The aim of this study was to clear the objectives of Vocational Home Economics Education (V. H. E. E. ) through National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education from 1906 to 1917. The interpretation of V. H. E. E. had changed in the process of discussion. They argued that only trade extension was Vocational Education, and household arts was a part of General Education. But later, V. H. E. E. was stressed as a study for homemaking education. As the results, V. H. E. E. as training for homemaking was placed in Vocational Education under "non-wage earning occupation". Although it reflected the thought that woman ought to do domestic duties in her home, the "vocational" base of V. H. E. E. was vague. When we think of Home Economics as Vocational Education, there is need to look again at the "vocational" base of Vocational Education.

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The purpose of this study was to examine how home economics education for both sexes was thought theoretically in the 70's and how it was influenced by social and eductional conditions. In the first half of the '70s, home economists proposed the necessity and possibility for creating a new home economics which would prepare to discuss all subjects in the new era relevant to the lives of young people of both sexes. The basic theory of home economics for boys and girls was to make students understand the significance of "dual roles" of home and work, and to make them gain living skills and knowledge for sharing these roles. In accordance with the rapid increase of boys taking home economics, several studies for creating a new curriculum to help young men prepare for changing roles were conducted.

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Understanding the problem of dietary dicision-making was grasped as the first step in making decisions related to an autonomous diet. From the point of view of not only knowledge but also mental attitudes, the investigation was conducted using 1536 students and teachers ; 337 were elementary school pupils, 347 junior high school students, 344 senior high school students, 408 university students and 100 home economics teachers. The results were as follows : 1. On relationship between themselves and their dietary habits, there is a tendency to place much importance on personal aspects in daily life. 2. On relationship between themselves and their diet, there is a clear tendency that shows few people think from a wider viewpoint in considering things on ecological awarness and the harm that food consumers do to the environment.

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The purpose of this study was to identify factors on upbringing pupils' independent ability of life by investigating correlation between ability of management on their dwelling life and home economics education. The results obtained were as follows : Pupils' independent ability of life on dwelling life was understood as management ability on their dwelling life, Pupils who have their own rooms and girls showed significance. The position on independent control to livelihood space and experience in living were considered significant as factors for upbringing pupils' independent ability of life.

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The purpose of this study was to determine how children develop their decision-making ability that is of much concern in consumer education. Subjects were 5th graders in elementary school, 2nd graders in junior and senior hight schools, total of 550 pupils. The results were as follows : 1. Interest in information became greater as they grew older. However, older pupils believed they had insufficient information gathering ability. High school pupils tend to judge information critically. 2. Elementaty school pupils regard themselves as having independence, older pupils tend to regard themselves as following others and as being easily flattered. However, high school pupils showed higher planning and managemant ability and controlling ability of their desires to discern whether it was "needs" or "wants". 3. Important sources of referential information shifted from the reliable ones of parents or close friends, to the vague ones of rumor or mass media. 4. At the elementary school level, pupils did not examine their motives, while pupils at the junior and senior high school levels seemed to be conscious of their anxiety or bewilderment when they made decisions. Decision-making ability tend to be developed in middle and latter teen-age levels. An effort to retain their individuality, not over-adjusting or over-reacting, by training for analysis and judgement as consumers is important.

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The present study aims at finding an effective teaching method through clarifying the relation between female students' consciousness and basic understanding on clothing construction. A questionnaire and a basic test were conducted on 436 students in Tokyo, in April, 1992. In this report, the students' consciousness on clothing construction is discussed. The main results are as follows : 1. Students have willingness to learn and have interest in clothing construction, but they have no confidence and even show anxiety. 2. Students who experienced delight with their lessons come to use their techniques practically, and have more willingness to learn and show interest and confidence in clothing construction. It is suggested that the experience of pleasure in their lessons in elementary school is important.

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Following the first report, this study investigated the relation between female students' basic understanding on clothing construction and their factors, such as home environment, experience and practical use of lessons from elementary to senior high school days. Students' basic understanding or clothing construction is discussed by the total test scores of each student. The main results were as follows : 1. Students who scored lower total points in the test did not enjoy their lessons and had neither willingness to learn nor interest in future lessons. They had not practiced such lessons in their daily lives. 2. Students' scores on the tests were favorable where sewing machines were used ordinarily in their homes and their mothers made clothing for their daughters when they were older than fifth or sixth-years in elementary school.

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In order to establish a food education program for co-sex junior and senior high school students, we compared the food terms found in Japanese and American homemaking textbooks. Food terms were classified into eighteen different groups in each category and their frequency was counted. The results were as follows : 1. There were more food terms used in American textbooks than in their Japanese counterparts. 2. The terms of foodstuffs were 70〜80% in the texts of both countries. The American textbook (Teen Guide) is clearly focused on educating the students to be good consumers. 3. In Japan, food education is not so clearly focused on being a consumer. In regard to the range of the contents in text-books, there are many differences between American textbooks and their Japanese counter-parts. These results suggest the difference in making textbooks in both countries, and which affect the contents of textbooks considerably.

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"Wolf Child" as subject matter was investigated for its adequacy to understand the relation between human life and environment. The results were as follows : 1. No scientific evidence was found in "Wolf Child" after survey of literature and a mode of wolf life. 2. Ways of taking "Wolf Child" as a teaching subject for early childhood education and care may be classified into several types, in any of which it is possible to introduce nonscientific recongnition. 3. Accordingly "Wolf Child" should not be taken as a subject matter for early childhood education and care. It can be recommended to construct a subject matter from a view of prenursery education with another conception such as attachment.

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Consumer education at elementary school level should be based on the observation of children's shopping behaviors in their near environment. Children who live in urban areas tend to go to the neighboring shops alone or with their friends. Children who live in suburban areas tend to go to the distant shops by car with their parents. Shopping districts are related not only to their shopping behaviors but also in their playing. They enjoy themselves by walking along the shopping districts and watching commodities.

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The most remarkable learning effects on five-year-old children have been reported previously, as the results of experimental learning of tying strings (Mamusubi-square knot) among elementary school pupils (6 and 7 years old) and preschool children (4 and 5 years old). The same experiments were conducted during September l992 and January 1993 on three-year-old children (45 subjects in preschool and 6 subjects at home) for the purpose of investigating lower age limit of such learning effects. The present studies showed that it was difficult for the subjects to perform correct tying. Based on such results, it is presumed that in general, those who can perform correct tying among three-year-old children are very few even after long period of practice.

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sensory evaluation using the model mixtures of Japanese type soup stock, soy sauce and sweetenings (sugar or "mirin"). Factors which influenced the discriminating ability was also investigated. Results were summarized as follows : 1. Discriminationg ability of mixed taste of junior high school students was inferior to that of university students. 2. University students were more interested in eating than junior high school students. The interest in eating correlated with the discriminating ability. 3. No relationship existed between the frequency of eating with dishes using the same type of seasonings and discriminating ability. 4. In junior high school, it is important to enhance interests in eating in order to build a desirable sense of taste.

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