Teaching mise-en-place : student perceptions of the cooking pro forma process

Abstract

This study investigates the perceptions of registered consumer science students (n = 58) and graduates (n = 39) from the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP) about compulsory forms (e.g. recipe conversions, costing sheets, and work schedules, among others) completed in preparation for 3-h practical cooking lessons. Peer assessment of the forms on the Learning Management System (LMS) allows enhanced student/lecturer engagement during the practical lesson since students are better prepared to deal with high pressure practical lessons, and critical reasoning is instilled.

The research was conducted as a qualitative, descriptive case study, collecting the respondents' perceptions via a Qualtrics survey with structured and open questions to understand the perceived value and possible shortcomings of these learning activities. The qualitative data and some descriptive statistics are used to illustrate how respondents perceived the forms, and how current students’ perceptions compared to those of graduates who completed the same qualification, but who have since acquired relevant work experience.