A Survey of Students in Home-Economics Teacher Training Courses in Japanese National Universities for Their Qualities and Abilities as Teachers

Abstract

We conducted a web-based survey from May to July 2019 of students in home-economics teacher training courses at 49 national university in Japan for their qualities and abilities as future homeeconomics teachers and their motivation to study. Our finding is summarised as the following three points. 1. In order to enhance students’ understanding of home-economics education and thus their basic qualities as future home-economics teachers, it is necessary to improve teaching methods in university lectures on home-economics-specific subjects including teaching methods so that students become interested in issues concerning their own daily lives and wider society in general and are prompted to relate them to practice, appreciating their connections to (historically) related or background academic fields of home economics. 2. The survey suggests that students acquire knowledge and skills about teaching plans and running classes through on-site teaching practices. However, the degree of retention of skills by the students to run classes is relatively low, such as methods to run classes and to evaluate pupils by utilising available social resources, the ability to estimate the required time, how to ask questions, how to use the blackboard efficiently, how to teach sewing and cooking techniques, and how to use the ICT. We suggest considering carefully the timing of the courses about home economics education and subject-specific pedagogy and how on-site teaching practices are implemented. 3. Given that students who aspire to become home-economics teachers in junior and senior high schools may not have an established mental picture of home-economics teachers or home-economics education, it is necessary to provide the pictures of role models of home-economics teachers in the university curriculum to help the students build a picture.