Mitigating low male students’ participation in food preparation at Bishop Stuart Core primary teachers’ college. Kibingo, Mbarara

Abstract

Males just like females need to engage in food preparation especially in knowing how to prepare food just because they are part of the family (Ozioma, 2012). The inadequate knowledge on the value of food preparation at BSCK, has led to gender bias and this contributes to imbalanced social economic development. Therefore, purpose of the study was to determine ways of overcoming cultural gender bias in order to increase male students’ participation in the learning process of food preparation at BSCK. The study was directed by three research questions as follows; what were the causes of low male students’ participation of male students in learning process of food preparation at BSCK, which strategies could increase male students’ participation of male students in learning process of food preparation at BSCK, and will there be change in the participation of male students in learning process of food preparation at BSCK after using the identified strategies? The study was based on qualitative (Nicodemus, 2018) Vocational Participatory Action Research (VPAR) research design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 20 stakeholders from the target population as a sample. The methods used in data collection included focus group discussion and interviews, survey and documentary analysis; future workshop and work process analysis. The techniques that were employed in collecting data included questioning, observation, reflection, journalism and photo voice. The findings indicated that gender bias existed among the stakeholders at BSCK, which led to the wrong perception that food preparation was for female students causing low participation of male students in food preparation. In conclusion, the results of this research further indicated that by creating public awareness through utilization of appropriate instructional resources in food preparation increased male students’ participation in the learning process of food preparation at BSCK. As a recommendation, BSCK needs to be equipped with modern food preparation laboratory by the Government.