Effectiveness of a food safety teaching strategy promoting critical thinking

In this program, critical analysis of a simulated situation and subsequent problem solving were used to encourage critical thinking.^5,7,13,14 The food safety education program presented involved the analysis of scenarios, role playing, and socratic questioning. Previous studies have found that identification with a particular role was the critical factor responsible for attitudinal changes in simulations.¹⁰ Socratic questions require the learner to retrieve stored information and use it in the current framework. The leaders involved with the lesson prepared according to the critical theory had animated discussions concerning the scenarios, particularly when the scenario they chose dealt with a problem the participants had recently encountered in their community. The role playing experience evolved into enthusiastic questioning of alternative actions to take and the knowledge needed to make the best decision. The case presentation method was effective because it engaged the learner, provided opportunities for reflective thinking and practice, and personalized the information so that it was relevant to the leader's life situation. In addition, it was demonstrated that food safety subject matter can be successfully adapted to a critical thinking instructional format.