Reflective practice ePortfolios: a digital teaching tool to enhance third year BA culinary and gastronomic science students' professional learning experiences

The aim of this research was to explore the use of reflective practice eportfolios as a digital tool to enhance BA Culinary and Gastronomic Science students' professional learning experiences. A deductive approach was applied to the data where the participants reflective practice entries were coded using Braun and Clarke's framework for thematic analysis. In line with Vygotsky's (1978) social constructivist theory, the results depicted the participants were able to learn through social interactions with their lecturer and peers, who assisted with scaffolding knowledge and skills, until the participants were more confident in their learning. By using the reflective practice eportfolio meant that the participants were able to track their improvement and growth related to their reflection process. The results are far reaching in the context of culinary arts education and offer significant insights into embedding a reflective practice eportfolio into the culinary curriculum.