Formação para merendeiras: Uma proposta metodológica aplicada em escolas estaduais atendidas pelo programa nacional de alimentação escolar, em Salvador, Bahia

Abstract

Objective: This study reports a professional training experiment directed at school lunch cooks in state schools supported by the National School Feeding Program. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out among school lunch cooks from 97 state schools, in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil). Definition and implementation of the professional training consisted of three stages: a preliminary survey among the cooks in search of contents and methodology, professional training activities and the subjects' assessment of such activities. Results: The preliminary survey pointed to both those contents of major interest among the cooks and the methodology. Professional training activities were designed as a 20-hour event for groups of about 35 people, taking place in school units. The activity program carried a number of different contents, including the National School Feeding Program, the school lunch cooks in the school feeding system, feeding and nutrition principles, and Good Manufacturing Practices. Methodological resources comprised dramatization, dialogued presentations, workshops, group contests, practical activities, interactive games, form completion, guided group activities and a printed brochure with all presentations. At the end of the event, an assessment was requested from the subjects as to the following features: content presentation, resources employed, pace of activities, question answering, content learning, positive and negative aspects as well as suggestions. Conclusion: The experiment showed the feasibility of building a new professional training model by using and valuing the contributions from the target subjects, thus allowing the reframing of traditional professional training practices and increasing the chances of success, since the subjects' specific demands were taken into account.