Developments in Research on Sewing Practices in Home Economics Classes: A Review of Research on Sewing Practice Studies Between 1950 and 2019

Abstract

  We collected 405 papers on sewing practices in home economics classes published in Japan between 1950 and 2019 to trace the development of research over this 70-year period.

  An analysis of research trends by decade revealed an overall increase in the number of studies. Research in the 1950s (4 papers) and 1960s (25 papers) focused on sewing skills for rational and efficient sewing, while in the 1970s (41 papers) aimed to clarify the actual conditions of students, followed by research in the 1980s (63 papers) that focused on the motivation and interests of students. Subsequently, the value attached to sewing practices in classes expanded beyond clothing and lifestyle to include home economics education and all aspects of daily life in the 1990s (83 papers), human development in the 2000s (75 papers) and a wide range of values in the 2010s (114 papers).

  The uninterrupted continuation of sewing practices for more than 70 years since the establishment of home economics in schools reflects the accomplishments of research, which has continually demonstrated the potential and of these practices and enhanced their educational value.