Design and Technology Education: An International Journal

Teacher perceptions of critical thinking skills within primary school design and technology

Richard Brown — 2023-11-21

Critical thinking skills and creativity have been lauded by many as key attributes sought from prospective employees for the future workplace in an ever changing world. Furthermore, a review of existing literature suggested the prevalence of critical thinking skills within design and technology (D&T) tasks. This study aimed to garner the perceptions of primary school teachers in the UK and establish, from a practitioner’s viewpoint, whether critical thinking skills were evident within their classrooms during D&T sessions. The interviews followed a phenomenological approach and identified commonalities and differences between the teachers’ viewpoints as they described the phenomena they had experienced. The eight interviewees were from different schools in different areas of the UK and ranged from experienced teachers to early career teachers. Teachers were asked about their experiences of teaching D&T before completing a hierarchal ordering exercise of skills they perceived were gained from D&T activities in primary schools. The data produced experiences, thoughts and opinions about teaching design and technology in primary schools and teacher perceptions of the role of critical thinking within them. Analysis of the interview transcripts identified critical thinking throughout the responses and categorised three main themes around the teaching of design and technology in primary schools: approaches, attitudes and outcomes. This study suggests that, for primary teachers to develop their pupils’ critical thinking skills within design and technology, and thus develop technological literacy, there are issues that need addressing at both leadership and classroom levels such as training, resourcing and leadership priorities. Nevertheless, teachers interviewed in this small scale study confidently believed that primary school pupils benefit from promoting critical thinking within D&T activities.

Weaving the specialist material strands of design and technology together.

Sarah Davies — 2023-11-21

The design and technology curriculum in England has gone through various policy changes since its introduction in the Education Reform Act of 1988. The 2014 policy revised the content to make it slimmer and outlining the essential core knowledge for Key Stage 1 to 3. Schools need to consider wider aspects of design and technology not included in the National Curriculum which they would like to teach as part of their own school curriculum (DATA n.d.). Previous research into D&T explored the challenges of adapting established ways of working and the issues involved in sub-cultural retreat by teachers. This research paper sets out to understand how teachers coped with the 2014 curriculum change and the factors influencing teachers' capacity to implement assessment changes that impacted the need to teach more broadly. The larger investigation followed a qualitative methodology and collected interview data during the first round of teaching the new upper-secondary examination courses in English secondary schools. An interpretive approach to the analysis suggests two ways the teachers conceptualised the change as "coming off the circus of specialist rotations" and "teaching inside a specialism". Challenges for the teachers included the issue of specialist knowledge, traditions of curriculum organisation, opportunities to share expertise, and attitudes towards the policy shift. Teaching outside a specialism is a way to think about supporting pre-service and in-service teachers with the current policy change and ways to modernise the subject in school.

Design and Technology Educators’ Experiences of Competence, Relatedness and Autonomy with Educational Research

Matt McLain — 2023-11-21

This article reports on the results of a survey of Design and Technology educators, predominantly based in England that sought evidence of the extent to which the educators engaged with educational research more generally and also specifically within Design and Technology Education. The survey was sponsored by the professional Association of Design and Technology Education and was undertaken by its Design and Technology Research Steering Group. The survey collected demographic data on the roles and responsibilities of the survey respondents, the types and levels of education where they worked and length of experience in Design and Technology education. Questions explored the types of research of interest, confidence levels in accessing, using and undertaking research, the nature of support for engaging research that educators would welcome, how research was currently accessed, what the challenges and barriers might be and what would motivate educators to become more engaged with research. This article resorts on analysis of the data, drawing on Self Determination Theory and specifically concepts of competence, relatedness and autonomy. Findings indicated that respondents had a great deal of interest in principle, but that there were considerable barriers to engaging with research which impacted on competence, relatedness and autonomy. The insights provided will now be used as the basis for developing support for Design and Technology practitioners to engage with research at a variety of levels.

How can teacher preparation in England within D&T minimise further decline of the subject?

Clare Vickery — 2023-11-21

This article discusses one part of the data from a larger research project that sought to identify factors that secondary school teachers of design and technology (D&T) in England felt may have contributed to the decline in entries at GCSE level within the subject. This study was designed to ensure the teacher's voice could be heard. Research was conducted in two parts, interviews and focus groups followed by an online survey, the first part provided qualitative and the second quantitative data. Questions within the online survey were informed by the qualitative data collection of part one. This article focuses on the findings from a specific question within part two of this data - the online survey. The factors indicated by the teachers within the survey are discussed in the findings section of this paper. The teachers’ responses were organised into four categories: (1) macro level - external, national influences; (2) meso – school level; (3) micro – classroom influences, and (4) nano – individual level. Analysis of the teachers’ responses indicated that the most noteworthy factor was the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a government-imposed performance measure and influences from parents, the first at the macro level the second on the nano level. The least noteworthy factor was that more suitable examinations were available for upper secondary school pupils. It is hoped that this research will prompt professional dialogue regarding the decline of D&T entries at a macro, meso, micro and nano level and that subsequent action can be considered. Although conducted within England, this research prompts critical thinking that may help review educational practice internationally.

