Effective education: Make it simple — Make it easy

Abstract

This study examined how accurately the para-professionals and professionals employed by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) in New York State perceived the beliefs and practices of their clients. Because paraprofessionals are indigenous workers, they are assumed to have more accurate perceptions of clients than professionals, potentially making them more effective communicators. A series of 36 semistructured interviews with program clients and staff was employed to develop the quantitative measuring instruments used in personal interviews with a purposive sample of 51 clients and as a self-administered questionnaire with all EFNEP staff (43 professionals and 173 paraprofessionals). Results showed that both paraprofessionals and professionals held inaccurate perceptions of their clients in the areas of health, nutrition, resource management, learning, and knowing. EFNEP staff frequently underestimated the ability and self-esteem of clients and the extent to which clients adhered to and considered important the EFNEP objectives. Contrary to expectation, paraprofessionals did not have perceptions of clients that were any more accurate than were those of professionals. These findings suggest that attention to the recruiting, hiring, and training practices of the EFNEP may reduce the disparities between staff perceptions and client responses.