THE NEW KITCHEN CLASSROOM: ASSESSING BLENDED LEARNING ACCEPTANCE IN CULINARY ARTS EDUCATION

Blended learning is a pedagogy that combines practical, hands-on, and online learning and is gaining popularity in TVET education because it offers flexible learning, enhances practical training by integrating theoretical concepts through online classes, and helps build technical and digital workplace skills among TVET graduates. However, the success of this pedagogical integration relies on students' acceptance. In blended learning, a lack of acceptance can reduce learning engagement, academic performance, motivation, and satisfaction, which can widen learning gaps. This research investigates factors such as learning flexibility, openness to new technology, attitude towards online learning, and basic technological skills on students' willingness to adopt blended learning in culinary arts education. A quantitative survey was administered to 253 diploma and degree culinary arts students at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campuses across Malaysia. SPSS version 29 was used to conduct a hierarchical regression analysis to identify the significant factors that explain students’ acceptance of blended learning. The findings reveal that factors such as openness to new technology play a dominant role in students' acceptance of blended learning. Attitude and basic technological skills are also highly correlated, indicating that students with a positive attitude toward blended learning also have the basic technological skills to operate without technological anxiety. Hence, a carefully developed curriculum that integrates the right blended learning pedagogy will not only benefit both students and educators but also help reduce pressure on TVET facilities.