In order to clarify the characteristics of junior high school skills in technology education, this research focused on the content of metalworking and analyzed the relevant textbook contents in comparison to the textbooks of a vocational training school that contained the practical technical skill knowledge. The characteristics of skills in the 2011 (Heisei 23) and 2015 (Heisei 27) textbooks of junior high school technology education were examined and compared to those of vocational training. The analyzed cluster contents of the vocational training textbook included extensive declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge in the skill-learning process, and that knowledge was classified into seven skills such as tool operation methods. According to the scale of skill classification, many of the metalworking skills in the textbooks of junior high school technology education included procedural knowledge such as tool operation methods. These results, suggested that the characteristics of the junior high school technology textbooks were constructed using descriptions centered on the methods needed to carry out the project work.

This study investigated the main points of the instruction when teachers instruct junior high school students on screwdriver skills. First, we developed the skill measurement system for screwdrivers measuring the various forces that a manipulator gave to a screwdriver. We then let junior high school students practice (tightening a wood screw, or loosening it) using this system. After practice, we observed and evaluated their operation and chose some dexterous and awkward students. Furthermore, we measured how the dexterous and awkward students operated screwdrivers, and considered factors causing differences between them. Consequently, the magnitude of force and hand use (one or both) when the dexterous students operated screwdrivers were clarified.

This research developed a curriculum for marine education and clarified its educational effect on improving student awareness of marine environmental conservation. The curriculum development combined the cultivation of crops (from “technology concerning bio-fostering” of the junior high school technology department) and salt-making (from “technology concerning materials and processing”). After curriculum development, we surveyed 30 questionnaires developed in this study to examine its educational effect. Consequently, there were statistical improvements in 14 questionnaires. Therefore, it could be said that the curriculum in this study could raise awareness about marine environment conservation and technology education.

The purpose of this study is to pilot the implementation of manufacturing lessons that teach the design process in elementary school art and handicraft education lessons with the goal of providing a smooth transition to junior high school technological education, as well as to verify the effects of the lessons. Utilizing a design process sheet created with reference to the Hutchinson (1991) design process model, fifth grade elementary school students used cardboard to design and produce a product with a practical function. As a result, favorable feelings about the production of practical work, changes in viewpoints regarding tools and materials, and awareness of ingenuity for ready-made products were promoted. In addition, there was an increase in the desire to produce functional products, interest in the structure and design of ready-made products as well as an awareness of their importance, and urge to solve problems through manufacturing. From these outcomes, we concluded that such an experiment had some level of effectiveness in linking elementary and junior high school manufacturing learning.

We attached an electric outboard motor and an engine outboard motor with the same output to a rubber boat and compared the properties of both navigations. We engaged students in a specialized high school in a new type of problem study to learn energy conversion based on its content and evaluated the learning effect. The practice in the project studies was conducted in a school swimming pool and under such condition that there was no need for any vessel licenses. First of all, we fixed the dinghy with either an electric motor or an oil driven one to the edge of the pool and measured the maximum thrust of each. The results showed that each thrust was approximately 200N. Next, using those results, it was determined that the electric outboard motor can generate the same speed while consuming 16% to 30% of its energy that the oil-driven motor does in its low speed range (about 5.0 to 5.6km/hour). Results of student questionnaires indicated that the farther their learning advanced, the more interest and knowledge the students had in the questionnaire items such as regarding the outboard motor's structure, control, measuring method, and analysis methods. On the other hand, in the questionnaire items such as regarding engine structure, engine operation principle, and method measuring of energy consumption, I could not find clear significant learning effect.

LED can have a variety of V _F −I _F characteristics, even if the same manufacturing process is used. This easily leads to variation in luminance and an inappropriate use that exceeds the maximum rating. Thus, it is essential to control the luminance of the LED using a current rather than voltage. In this paper, we propose that a Joulethief circuit, which is an oscillation-type booster circuit, can be used as a pulse current source. The pulse current source behavior in the Joule-thief circuit was clarified with an operation analysis focusing on the chargedischarge characteristics of the coil and the switching characteristics of the transistor. Those pulse current source behaviors were also obtained when the LED was used as a load. As a result, when the number of high luminance red LEDs in a series circuit increased from 1 to 6, the change of the peak current value was within the range of 23.6mA ±2%. This demonstrated the effectiveness of using a Joule-thief circuit in an LED drive circuit design as teaching material.