Koka sjuda steka. Ett sociokulturellt perspektiv på matlagning i hem- och konsumentkunskap på grundsärskolan

Abstract in English

In Swedish schools, the subject Home Economics (HE) is the formal setting for teaching and learning about food and how to cook. All students are obliged to learn HE, but in schools for students with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) students are offered four times as much teaching in the subject than students in regular schools. However, this learning context is underexplored. This thesis aims to create an understanding of what cooking in HE is by studying the teaching content in regard to HE cooking practices for students with mild ID through a sociocultural standpoint. Accompanying observations and qualitative semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The observations included 16 lessons in HE in schools for students with mild ID. The interviews were conducted with 22 qualified and experienced HE teachers. Field notes from the observations and transcripts from the interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis. A sociocultural perspective, along with the concept of cuisine, constituted the theoretical framework. The findings reveal that the teaching of cooking in HE is focused on one particular artifact, the recipe. This causes difficulties for the students concerning skills related to the design, purport and arithmetic of the recipe. The prominent role of the recipe in cooking in HE was hence captured in a novel concept, recipe literacy. The teachers also reported using a task-centered approach to teaching certain techniques and methods, such as frying, kneading and simmering. The cuisine that is represented in the data from the observations and interviews is framed within baking, primarily sweet baking. The focus on sweet baking and the students’ various difficulties when using recipes limited the possibilities for students to learn how to cook proper meals for everyday life. Thereby, a conscious choice of dishes and attention to didactics is necessary to improve the validity of the subject. By overcoming such obstacles, opportunities can therefore be created for students with mild ID to learn how to cook.