持続可能なライフスタイルへの転換をめざす家庭科教育

―ライフサイクル思考（LCT）導入にむけた授業分析からの一考察―

抄録

  In the pursuit of a sustainable society and lifestyles, it’s been a critical issue to deepen people’s understanding of the nature of sustainability from three perspectives‒economy, environment and society‒ and to question the ways and views of human consumption. Regarding this issue, environmental education focusing on relationships is expected to uncover important links among humans, nature and society, and result in building better bonds among them through the pursuit of harmonizing the above three aspects.

  This study discusses the use of “Life Cycle Thinking (LCT)” in the field of home economics to promote changes in lifestyles. Home economics features comprehensive and practical approaches to daily life, and LCT facilitates tracing the relational paths on the goods and services people enjoy. Focusing on LCT, the authors analyzed Japanese laws and regulations related to environmental education, home economics as an academic course, and lessons on home economics in general, with the spreading of LCT-based environmental education in mind.

  The findings of the study are as follows:

  1. In Japanese laws and regulations related to environmental education and home economics as an academic course, the use of the life cycle approach is encouraged to promote understanding the relationship between socio-economic system and environmental impacts, helping to clarify the principles of a sound, sustainable recycling-based society.

  2. Environmental education in general home economics lessons in recent years is recognized widely, most commonly at high schools, and incorporating a variety of themes; in particular, “consumer life and environment.” A qualitative analysis of the lessons given shows that the teachers’ awareness of environmental issues is reflected in the lesson contents. Accordingly, the authors recorded trends and developed possible lesson content for each theme.

  3. Home economics lessons with LCT-based environmental education is a way of opening students’ eyes and creating awareness of unseen relationships in people’s lifestyles, where one engages self-questioning recursively and makes decisions about everyday consumer life. LCT contributes to nurturing students’ practical life skills that require environmental consideration.