Analysis of Maker Competencies in Dietary Life Units of Practical Arts Textbook under the 2015 Revised Practical Arts Curriculum

This study investigated the degree to which maker competencies can be cultivated by learning the dietary life units of fifth and sixth practical arts textbooks, including areas for improvement in cultivating maker competencies in dietary education. The study analyzed six maker competency groups (integrated thinking, collaboration, making mind, human-centered, problem discovery, and making practice) and their sub-competencies as they appear in these units. The analysis yielded the following results. First, in the dietary life units of the practical arts textbook based on the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum, both the integrated thinking competency group and the making practice competency were found in 100% and 54.8% of the 5th-grade textbooks and 54.2% and 61.9% of the 6th-grade textbooks, respectively. The making mind competency group was present in 50% of 5th-grade textbooks and 37.5% of 6th-grade textbooks, while the collaboration competency group appeared in 33.3% of 5th-grade textbooks and 50.0% of 6th-grade textbooks. The problem discovery competency group featured in 50% of the 5th-grade textbooks but was entirely absent in the 6th-grade textbooks. Furthermore, the human-centered competency group was not reflected in either the 5th or 6th grade textbooks. Second, the integrated thinking competency group featured prominently in the achievement criteria units focused on theoretical learning, such as [6Practiacl Arts 02-01], [6Practiacl Arts 02-04], and [6Practiacl Arts 02-09]. Furthermore, the making practice and making mind competency groups were predominantly reflected in the achievement criteria units involving food making, such as [6Practiacl Arts 02-02] and [6Practiacl Arts 02-10]. In addition, the sharing and communication capabilities of the collaboration competency group were also reflected across most units. In conclusion, the study found that by learning the dietary life units of the practical arts textbook according to the 2015 revised practical arts curriculum, students successfully cultivated five of the six maker competency groups, excluding the human-centered competency group.