The purpose of this study is to classify students' readiness for learning design in junior high school technology education. We conducted a survey of 98 first grade junior high school students, who have not yet attended “Material Processing Technology” classes, in order to grasp their awareness and experience regarding making things. At the same time, we carried out a “CD rack” design challenge project and examined students’ work and their self-evaluations. Three skilled technology teachers also evaluated students’ work. Based on the results of cluster analysis (Ward's method) using students' self-evaluations and teachers’ remarks, students’ readiness for learning design was classified into the following three types. In the (1) “Logical thinking type” students have enough experiences and awareness in making things, and they could think logically when designing something. In the (2) “Experience oriented type” students have enough experience in making things, but their logical thinking was not enough when it came to designing something. In the (3) “Image preceded type” students do not have enough experience or awareness in making things; they, therefore, could have only images of artifacts when designing something. Based on these results, teaching methods for each type of student were considered in design classes.

In this paper, we developed a teaching material for measurement and control in which a PC has the function for both of programming, measurement and control; we also evaluated the effectiveness of the teaching material. The teaching material consists of the system with its sensor, PC and motors, and perform the measurement and control through a forklift model. The teaching material has a programming environment through flowchart programs, and the function of indicating the programs. From the result of the verification lesson, it was suggested that the learning by applying our teaching material is effective for maintaining and increasing students’ interest and concern. Also, the significance was obtained to acquiring knowledge and understanding the system of measurement and control using computer, and the teaching material was found to be effective in facilitating the development of a learning related mutually measurement and control system and programming. Moreover, it was suggested that our teaching material is applicable and effective for programming learning.

Low-density wood like Japanese cedar can absorb and contain over twice the weight of water owing to its porous structure, which resembles a bundle of straws with high porosity. Liquid injection process can facilitate effective absorption of the salt component into the lumen of a wooden cell, by mechanically changing the shape of the cell. A wooden battery, composed of zinc (Zn) in the anode, copper (Cu) in the cathode and salt (NaCl) in the electrolyte, was developed before introducing it as teaching material. The final goal of this research is to propose the use of wooden battery as the compound teaching material in junior high school. The wooden battery was found to generate 770mV of power over 20 days, enough to light LED in optimal conditions. In addition, one transistor AM radio powered by wooden battery suggested as the compound teaching material, delivered satisfactory performance and continued to work for 3 days, thus proving its effectiveness and potential.

The purpose of this study is to suggest that LED light emission teaching material utilizing PIC-GPE deepens the understanding of the algorithm and an evaluation method that can grasp the degree of the algorithm learning for elementary students. More programming practice studies are focusing on how to adapt the teaching material to learners and how to raise learners' interest and concerns. For our purposes, it was not enough to consider both points of view of logical consideration related to information science and the methodological consideration related to information technology. Therefore, we practiced a programming lesson including the algorithm's learning for sixth graders. This method implemented programming to make LED effective. The results showed that the LED light emission teaching material utilizing PIC-GPE raised learners’ interest, and it was shown to promote understanding of the algorithm. It is possible that information science ability improved at the initial stage of learning and, as understanding advanced, information technology ability improved later.

We performed a lesson practice of power-saving competition (electric) car production learning and verified the educational effect of the practice. We administered a series of questions in survey form for the 50 participating junior high school students; (a) change of cooperative (collaborative) technical abilities (pre/post), (b) abilities related to the technical project (post), and (c) knowledge to fabricate power-saving cars (pre/post). Based on the result, we confirmed (1) a change in creative attitude, communication skills, and teamwork ability in the components of cooperative (collaborative) technical abilities, (2) that the students themselves felt the improvement of cooperative (collaborative) technical abilities, and (3) that the students deepened their knowledge and recognition of technically important points through the electric car production process. We practiced the cooperative learning model previously proposed by the authors, in which each student has a role. The students, however, gradually became engaged in the other roles as necessary (both cooperative and collaborative learning). From this result, therefore, we propose a “cooperative and collaborative learning model,” as a hypothetical model, which is revised from the previous model.

“Capability to find a problem and to solve it” is demanded in our recent knowledge-based society since new knowledge, information, and technology drastically enhances the base of activities in every social domain, including politics, economy, and culture. “Problem solution in the information society” is also set as the content of the subject “Information study for participating community” in the common subject area “Information” of high school. In this research, the educational content of problem-based learning in the common subject area “Information” in high school is proposed based on textbook comparisons. We aim to evaluate the learning effect for the developed contents based on a correlation of subjective and objective learning surveys. The research method proposes a teaching guidance plan for problem-based learning from the comparison results of textbooks in the subject “Information study for participating community” issued by each publisher. In the teaching practice, according to the proposed plan, pre and post-learning surveys were conducted. Both subjective and objective learning surveys were also performed at the end of each class. The usefulness of the proposed problem-based learning was suggested based on the results of these surveys.

In order to improve the skills of the next generation, school education is focusing on problem solving abilities. Problem solving abilities are desired in all subjects and are especially crucial in Technology and Home Economics in junior high schools and Information in senior high schools. This study verifies the usefulness of the technology education in junior high schools through the practice of the vocational subject information in a senior high school. First, we carry out a questionnaire survey for high school students and analyze which subjects in junior high schools are important in order to gain problem-solving abilities. Second, we analyze which items are improved by practicing “Information and Problem Solving” in a senior high school. Furthermore, we analyze students’ consciousness about the relationship between the technology education in junior high schools and information education in senior high schools by referring to textbooks in technology education used in junior high schools. Based on the results, we verified the relationship between technology education in junior high schools and information education in senior high schools, and the deepening of information learning in senior high schools after technology learning in junior high schools.

The objectives of this study are to develop a simple method for measuring the physical properties of soil with the PET bottle instrument and to prepare clop culture soils with different physical properties from several soil materials. The deviation of measured values between the simple method and the official method was small, so the simple method with the handcrafted instrument is available to a class of nurturing living things in junior high school. In the preparation of culture soils, we recommend that the water holding property be as close as possible to the highest value of that in the applying materials and that the water permeability be adjusted to 10-100ml/min. Based on the results of this comparison survey of various mixed soils, we could also prepare different soils by mixing volcanic ash soil with an aggregative soil material.