This study aimed at providing a logical, concrete analysis, while it set a framework for the feasibility of teaching home economics in lower elementary grades in Japan. The “reasons for which home economics can be learned only from the fifth grade in elementary school” were set forth in “the elementary school government-guidelines-for-teaching home economics (1956 fiscal year).” However, this study focuses on the examination and analysis of the home economics lesson “Why do we cook?” conducted through “life environment studies” and“ special activities” for a first-grade class. The analysis of two home economics lessons clarified the following results. Through the lesson of “making a sweet potato” in life environment studies, the child applied and considered other subjects (Japanese language, life environment studies, special activities, and drawing and handicrafts). In addition, in the firstgrader’s words, “the concept of cooking” was explained. Furthermore, using cooking tools, the child could perform cooking operations (peel, crush, season, mix, shape, and bake in the oven) to prepare the sweet potato. Again, through the special activities lesson of“ making crepes for a pleasurable social event,” the child applied and considered study in other subjects and explained “the concept of cooking.” Moreover, the child could conceptualize the ingredients (an egg, milk, flour)—which were not visible—the cooking method, the cookware, and the cooking order from a photograph of crepes. Besides that, the child was able to perform cooking operations that differed from those in the first lesson—baking the crepes on a hot plate, cutting and rolling them, and then washing and wiping tableware. Consequently, “the reasons for which home economics can be learned only from the fifth grade in elementary school” actually corresponds to lessons conducted in this research: home economics study rather requires lessons suitable for early elementary school children’s developmental stages.

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There is a growing concern as to providing students with better qualities of English, but very few researches have been conducted so far. The present study takes an empirical approach to assessing the effect of speaking instruction including task repetition using role-playing tasks for negotiation for high school students. Third-year high school students of two groups repeatedly engaged in English classes with different instructional focuses accordingly for two months. Their pre-test performance being compared to their performance in post-tests, the students in the experimental group attained better performance on average, with improved fluency than their counterparts in the control group. Furthermore, in the post-test, they asked questions for confirmation regarding their partner’s intentions more frequently before they showed the opposite views toward them. Some of them even managed to take the initiative when they were stuck. The result supports the hypothesis that the speaking instruction lessens the students’ cognitive load at the conceptualization and formalization stages and helps pay more awareness of the interactive nature of their speech while engaging in role-play activities for negotiation, which consequently enhances the quality of student speeches.

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This study aims to conduct a needs analysis of writing skills for Japanese intermediate college students learning English for General Purposes (EGP) based on questionnaire surveys. Among the four skills, English writing is considered to be the most difficult one for Japanese college students. One of the reasons is that writing has not been sufficiently taught before entering colleges. The requirements of less proficient students as well as advanced students learning English as Specific Purposes (ESP) or English as Academic Purposes (EAP) have been extensively analyzed. However, few studies have focused on a needs analysis of writing skills for intermediate EGP students. Thus, this paper discusses intermediate EGP students’ writing needs, including their learning styles, language skills, and attitudes. The participants were 91 students majoring in English in a foreign language university. The resources utilized in this study were questionnaires comprising 23 items and an open-ended question regarding their opinions about English writing. The results indicated that the students had difficulties in utilizing effective writing strategies, such as expressing their own opinions and writing persuasive supporting sentences. In conclusion, the findings of the study have implications for potential teaching methods and further analysis of the needs of English writing.

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In this paper, the analysis and discussion were carried out about teaching method of life environment studies linking the learning in kindergartens and nursery schools, focusing on understanding of children’s empirical knowledge and support to children conducted by the teacher. This analysis revealed the significance of understanding and supporting by elementary school teachers, and children’s empirical knowledge that they demonstrate in learning activities. The following three points were revealed. 　1. Children who were understood or supported by the teacher with regard to their own empirical knowledge become aware of their own empirical knowledge, and can be expected to have motivation and confidence in learning activities. 　2. By keeping assuming the empirical knowledge that a child developed in early childhood education, the teacher can see and encourage the empirical knowledge that children cannot demonstrate. And there is a possibility that the empirical knowledge gained by children will become more certain. 　3. By considering the support of children assuming the empirical knowledge that a child developed in early childhood education, the teacher can review his or her practical knowledge.

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The purpose of this paper is to raise two ontological problems in mathematical activities through a consideration of the difference between epistemological and socio-cultural approaches. The former approach has discussed how mathematical objects should be constructed, while the latter has asserted the sociocultural relativity of the nature of mathematical objects. We compare them from Quine’s ontological point of view. Our resulting conclusion is, ontology in mathematics education should distinguish between ontological problems within domains and of domains themselves. The former problem is:“ What objects exist within the current target domain?” The latter problem is: “Do the current target domain exist in the first place?” If students agree that there exists the current target domain, then what mathematical objects exist in the domain is determined independently from human minds. If students in classrooms doubt the existence of the current target domain or some of them consider different target domains, then what mathematical objects exist cannot be uniquely determined in principle. On the existence of mathematical objects, we can only reach consensuses relative to target domains. The practical implication from this paper depends on which ontological problems students face in classrooms. Each ontological problem requires mathematics teachers to make students reflect the following question at the end of the lesson: 1) in the former case, “What are mathematically correct answers?” 2) in the latter case, “What answers can be derived from different ontological standpoints emerging from classrooms?”

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The purpose of this study was to develop systems that supported the evaluation of observation sketches in science learning and to obtain a teaching suggestion through inferring the viewpoint of observation by the developed systems. The systems were developed by Visual Basic, referring partially to processing methods of deep learning. Additionally, the systems were developed by using self-organizing maps that were already developed in the previous research. The systems with and without filters were developed and compared. Sections of stems and stomas in plants were observed with the microscope by lower secondary school students. They drew observation sketches. The validity of the systems was evaluated by the position of the sketches in the self-organizing maps. As a result, almost 90% of the sketches in the system with the filters were in appropriate position. Therefore, the validity of the systems became clear. In observation, it was suggested that attention should be paid to the contour of structures from the characteristics of the filters.

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The aim of the present research was to analyze the struggles of in-service primary and secondary teachers regarding rhythmic style dance instruction. Two areas were noted for investigation: 1) Uncovering Concerns of In-service Primary and Secondary Teachers Regarding Rhythmic Style Dance Instruction, by focusing on differences of gender, school type, teaching / dance teaching experience, and 2) Determining issues for improvement based on training type and content considered to be necessary by teachers. Results obtained from the questionnaire analysis were summarized. With respect to the first area of investigation, findings indicate the following points. Firstly, it was shown that regardless of school type, the top three issues were “Being unable to demonstrate the dances”, “ Being unsure of what constitutes good dance (dance movements)” and “Being unable to understand the content of instruction”. Secondly, results also indicate that early-career teachers were more concerned about the differences in pupils’ dance abilities than mid-career teachers. Thirdly a hierarchy of teachers’ concerns was suggested with respect to amount of dance teaching experience. Findings regarding the second area of investigation indicated that in terms of training type, concerns were primarily about ‘skills’, reflecting the desire of teachers to have instructional material that could readily be utilized in the classroom, specifically, training involving dance technique videos and modular training featuring the pairing of songs with instructional methods. Moreover, the following three points were summarized with regard to the desired content of teacher training“, Introduction of various examples in practice”, “ Instructional points to improve practical skills and content explaining the main points / how to ‘get the knack of it’,” and “Instructional matter which takes the students’ stage of development into consideration”.

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