Subject Consciousness of Junior-high Students regarding Home Economics : Reproductive Structure of Gender in School

In recent years, gender-equality activities have produced growing concern over gender, and only school education has been considered relatively gender equal. However, the presence of a hidden curriculum has been pointed out and it is said that gender is being reproduced unconsciously in the school education setting. In this research, we clarified various gender biases in school and the gender consciousness of junior-high students, and examined the reproductive structure of gender in school in connection with the consciousness and current status. Our research revealed the following result. (1) Students receive entrenched gender-biased words and actions from teachers. (2) Also observed in school education is the gender consciousness, which also exits in our society, where males are supposed to seize initiative while females play supportive roles and perform household-like duties. (3) The entrenched gender-biased consciousness is affected by the perception that home economics is a subject for girls