In this section
@article{Lawton:2026:10.1002/bmb.70078,
author = {Lawton, P and Garcia-Haro, L and McGregor, A and Cohen, E and Viola, J and Youssef, J and Spivey, A and Kneebone, R and Martin, N and Radzikowski, J},
doi = {10.1002/bmb.70078},
journal = {Biochem Mol Biol Educ},
title = {Biomedical Kitchen Supports Student Transition to Higher Education Through Transdisciplinary Simulation.},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.70078},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - The transition to university presents a significant challenge for undergraduate students in Biomedical Sciences, many of whom lack prior laboratory experience. This inexperience can create a discrepancy between students' perceived and actual competencies, leading to a self-efficacy gap when compared to peers with previous laboratory exposure. To address this and prepare students for a research-intensive curriculum, we introduced the "Biomedical Kitchen", a novel, transdisciplinary simulation. This innovative course uses analogies between gastronomy and biomedical research, including precision, dexterity, and recording observations to provide a low-stakes, accessible environment for developing practical research skills, without explicit focus on kitchen chemistry. We evaluated the programme's effectiveness by measuring student self-efficacy before and after the sessions, and then subsequently at an interval through their laboratory module. The results demonstrate that the intervention effectively adjusted self-efficacy; revealing a group which increased and a separate group which decreased in self-efficacy, suggesting a more realistic self-appraisal. Furthermore, students described the sessions as a fun and authentic environment for practising skills and building rapport with teammates, including 6 months after they have engaged with disciplinary curricular content. In conclusion, the Biomedical Kitchen is an innovative pedagogical tool that successfully aligns student self-efficacy with practical ability. It provides a valuable opportunity for students to practice essential technical and transferable skills, better preparing them for the demands of a research-oriented course.
AU - Lawton,P
AU - Garcia-Haro,L
AU - McGregor,A
AU - Cohen,E
AU - Viola,J
AU - Youssef,J
AU - Spivey,A
AU - Kneebone,R
AU - Martin,N
AU - Radzikowski,J
DO - 10.1002/bmb.70078
PY - 2026///
TI - Biomedical Kitchen Supports Student Transition to Higher Education Through Transdisciplinary Simulation.
T2 - Biochem Mol Biol Educ
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.70078
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/42667151
ER -
Email: a.c.spivey@imperial.ac.uk
Tel & Fax: +44 (0)20 75945841
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