VISUAL SCAFFOLDING FOR PRACTICAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT: THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPLATE-ASSISTED LEARNING (TALM) ON PASTRY PIPING SELF-EFFICACY IN CULINARY EDUCATION

Abstract

Practical skill development in culinary education requires repeated hands-on practice, feedback, and confidence in performing psychomotor tasks. However, limited practical contact hours and restricted opportunities for independent practice may hinder students’ development of practical self-efficacy. This study examined the influence of Template-Assisted Learning Material (TALM) as a visual scaffolding approach on students’ self-efficacy in pastry piping skills. Grounded in Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, a quantitative pre-test–post-test experiment design was employed with students participating in a practical pastry piping lesson. Data were collected using a five-item self-efficacy questionnaire administered before and after the TALM intervention. Following data screening and matching, 17 paired responses were retained for analysis. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to examine changes in students’ self-efficacy. The findings demonstrated a substantial improvement in overall self-efficacy, with the mean score increasing from 2.72 to 3.87, representing a 42.5% gain. All five self-efficacy items showed statistically significant improvements (p < .05). The largest improvement was observed in nozzle selection confidence, which increased by 54.8%, followed by task independence (44.2%) and assessment preparedness (42.9%). The findings suggest that TALM can provide effective visual scaffolding by reducing uncertainty, supporting self-monitoring, and facilitating successful task performance. TALM offers a practical instructional strategy for strengthening students’ confidence and autonomy in hands-on pastry education.