2024 Volume 32 Issue 4 Pages 274-281
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the feasibility of a non-face-to-face cooking program to enhance junior high school students’ cooking skills and confidence.
Methods: This research used a before-and-after comparative design. Five sessions (once a week) were conducted during summer vacation in 26 first- and second-year junior high school students. The participants watched a cooking video and cooked at home instead of receiving face-to-face instructions. The cooking operations included cutting food using a knife, stir-frying, and boiling. In each session, the participants were provided free foodstuffs. After each cooking session, the participants submitted a reflection sheet and a message was sent to them by the researcher. For the process evaluation, the participants were asked about their degree of difficulty and enjoyment after each session. For the impact evaluation, changes in cooking skills and confidence were evaluated before and after participation in the program.
Activity evaluations: The frequency that the participants worked on the cooking process for five, four times, and three times were 22, three, and one, respectively. The process evaluation results were generally favorable. The mean (standard deviation) of cooking skills and confidence significantly improved from 3.3 (1.0) to 4.4 (0.9) and 17.5 (6.1) to 21.9 (3.9), respectively, after participation (P＜0.001).
Conclusion: This program was confirmed to be feasible. The effectiveness of the program must be verified using a control group.
