Phenomenological Views and Analysis of Culinary Arts Students' International Internships: “The Educational Psychology and Nature of Being” Before, During, and After International Culinary Internship

Abstract

This article explores educational psychology and the concept of self-identity before, during, and after an international internship in relation to the culinary student's identity as a learner. The article provides results of the qualitative and qualitative feedback obtained from the 2008 cohort of students studying for a bachelor of arts in culinary arts and supports a line of reasoning that suggests that international internship has the potential to enhance the development of self as a learner and self-identity. The research explored the educational values of internship and found that students develop discipline of the mind that can enhance intellectual initiative and self-worth. It was established that the change in work and living cultures can lead to emotional upheaval and periods of self-doubt, but international culinary internships holds a fear factor that can be reduced through good internship preparation.

Keywords:

• Self-identity
• self-concept
• international
• cullinary
• internship
• experience