Abstract
In the evolving landscape of Danish primary school, a "practical turn" has emerged, emphasizing practical learning activities and increased hours devoted to subjects such as sloyd, art, music, and home economics. However, a critical gap exists in understanding how practical learning unfolds from the perspective of pupils. This presentation introduces a methodological research design rooted in qualitative inquiry and multisensory ethnography (Pink, 2008) to address the research question:
How do materialities intra-act with pupils' learning processes in the context of home economics? This study employs a material cultural approach to didactics, drawing on new-materialism's agential realism framework (Barad, 2003, 2007), which highlights the entanglements of materialities in learning processes (De Freitas & Sinclair, 2014). Fieldwork encompasses three 7th-grade home economics classes and will be documented with photo fieldnotes (Beach et al., 2018). The researcher, an insider with a background in food craft, navigates dilemmas inherent to participatory research (Chaves, 2008). The heart of the inquiry revolves around the multisensory nature of food education. In home economics, food items serve as the fundamental learning materials (Benn, 2014), and pupils embody these materials.
This aspect necessitates a nuanced approach to understanding the role of taste,
smell, visual cues, tactile sensations, and even the communal aspect of sharing
meals (Holm, 2022). The researcher faces dilemmas regarding participation in food preparation and consumption, balancing the roles as observer and participant to ensure ethical research conduct while delving into pupils' daily experiences. The empirical inquiry will span the next three years, constituting a doctoral research project hosted at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University. This paper draws upon preliminary findings from pilot tests and are informed by a prior study within a vocational school context (Ravn, 2023).
How do materialities intra-act with pupils' learning processes in the context of home economics? This study employs a material cultural approach to didactics, drawing on new-materialism's agential realism framework (Barad, 2003, 2007), which highlights the entanglements of materialities in learning processes (De Freitas & Sinclair, 2014). Fieldwork encompasses three 7th-grade home economics classes and will be documented with photo fieldnotes (Beach et al., 2018). The researcher, an insider with a background in food craft, navigates dilemmas inherent to participatory research (Chaves, 2008). The heart of the inquiry revolves around the multisensory nature of food education. In home economics, food items serve as the fundamental learning materials (Benn, 2014), and pupils embody these materials.
This aspect necessitates a nuanced approach to understanding the role of taste,
smell, visual cues, tactile sensations, and even the communal aspect of sharing
meals (Holm, 2022). The researcher faces dilemmas regarding participation in food preparation and consumption, balancing the roles as observer and participant to ensure ethical research conduct while delving into pupils' daily experiences. The empirical inquiry will span the next three years, constituting a doctoral research project hosted at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University. This paper draws upon preliminary findings from pilot tests and are informed by a prior study within a vocational school context (Ravn, 2023).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 5 Jan 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jan 2024 |