Advanced Science and Technology Letters
Vol.119 (Welfare 2015), pp.19-23
http://dx.doi.org/10.14257/astl.2015.119.05
The Influence of Interest and Awareness of Necessity
on preference for Home Economics of Middle School
Students
Eun-Jeung Kim*, Yun-Jeong Kim**
* Joongdong Middle School, Irwon-ro-8 Gil 37(Irwon-Dong), Gangnam-Gu, Seoul, Korea,
E-mail: [email protected]
**Dept. of Elderly of Welfare, Hnaseo University, Hanseo 1-ro Haemi-myun Sesan-city
Chungnam-do, Korea, E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract. The present study has the purpose of demonstrating the influence of
interest in and awareness of necessity on middle school students in home
economics. The key findings and discussion are as follows. First, the logistic
regression analysis that aimed to identify decisive factors of preference for
home economics showed that male students had no interest in understanding
family but high interest in practice of eco-friendly family life, and career and
life planning. Second, Necessity of instruction was more likely to be included in
the home economics preference group, and the influence of necessity of
instruction was the greatest.
Keywords: Home economics, Interest in home economics, Preference of home
economics, Necessity of home economics
1
Introduction
The Korean home economics curriculum has been revised numerous times over the
years (versions 1 ~ 7, in 2007, 2009, and 2011), and home economics is now a
subject that both males and females learn. This change reflects the changing role of
sex in homes and in society, which actively reflects the value of gender equality in
school curricula [1].
Interest in a subject has substantial influence on motivation to learn and on
learning itself. Factors that cause interest in a subject are contextual factors such as
the adequacy of learning contents, cognitive preferences for subjects, curiosity,
immersion, and challenge [2].
Similarly, interest in a subject includes necessity and requirements, and it is a
comparatively continuous and stable preferred tendency [4]. Preferences for specific
subjects have been determined to be related to interest in the subject contents,
confidence in the subject, practicality, and others [2]. These studies related to subject
preference have mainly found that interest in and necessity of home economics were
higher when the requirement and preference for home economics were higher. Thus,
preference for a particular subject means that a person has some degree of interest
and accomplishment in that subject [3]. This point was also noted in research that
ISSN: 2287-1233 ASTL
Copyright © 2015 SERSC
Advanced Science and Technology Letters
Vol.119 (Welfare 2015)
treated subject preference as a dependent rather than a precedent variable. Thus,
students’ preference for home economics can be improved depending on their
interest in the subject or the necessity of home economics.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify decisive factors in middle
school students’ preference for home economics. Specifically, the influence of the
interest in and awareness of the need for home economics on preference was
investigated.
2
Methodology
2.1
Participants and Data Collection
Four schools located in Seoul were the sources for the study subjects. Data were
collected using a survey. Two hundred thirty male students and 235 female students
were administered the survey.
Questionnaires were distributed considering local characteristics between May 26
and June 3, 2015. A total of 532 surveys from students were used in the final analysis,
excluding insincere data.
2.2
Measurement Scale
The questionnaires were composed based on the characteristics described in the 2009
reformed national curriculum and measurement scales by Lim [5]. The perception of
the necessity of instruction was measured by 8 items scored on a 5-point Likert scale,
and higher scores mean a more positive attitude. The Cronbach’s alpha was .842.
To measure interest in the home economics curriculum content, interest in the
subject was separated into 6 units. Fifteen items were measured on a 5-point Likert
scale, and the Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .842 to .875.
For subject preference, “What do you think about technology and home
economics?” was answered with like (1) or not like (0).
2.3
Demographic Characteristics of the Participants
Using 2.3 IBM SPSS 21.0, frequency analysis was conducted to understand the social
demographic characteristics of the middle school students. The participants were 462
middle school students, 49.6% male and 50.4% female. By school year, 29.4% of
students were first-year, 21.2% were second-year, and 49.4% were third-year. The
proportion of students at the boys’ middle school was 21.9%, 22.3% from the girls’
middle school, and 55.8% from the coeducation school.
