Attitudes to science when doing kitchen chemistry at science clubs

Abstract

The South African grade 9 Natural Sciences curriculum suggests the use of everyday science to introduce the usefulness and the relatability of science to learners. Many learners, however, seem to have a negative attitude towards science learning and science as an entity. This study is an intervention that sought to ascertain the attitudes of grade 8 and 9 learners in under-resourced schools in South Africa after they had carried out kitchen chemistry hands-on practical activities at science clubs in under-resourced township schools. The learners were interviewed about their experiences, and university student volunteers at the science clubs were also interviewed. An inductive-deductive thematic approach was used to analyse the qualitative interview data. The findings of the study revealed that the learners had a more positive attitude toward science after they had been engaged in the kitchen chemistry hands-on practical activities. Additionally, the integration of everyday knowledge promoted conceptual understanding and improved the performance of the learners. The interviews with the student volunteers revealed aspects that they thought would improve learners' attitudes to science. Science clubs run by university student volunteers could assist in promoting a positive attitude to science among learners.

Kitchen Chemistry Boosts STEM Identity and Increases STEM Career Interests

“…Lacking sophisticated apparatus or high-end equipment in the home kitchen settings may be considered a limitation of kitchen chemistry, but may also be seen as a strength . The limitation is that cooking cannot present the full range of chemical phenomena and experimental operations .…”

“…19 Lacking sophisticated apparatus or high-end equipment in the home kitchen settings may be considered a limitation of kitchen chemistry, but may also be seen as a strength. 20 The limitation is that cooking cannot present the full range of chemical phenomena and experimental operations. 21 Its strength is to avoid the (mis)representation of daunting tubes, dangerous reagents, or nerdy white coats that may intimidate STEM beginners or disconnect chemistry from everyday life 22−24 � small changes in cooking conditions can have a perceivable impact on the experimental results (food) tested by chemical sensors (our noses and palates).…”