Examining the Food Certification Exam Trainer Survey

This survey contains questions about the food manager certification course, materials and participants that you teach, as well as the exam that you administer.  The information you provide will be used by UMass Extension and the Department of Nutrition to develop educational materials.   

There are four sections in this survey.  Please answer each to the best of your ability. Your responses will be kept confidential.  If you wish to make comments on any of the questions or clarify your answer, please feel free to do so.  We value your opinion and respect your thoughts.  All of your comments will be read and taken into account.  Thank you.

SECTION A. ABOUT THE MATERIALS YOU USE.

Are you an instructor for any food certification course?

Yes
No  (If no, please stop here)

1.  Do you use a text?

a. If YES, which text do you use most often?
Certified Professional Food Manager (Experior™)
ServSafe Essentials (ServSafe®)
Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation (Prentice Hall)
Other (list the title below):

b.  Please check the response that best describes the text you use.

	To what extent is the text:	Not at all	Somewhat	A lot	Very Much
	1. relevant to real life work situations?
	2. culturally appropriate?
	3. straightforward?
	4. written in clear language?
	5. understandable to non-English speakers?
	6. accommodating of different learning styles?

2. If you do not use a text, what do you use?

3.   Do you use supplemental materials?      
Yes
No  (Skip to section B Question #1)

a. If YES, where do you get these materials? (Please check all that apply.)
Cooperative Extension
State Department of Health
Colleagues
USDA
Make your own
Textbook company
Other (please describe)

4. Please check the response that best describes the supplemental materials you use.

5. Do you mail the text or course materials to students ahead of time (before class)? 
Yes       
No 

6. CLICK HERE to view pages from the newly developed Food Safety Word List, a user-friendly mini-dictionary of 117 terms to help course participants actively learn the language  needed to work in food service and pass the certification exam.

a. How useful do you think this supplemental Word List would be for your students?
Not at all useful
Somewhat useful
Useful
Very useful

b. How much would you be willing to pay for this 32-page Word List?
Up to 50 cents
Other (please specify)

7.  What other comments do you have about the materials available for teaching the food manager certification course?

SECTION B. ABOUT THE EXAM.

1. What exam(s) do you administer? (Please check all that apply.)
Experior™
ServSafe®
NRFSP

2. Please check the response that best describes the exam you administer.

3. Please share any comments you have about the exam that you administer.

SECTION C. ABOUT THE TRAINING COURSE YOU OFFER.

1.  How do you usually schedule your training (including time for the exam)?

a. How many total hours ? (Example: 16 total hours)
b. Over how many days ?  (Example: 4 days)

2. What time of day are your classes usually offered?
Before Work
After Work
During Work Hours

3.  In the past year (12 months), how many times have you taught your training course?  
times in a year

4.  How many students do you usually have in your course? 
number of students

5. Please rank the job titles held by the people who usually participate in your training course or take your exam  (1 = the most frequently held job; 5 = the least frequently held job).
Manager/supervisor 

Owner  

Food worker

Regulator

Other  (Please describe)

6.  Do you evaluate the course you teach?   
Yes             
No  (Skip to Question # 7)

a. If YES, how do you evaluate the course you teach? (Please check all that apply.)
Test scores
Passing rates
Survey participants
Class questions/participation
Facial expressions
Observation
Attendance
Other (please specify)

7.  Do you evaluate your teaching?    
Yes            
No

a. If YES, how do you evaluate your teaching?

b. How do students describe your teaching?   

8. What other comments do you have about the food manager certification training you offer?

SECTION D. ABOUT YOU.

1. What is your professional background?  (Please check all that apply.)
University degree in Public Health
Registered sanitarian
Successfully completed a HACCP course
Dietitian
Food safety training experience
Foodservice operation experience
Regulator
Successfully completed a food safety trainer course
Other (please specify)

2. How long have you been teaching food manager certification courses?
years

3. How do you keep up-to-date on food safety issues. (Please check all that apply.)
State health conferences
Professional newsletters
Exam provider newsletter
Train the trainer courses
Informal networking
Other (please specify)

4. How would you describe your teaching style?  (Please check all that apply.)
Go by the book
Hands-on
Lecture
Fun and crafty
Traditional
Innovative
Creative
Structured
Visual
Other (please specify)

5.   Please list the three methods that you use most often to teach your course.  (e.g., small group work, lecture, hands on activities, etc.)

a.

b.

c.

6.   What do you think is the most difficult part of being a trainer for the food manager certification exam?

a. Why is this the most difficult part?

7.  We welcome any other comments you might like to share about food safety education or this survey.

Thank  You!

OPTIONAL: 

I would like three free copies of the Word List.

I would be interested in learning about the experiences of other food safety certificate trainers.

If you answered YES to either of the options above, please complete your contact information below and we will gladly send you materials.

Developed by UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program and Department of Nutrition in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. UMass offers equal opportunity in programs and employment. This project is funded in part by USDA CSEES Grant Number 2003-51110-02080.