Most of the students, 70.6%, reported very high grades, 29.4% said their grades
were high, and there were no responses for low grades. Regarding family size, 62.5%
of students’ families had 4 members, 20.6% had more than 4 members was 20.6%,
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Advanced Science and Technology Letters
Vol.119 (Welfare 2015)
and 16.0% had 3 family members.
Regarding birth order, the highest proportion, 42.5%, were second children, 34.9%
were first children, and 14.6% were only children. Regarding family structure, the
great majority, 85.2%, of students lived in a nuclear family composed of parents and
children.
2.4
Data Analysis
Frequency analysis and logistic regression were run using IBM SPSS 21.0
3 Decisive Factors of Middle School Students’ Preferences for
Home Economics
3.1 Influence of Middle School Students’ Interest in and Awareness of Necessity
preference for Home Economics
Division
Wald
Exp(B)
30.788
.000
.598*
-.161
.138
-.068
.164
.026
4.007
.843
.177
.098
.293
.005
.1.818
.852
1.148
.934
1.178
1.027
Understanding adolescence
Life of Adolescents
Adolescent Self-management
Understanding the Family
Practice of Eco-Friendly Family Life
Career and Life Planning
.324
.024
.126
-.566*
.671**
.625*
2.550
.007
.199
4.003
8.857
6.014
1.383
1.024
1.134
.568
1.956
1.868
Necessity of Instruction
.756***
27.433
5.788
Constant
Gender (1=male)
School year
Grade
Charateristics
Family number
Birth Order (1=the oldest) Structure
(1=Nuclear)
Interest
Preference or not(1=Yes, 0=No)
correct classification
chi-squre
Nagelkerke R2
B
-9.612
***
84.6%
164.462***
.471
*p<.05 **p<.01 ***p<.001
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Advanced Science and Technology Letters
Vol.119 (Welfare 2015)
Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors that could predict
middle school students’ home economics preferences. The model was significant,
with a chi-square of 164.462 (p=.000). The model’s explanatory power model was
47.1%, and validity was high at 84.6%. Significant variables that influenced
preference were gender, necessity of instruction, and the textbook sub-chapters
Understanding Family, Practice of Eco-friendly Family Life, and Career and Life
Planning.
It was shown that male students had no interest in Understanding Family but
showed high interest in Practice of Eco-friendly Family Life, Career and Life
Planning, and necessity of instruction; the influence of necessity of instruction was
highest. Investigating in more depth, male students were 1.818 times more likely than
female students to prefer home economics, and that preference increased by 1.956
times when interest in Practice of Eco-friendly Family Life increased by 1 point. It
was also shown that the likelihood of liking home economics class increased by 1.868
times when interest in the Career and Life Planning area increased by 1 point and by
5.788 times when awareness of the need for home economics increased by 1 point.
In contrast, it was shown that likelihood of liking the home economics course
decreased by 1.760 times when interest in Understanding Family increased by 1 point
(Table 2).
4
Conclusion and recommendations
In this paper, a survey investigation was conducted with 462 middle school students
from May to June 2015 to identify decisive factors of preference for home
economics. Sociodemographics, family characteristics, interest in the subject, and
awareness of subject necessity were decisive factors for subject preference.
The logistic regression analysis showed that male students reported no interest in
Understanding Family but high interest in Practice of Eco-friendly Family Life,
Career and Life Planning, and necessity of instruction showed a higher likelihood of
preferring the home economics course, and influence of necessity of instruction was
highest. These results are similar to those found by Kim [6]. It was shown that the
likelihood of preferring the course increased by 5.788 times when awareness of
home economics necessity increased by 1 point.
This result shows that the importance of a more macroscopic and lifetime
contextual approach is proposed to increase middle school students’ preference for
home economics. It is suggested that related contexts should be supplemented in
home economics texts. This will be connected to the continued availability of home
economics as an elective course in high school.
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Advanced Science and Technology Letters
Vol.119 (Welfare 2015)
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