From Dough to Data
Cooking as an Authentic Context for Developing Fine Motor Skills Within Physical Literacy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22044361 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ellie Huggett (0009-0009-4736-8711, St. George's School), Lorraine Spalding (St. George's School), Kristy Howells (0000-0002-0758-7532, Canterbury Christ Church University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 780 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-14 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci16050780 |
| OpenAlex | W7162066343 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
Introduction: Declines in children’s fine motor skills (FMS) are increasingly reported across UK primary education, raising concerns for school readiness, independence, and long-term health. This study examined whether structured classroom-based cooking activities could enhance FMS in children aged 7–8 years. Methodology: Informed by physical literacy and experiential learning, a six-week intervention (n = 30) used progressive pizza-making sessions to target effective pincer grip, consistent hand-eye coordination, and control over hand and wrist motions, a mixed-methods design that combined curriculum-aligned observational assessments with qualitative field notes. Results: Statistically significant progressive increases were observed across effective pincer grip, consistent hand-eye coordination, and hand and wrist control (χ2, p
Cognition · Curriculum · Experiential learning · Literacy · Motor skill · Qualitative research · Children's Physical and Motor Development · Motor Control and Adaptation · Physical Education and Pedagogy
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| Highly cited | No |
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