attitudes, subjective norms, self‐efficacy, knowledge, and skills towards reducing bullying in the school.     

A Preschool Pilot Study of Connecting with Others: Lessons for Teaching Social and Emotional Competence

Social-emotional learning in early childhood sets the stage for students’ future behaviors in schools. The current study examined the effects of a social-emotional skills curriculum on the behavior of students in an early childhood program. The children received instruction in social and emotional skills using the Connecting with Others: Lessons for Teaching Social and Emotional Competence program. Pre-test and post-test scores for the BASC-2 Rating Scale and the Connecting with Others Rating Scale were used to determine if the children demonstrated progress in their behaviors by the end of the intervention. The results indicated that the social skills curriculum Connecting with Others: Lessons for Teaching Social and Emotional Competence was associated with positive changes in the children’s behaviors.     

Validation of an Interdisciplinary Food Safety Curriculum Targeted at Middle School Students and Correlated to State Educational Standards

ABSTRACT:  Providing effective food safety education to young consumers is a national health priority to combat the nearly 76 million cases of foodborne illness in the United States annually. With the tremendous pressures on teachers for accountability in core subject areas, the focus of classrooms is on covering concepts that are tested on state performance examinations. As a result, topics such as food safety are rarely addressed in middle school classrooms. Middle school is an ideal time to teach food safety because adolescents are in the process of setting lifelong behaviors; therefore, they are more likely to synthesize new food safety knowledge in a way that will lead to the development of lifelong behaviors. The purpose of this study was to scientifically validate an educational resource that provides a method for classroom teachers to involve young consumers in food safety education while meeting state content area curriculum standards. An interdisciplinary curriculum targeted at middle school students and correlated directly to state content standards was designed to include highly effective instructional strategies that teach food safety concepts through all core subject classes (science, math, social studies, and language arts). The curriculum was pilot tested in 5 schools using a pretest, posttest, and follow-up test assessment model. The results showed that the curriculum was highly effective at raising student knowledge (21% gain) and improving students' food handling behaviors (8.47% gain) from pretests to posttests. In addition, 6 wk after implementation, students retained 86% of their total knowledge gain as measured by a follow-up assessment.     

Effects of a Game‐Based e‐Learning Module on Undergraduate Food Science Students’ Planned Behaviors Concerning Good Manufacturing Practices

Understanding the role of food science education in developing undergraduate students’ intentions to implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) may be a key strategy in developing the workforce's implementation of GMPs and other food safety programs. Previous research has demonstrated the effects of educational interventions on planned food safety behaviors in various settings; however, none have studied GMPs interventions and college students. This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate the effects of a game‐based e‐learning module on undergraduate students’ planned behaviors concerning GMPs. Forty‐four participants were recruited from 42 food science clubs across the United States to complete a game‐based e‐learning module and pre‐ and posttest survey instruments. We compared changes in pre‐ and posttest scores using paired Wilcoxon signed rank tests and explored the role of GMP‐related knowledge and TPB constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls) in predicting students’ intentions to implement GMPs using multiple linear regression. We modeled pretest scores, posttest scores, and changes in scores while controlling for student demographic factors (for example, year in college, gender, and so on). Only participants’ knowledge and perceived behavioral controls significantly increased (P < 0.05) after completing the game‐based e‐learning module. Posttest regression models explained twice as much variance than pretest models (up to 54% total). Changes in intentions to implement GMPs were predicted by changes in subjective norms, perceived behavioral controls, and knowledge, as well as previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry. The only predictive variables for both pre‐ and posttest scores were subjective norms, previous enrollment in food safety courses and interest in working in the food industry (P < 0.05). A discussion of how these results provide insights for food safety educators to optimize their teaching impacts was presented.     

Food safety in the classroom: Using the Delphi technique to evaluate researcher‐developed food safety curriculum aligned to state academic standards

High school students’ prevalence as food‐service industry employees and their lack of food safety knowledge make them prime candidates for food safety education. The researchers developed a food‐safety‐focused curriculum for high school students aligned with Indiana Academic Standards for Agriculture, Advanced Life Science: Food. The curriculum was designed to provide students with fundamental food safety concepts through experiential learning and incorporation of science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and mathematics (STEAM) activities in the context of different careers related to agriculture, especially in food science. This study uses the Delphi technique to evaluate the food safety curriculum, including the identification of barriers to incorporating the curriculum into classrooms. The Delphi technique uses an expert panel to generate consensus related to a topic. A panel of experts in the field of education evaluated the curriculum through three rounds of surveys containing questions related to six curriculum assessment topics. Experts rated the degree to which they agreed with statements about the curriculum using a 5‐point Likert scale and multiple‐choice questions. At the conclusion of the study, the cost to purchase materials for cooking labs was the only identified barrier to curriculum incorporation (62.5%). Experts agreed that the curriculum addressed academic standards (100%), was engaging for students (100.0%), was easy for teachers to use (89.5%), and successfully incorporated STEAM (100.0%), experiential learning (89.5%), and career‐education (78.9%). This study highlights the feasibility of providing food safety education to high school students in less traditional disciplines while promoting career development through the incorporation of experiential learning, STEAM, and career‐education components.     

Promoting classroom adjustment and social skills for students with mental retardation within an experimental and control group design

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the “I Found a Solution” computer‐assisted social skills intervention program on students with mild mental retardation. Teachers randomly divided students from two Israeli special schools (58 males, 29 females; aged 10.6 to 17.11 years) into an experimental and a control group. Teachers trained the experimental group using a social skills package including computerized social conflict scenarios and adventure games, group discussions, and homework tasks. Within the same time frame, teachers trained the control group to use various academic computer software programs. Following the intervention process, the research team collected information on students' self‐reported social skills and teachers' ratings of the students' adaptive classroom behavior. The experimental group performed significantly better than controls on posttest criteria. Teachers rated trained students as demonstrating better task orientation and less aggression and behavior difficulties. On subjective self‐reports, trained students reported more cooperation and assertion than the control group, but self‐control and empathy measures did not differentiate between groups. The use of a naturalistic mini‐environment for experimenting and rehearsing effective social strategies appears promising but requires further exploration.     

Developing cognitive‐social‐emotional competencies to enhance academic learning

This preliminary study examined intervention effects of a universal prevention program offered by classroom teachers to public elementary school students. The Unique Minds School Program (M.B. Stern, 1999) is a teacher‐led program designed to promote cognitive‐social‐emotional (CSE) skills, including student self‐efficacy, problem solving, social‐emotional competence, and a positive classroom climate, with the dual goal of preventing youth behavioral problems and promoting academic learning. During 2 consecutive school years, 119 students and their teachers were assessed in the fall and spring of Grade 4 and again in the spring of Grade 5. As compared to students in the comparison school, students in the intervention showed gains in student self‐efficacy, problem solving, social‐emotional competencies, and math grades. Incremental gains within CSE domains were found after 1 and 2 years of intervention. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 405–417, 2005.