The Effect of Cooking Competitions

The aim of this study was to determine the intention of university students studying gastronomy to participate in cooking competitions within the framework of the theory of planned behavior extended by academic achievement and to examine its effect on their professional commitment. The research data were collected online via Google Forms between June and July 2025. Using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling methods, a total of 645 valid questionnaires were obtained. Analyses conducted using Structural Equation Modeling revealed that attitudes toward cooking competitions and perceived behavioral control positively influenced students' intention to participate in cooking competitions, while subjective norms and academic achievement had no significant effect. However, it was found that subjective norms indirectly affect behavioral intention through attitude, while academic achievement does so through perceived behavioral control. Furthermore, it was concluded that the intention to participate in cooking competitions can increase students' levels of professional commitment.