Guidelines for Sustainable Society-building in Home Economics Education Based on Actual Situations of Students

Analyzing from Three Viewpoints of Learning Contents, Learning Activities, and Fostering Students’ Attitudes and Abilities in Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools

Abstract

This study aims to develop future guidelines for home economics education in elementary, junior high, and high schools, focusing on learning contents and activities, and students’ attitudes and abilities. The analysis was based on three frameworks of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), three directions in revisions of government curriculum guidelines, and the viewpoint of sustainable societybuilding. For this purpose, a literature review of the current learning contents and activities implemented in home economics classes was conducted. In addition, a questionnaire was conducted to investigate the actual situations of students’ consciousness and attitudes. The results indicate that learning contents should be interactive with the six concepts in three frameworks of ESD, and fostering multifarious attitudes and abilities to discover and solve present and future tasks for a sustainable society. Particular abilities are indicated to perceive their own selves interacting with multifarious people, and to think in multifaceted and comprehensive ways in the elementary schools, and to predict future of region and society for making plans in the junior high schools. Particular attitudes are required to communicate and to cooperate with other people in the high schools.