Improving Early Childhood Cooperation, Responsibility, and Emotional Regulation through Fun Cooking: An Experimental Study

Ghia Aulya Rahmah, Iin Maulina, Herawati Herawati

Abstract


The rapid shift in social dynamics and limitations of conventional teacher-centered learning create an urgent need for innovative strategies to foster early childhood socio-emotional competencies. This study analyzes the effect of experiential learning-based fun cooking on the cooperation, responsibility, and emotion regulation of children aged 5–6 years. This research employed a mixed-methods approach, a true experimental post-test only control group design was combined with qualitative descriptive analysis. Sixteen children at TK Al Mukaddimah Pontianak were purposively selected and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 8) and control (n = 8) groups. The experimental group engaged in structured fun cooking, such as making fruit salad and decorating sandwiches, following Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. Data were collected using a structured observation checklist based on national development standards, supplemented by teacher interviews and anecdotal records. Quantitative results from an independent sample t-test showed a significant difference between the experimental (M = 25.25) and control (M = 15.75) groups, with t = 7.56, p = 0.000 < 0.05. Indicator analysis revealed the largest increases in cooperation (+2.50) and responsibility (+2.50), while the effect size (Cohen’s d = 4.06) indicated a very large practical impact. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, showing that reflective elements helped children internalize accountability and navigate peer conflicts more effectively. This study concludes that experiential-based fun cooking is a powerful tool for holistic development. Practically, educators should prioritize hands-on, game-based methods in early childhood curricula to foster essential social-emotional resilience.


Keywords


Early Childhood; Experiential Learning; Fun Cooking; Socio-Emotional Skills

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ebj.v8i1.84310

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