The competence of cookery education within the frame of national cookery vocational qualification: A study on Anatolian hotels and vocational high schools

Education and production are the main components for individual and society development. Well educated employees who have the necessary vocational knowledge and skills are the main components for production. The frame of knowledge and skills for the jobs are settled by National Vocational Qualifications. The necessary vocational knowledge and skills must be given by the vocational schools. The objective of this study is to find out the theorical and practical competence levels of Anatolian Hotels and Vocational High School cookery students within the frame of National Cookery Vocational Qualification and to analyze the factors which effect the cookery education. To serve this purpose, a literature review study has been performed and a questionnaire survey was conducted for 393 cooking teachers and 1014 cookery students of Anatolian Hotels and Vocational High Schools in 7 regions of Turkey and 405 kitchen department administrators employed at 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in Ankara and Antalya. The validity and reliability studies were implemented; following this the questionnaires were applied between March 15 and June 30 to the sample populations. Data obtained was analyzed through ?frequency?, ?percentage?, ?t-test for independent sampling?, ?t-test for paired-samples?, ?one-factor variance (ANOVA) analysis?, ?Bonferroni test? and Tukey (HSD) test?.According to the findings of the study, the evaluation of students, teachers and kitchen department administrators shows that the students are more competenced on; ?self care, self preparation for work, cooking kinds of pasta, cooking kinds of pilafs, preparing kinds of salads, preparing vegetable garnishes, preparing milk puddings and easy to prepare desserts? subjects than the other subjects. From the other point of view, according to the evaluation of students, teachers and kitchen department administrators; the students are less competenced on; ?designating of daily portion quantities of food groups, selecting the sources of food elements, designating critical control points (HACCP), cooking special kinds of international soups, cooking offal food particular to Turkish cuisine, preparing stewed fruit particular to Turkish cuisine, preparing and cooking seafood and preparing meats? than the other subjects. According to the evaluation of teachers, student?s vocational knowledge and skill competence levels are higher than the evaluation of students and kitchen department administrators. The study showed that there were differences (p<0,01) between the evaluation of teachers and the kitchen department administrators. And there were also differences (p<0,01) between factors which effect the cookery education. As a result of the findings of the study, some recommendations were made and a new cookery education method was offered.Key words: Vocational qualifications, National cookery vocational qualification, competence of cook.