A Study on the Perception and Utilization of the "Food and Nutrition" Area of the Home Economics Subject by Middle School Students

중학교 기술.가정교과의 "식생활 단원"에 대한 학생들의 인식 및 활용실태

The purpose of this study was to suggest systematic, efficient, and developmental plans for dietary and nutrition education, through analyzing students' perceptions and utilizations of the $\ulcorner$Food and Nutrition$\lrcorner$ area of Technology Home economics in middle school. This study was conducted using self administered questionnaires on general environmental factors, perceptions, and utilization of the $\ulcorner$Food and Nutrition$\lrcorner$ area. The subjects were 807 middle school students of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades in Gyeonggi province. Most of the students positively recognized the necessity for the $\ulcorner$Food and Nutrition$\lrcorner$ area in Technology Home economics. However, changes in the interest in $\ulcorner$Food and Nutrition$\lrcorner$ after a lesson were not significant. The utilization of the lesson appeared highest in cases where the teachers' instructing methods went abreast with teaching focused on practice or teaching based on practice and theory and if teachers used various teaching materials. These results suggested that teachers should make efforts to raise the students' interest for the lesson in Technology Home economics. Therefore, the contents of the lesson should complement the learners' demands such that they are useful in real life situations. Also, more positive teaching methods and various media which could satisfy the needs and interests of the students should be developed. In addition, teaching methods should be evaluated for an effective and practical curriculum of $\ulcorner$Food and Nutrition$\lrcorner$ in Home Economics.