To improve junior high school students' motivation to learn about container gardening lesson on “the technology of nurturing living things” in technology education, we attempted practice lessons that get students to imagine after flowering by using image generation AI. The questionnaire survey was conducted on students before and after the practice lessons to investigate changes in their awareness of image generation AI and container gardening lesson. As a result of the survey, the students understood the mechanisms and usefulness of image generation AI, and created an awareness of making better use of it. Also, they were able to imagine what the container gardening would look like after flowering by using image generation AI, and their anticipation for their growth grew. From the above results, the educational effectiveness of practice lessons was demonstrated. Furthermore, it was suggested that container gardening lesson is a suitable subject for learning about generative AI.

This study aimed to examine current practices in food-related education at agricultural high schools through a nationwide survey. A questionnaire survey was conducted at 270 schools (responses from 124 schools), together with on-site investigations at 16 schools. The results showed that many schools also offer curricula centered on food manufacturing, enrollment in scientifically oriented subjects such as food chemistry and food microbiology varied depending on the availability of specialized teachers, with a significant association observed between these factors (p<0.001). In addition, insufficient subject expertise, concerns regarding safety management, and limited time for material development and experimental preparation were identified as major barriers to implementing food chemistry experiments. This evidence suggests that difficulties in food-related education, as part of technical education, are influenced by facilities and budgets, as well as human and organizational factors, including teacher expertise and sharing of teaching materials. Therefore, developing educational models applicable to schools lacking specialized teachers is essential.