Abstract

Cultural sensitivity and competency are skills needed for agricultural professionals including nutrition and dietetics practitioners. The objective of the current study was to examine the learning transference of cultural sensitivity topics taught in a cultural foods course into case study assessments of a capstone-level course. This study is a cross-sectional, content analysis of cultural sensitivity assessment rubric (CSAR) scores for two case study assessments. The study was conducted in a landgrant, research-intensive university and 55 students (60%) from a capstone-level dietetics course participated. T-tests were used to compare CSAR scores between students who had completed a cultural foods course and those who had not. Students who completed the cultural foods course, n= 39 (71%), on average scored significantly higher (p< 0.037) on the CSAR, 2.11/10, versus an average score of 1.03/10 among the students who had not completed the course, n=16 (29%). Students who completed the cultural foods course were more likely to apply cultural sensitivity knowledge and awareness without explicit elicitation than those who had not completed the course. Findings reinforce the use of intentional assessments of cultural sensitivity and competency topics and provide support for laying a cultural sensitivity foundation in undergraduate education.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2021

Notes/Citation Information

Published in NACTA Journal, v. 65.

NACTA Journal has granted the permission for posting the article here.

Funding Information

Funding for this research for this study was provided by the Michigan State University Graduate School, the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning, and Future Academic Scholars in Teaching Fellowship; NSF Project number: DUE- 1231286.

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