Korea and Japan have similar educational systems, and both countries base their curricula on national standards. Textbooks in both countries are published under a government‐authorized system, and the role of textbooks is very important because all students rely on the same materials. The curricula of both countries have been revised recently, and less importance has been accorded to content related to housing than to that related to other areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the content of the Korean and Japanese curricula in terms of their objectives, major concepts and perspectives with respect to the sustainability of housing by analysing the Home Economics curricula and textbooks used in the middle schools in the two countries. An in‐depth content analysis was conducted on the two textbooks that will be used in Korea in 2011 and the two textbooks that are currently being used in Japan. The sections on housing in the middle school Home Economics curricula represented two of a total of 18 units in Korea; they cover ‘Housing and Living Environments’ and ‘Use of Housing Space’. In Japan, housing‐related content is taught in one of 12 units: ‘Maintenance of Indoor Environments and Residential Lifestyles’. Major concepts included in the textbooks in both countries consist of family characteristics related to housing, housing culture, housing for sustainable development, indoor environments and housing safety. Content related to perspectives on sustainability has focussed primarily on environmental and economic components in Korea and primarily on environmental and social components in Japan. Korean textbooks have focussed on transmitting scientific knowledge and understanding major concepts, and the processes underpinning practical reasoning were introduced in the 2007 revised Home Economics curriculum. Japanese textbooks were written to solve problems and cultivate the ability to achieve fulfilment as residents.

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The purpose of this research is to apprehend what the power of professional learning community (PLC) to make home economics teachers participate is and how PLC activity contributes to reflective practice and change of participating home economics teachers by experiencing reflective practices. For this, self-reflective action research of Kemmis and McTaggart was conducted. Six home economics teachers participated voluntarily and totally 18 PLC sessions from May 31, 2013 to May 19, 2014 were held. Two themes of 'looking in classes' as a main practice theme and 'designing classes together' as a supporting theme were carried. Findings and conclusions of this study are as following. First, participants of PLC to get data and information on teaching and to solve problems with fellow teachers for better classes at first. However, they have become to comfort and sympathize each other about difficulties in school as home economics teachers. Second, through the PLC activity, they found they had uncomfortable belief about teaching and tried to practice solutions by critical and reflective thinking. Third, they put efforts in finding alternative framework of looking inside their classes for the fundamental improvement in teaching. For this, they formulated questionnaire to describe their own reflective practice through the alternative framework from a critical perspective in teaching, a view of student's learning, and a teacher's inner view for improvement of practice. Fourth, PLC activity for a year allowed them to combine theory and reality though reflective process by designing classes together and reflectively practicing them in classes.

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