The purpose of this paper is to examine the notion of learning in home economics education in order to obtain insights into a new direction of home economics education in today's school reform movements. For this purpose, it will attempt to apply the theories of John Dewey and L. S. Vygotsky, which have been recently reevaluated as bases for reconsidering extant learning theolies, as well as the theory of situated cognition, which has provided an approach to knowledge construction based on Vygotskian theory. In this paper, first, the educational theory and practices of John Dewey will be examined to make it clear how he incorporated students' lives into their learning. This will show that it is important to develop students' disposition to inquire. Second, the processes of appropriating skills and understanding in everyday situations will be examined from the viewpoint of situated cognition and its implications to learning in home economics education will be sought. It will imply the necessity of learning through authentic activities. Finally, Vygotskian theory will be used to explore the teachers' roles in such learning through authentic activities. It will be demonstrated that scaffolding in the zone of proximal development can be an effective teaching strategy in home economics education. The Discussion of this paper will illuminate the significance of the notions of "inquiry," "authentic activities," and "scaffolding" in home economics education.