In the junior high school course of study (technology), the government has proposed a mechanism using friction, engagement, or cam as learning contents in technology classes. In technology textbooks, robots using link mechanisms have been proposed as practice examples. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the teaching materials to include various mechanism. This study, focused on the automata as teaching materials. In a previous study, we developed automata that used wires to the mechanical part. As a result of our analysis on class practice among university students, we clarified points of issue in regard to base size, wire hardness, and the making procedure. In this study, we improved the teaching materials and conducted a class practice among third grade students. We clarified the educational value through an analysis of produced automata and a questionnaire survey.

In this study, we developed a block-type HTML+JavaScript Programing environment system to support the class practice of junior high school technology education Content D “Information Technology" (2) “Problem solving by programming interactive contents using networks." The developed system is a web application that can be used with a browser; even junior high school students can easily create dynamic web pages through block programming applications such as Scratch. Using the developed system, we conducted a trial practice for junior high school students. As a result, these students created a web page using map information obtained from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and a dynamic quiz web page using DOM without any significant trouble. In addition, the mean values of items such as “the scientific understanding of information and communication networks" and “problem-solving using information and communication networks" improved significantly based on assessments taken before and after practice.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the changes in the sloyd education in Sweden after 1962, focusing on the texts from the National Curricula for the compulsory schools. As the method of research, the official documents have been analyzed: the National Curricula published in 1962, 1969, 1980, 1994 and 2011. First, the sloyd subject was prescribed to aim at the acquisition of techniques and knowledge for the handicraft in 1962. It turned to the subject promoting comprehensive development through the training of manual, intellectual and emotional ability in 1969. The revision in 1980 caused it to aim at developing creative ability. Fourteen years later, in 1994, the revised version came into effect and prescribed that it should develop students' all-round progress through the cultivating creative, manual and communicative ability. The latest major revision of 2011 suggest that the subject should help develop students' creativity including finding the best solutions to the problems. These results lead us to the conclusion that the foundation of the subject has been consistently on craft knowledge, techniques, and traditions for Swedish handicrafts, sloyd, although the texts from official documents have changed as stated above.

The purpose of this study is to grasp the actual situation of students' self-efficacy in materials processing learning of technology education. An open-ended questionnaire were obtained from 786 junior high school students. After the responses were collated and analyzed, students tended to express self-efficacy regarding actional information. In addition, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. The self-efficacy scale in learning materials processing (5 factors and 20 items, Factor names: stimulation of interest, increase self-evaluation, outlook for activities, collaboration, failure and anxiety) was developed to examine students' perceptions of different production subjects. As the result of the differences in production materials, there were differences in the mean values for the three factors of “stimulation of interest", “increase self-evaluation", and “outlook for activities".

In this paper, we propose a programming module that uses Python in junior high schools and present an actual teaching guidance plan on “programming measurement and control systems" in Technology and Home Economics (Technology Area). The module incorporates elements of problem-finding and problem-solving, and acts as a bridging course for the programming information subject that is taught in senior high schools. It also introduces teaching materials that encourage students to construct measurement and control systems of various shapes using only frictional force, and discusses the results of teaching practice that uses a programming environment with a source code editor. The findings from pre- and post-learning surveys, self-learning surveys, and worksheets have demonstrated the effectiveness and usefulness of Python to teach programming of measurement and control systems.

In this paper, we describe the use of a wooden toy that was developed as a teaching material for preschoolers in childcare. The toy has two wheels, with one rotating around the eccentric axis and the other around the central axis, and its movement is facilitated by rolling it down an incline. Preschoolers were taught how to make the wooden toy using sandpaper and glue, and were encouraged to play, observe, and ask questions about the toy and its movement. The entire process of learning—from making to playing, observation, and questioning—is believed to benefit preschoolers in their learning journey even after they have graduated to elementary school. In addition, parents and teachers completed a questionnaire which documented changes in the behavior and utterances of preschoolers before and during the play activity, as well as their utterances and toys at home after the activity.