Applicability of Out-of-Class Education in Gastronomy Education in Turkey

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of out-of-classroom gastronomy education in Turkey. To this end, phenomenology, a qualitative research design, was employed. Within this scope, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the managers of non-formal education institutions where out-of-classroom education is frequently implemented. Invitations were sent to 24 institution managers for interviews. However, interviews were conducted with 8 volunteer managers. The findings from the 8th interview showed that the data had reached a saturation point and that the themes were repetitive. At this point, the data collection process was terminated. The data were analyzed using the MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 program. As a result of the interviews, it was determined that out-of-classroom gastronomy education is feasible and necessary. In addition to the main objective, several other findings were obtained in the study. The advantages, limitations, problems, and proposed solutions to problems of out-of-classroom gastronomy education, the definition of out-of-classroom gastronomy education, and findings regarding out-of-classroom gastronomy education environments were obtained within the scope of the study. Furthermore, it was concluded that out-of-classroom gastronomy education is more suitable to be carried out in private non-formal education institutions. The results obtained are expected to contribute to vocational education, particularly in gastronomy education.