The Place of Design Education in Achieving 4IR Sustainability through the 4Cs Skill-sets

Peter Oluwagbenga Odewole — 2023-11-21

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) merges the physical, digital, and biological spheres, reshaping societies and individuals worldwide in unprecedented ways. With the fast-moving globalization and rapid rate of technological development of the 4IR, the world is also facing unprecedented social, economic, and environmental challenges. As the 4IR continues to reshape industries across the globe, there is an increasing need for educational systems to adapt and equip students with the necessary skills to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape. With its diverse socio-economic context and pressing environmental concerns, a specific emphasis on design education is required to develop a skilled workforce capable of driving sustainability in the 4IR. Given the needs of the 4IR, students need to possess a set of skills that are highly sought after. These skills, commonly known as the “4Cs,” encompass communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Design education plays a substantial role in preparing students for the demands of the 4IR, as it cultivates a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, innovation, and sustainable development. This paper explores the place of design education in nurturing the 4Cs skill sets for achieving 4IR sustainability, focusing on how design education can address the unique challenges and opportunities faced in the 4IR era.

Preschool teachers’ experiences of technical concepts in relation to everyday situations in the preschool.

Maria Svensson — 2023-11-21

Communicating technical concepts in preschool is of vital importance for developing the quality of the technology teaching practice and the development of the children’s language skills within the content area. The aim of this study is to investigate how preschool teachers discern technology in relation to everyday situations in preschool. The study is part of a larger practice-based research and development project focusing on language development and technology teaching practice in preschool, while simultaneously developing and trying a collaborative model between preschool teachers and researchers. The empirical data for this study was collected using semi-structured interviews with preschool teachers. A phenomenographic approach is used to analyze the data. Focus is directed towards how preschool teachers experiences technical concepts in everyday situations in preschool. The findings include four qualitatively different ways of experiencing technology; exploring techniques; exploring techniques using artefacts; exploring artefacts as technology and developing constructions using artefacts.

Exploring Inclusive Design and Digital Humanities: Enabling Bilingual Digital Narratives for Deaf Children

Cristina Portugal — 2023-11-21

The collaboration between designers and digital humanists has indeed gained increasing significance in crafting effective projects, with design serving as a centralizing force in the realm of digital humanities by establishing interfaces for individuals to engage with technological resources. Therefore, design's methodological practices, encompassing various research and experiential facets, play a pivotal role in enhancing the usability and accessibility of digital resources within the social sphere. This study aims to expand the discourse on the characteristics and potential of the interplay between inclusive design and digital humanities practices, with a specific focus on the development of bilingual digital narratives (utilizing Brazilian Sign Language and Portuguese). The research adopts a collaborative, qualitative approach, encompassing processes of evaluation, validation, and enhancement. Digital visual narratives are presented as a facilitating tool for integrating LIBRAS and Portuguese, thereby aiding in language acquisition for deaf children. The article contributes to the discussion of the humanistic approach to design, emphasizing the values of empathy, ethics, and social responsibility in the creation of inclusive and accessible projects.

Exploring Girls’ Narratives in Competition-Based Educational Robotics

Thomas Kennedy — 2023-11-22

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived sense of comfort and belonging of girl participants, aged 15-16, engaged within a school-based offering of the Marine Education Advanced Education (MATE) underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) program (MATE-ROV). MATE-ROV is a competition-based educational robotics (ER) program that can offer experiences in the design, fabrication, and testing of an original ROV similar to what one would experience in relevant sectors of the marine industry. A qualitative case study design was selected to document and analyze participant narratives and explore their sense of belonging within the intragroup and intergroup contexts. With a purposeful sample of 5 (N=5), the study gathered data using a three-phased approach with data collected through the use of questionnaires, interviews and observations. The study sought to answer the overarching research question: How do experiences in educational robotics impact feelings of comfort and belonging for girl participants? Three primary findings emerged from this qualitative study. First, intragroup relationships foster a connected social identity that can support comfort and belonging. Second, a connected social identity does not automatically build a perceived expansiveness in comparable groups. Third, successful domain performance or effectiveness does not compensate for the potential impact of stereotype threat.

A framework for analyzing technological knowledge in school design projects including models

Björn Citrohn — 2023-11-21

Abstract

This study investigates, and further develops, a framework for analyzing technological knowledge emanating from school design projects; a framework that has the potential to be used as a tool for teachers when choosing and planning design projects. The study also intends to answer the research question: What technological knowledge, associated to physical models, emanates from design projects common in Swedish secondary schools. To answer the research question, the framework is used to analyze three design projects common in Swedish secondary schools. The design projects were video-recorded during actual classroom work by using a self-following robot camera. The projects involved three teachers and 70 students in grades 7, 8 and 9. Deductive content analysis of the video-recordings revealed that technological knowledge from four categories – Technical skills, Technological scientific knowledge, Socio-ethical technical understanding and Engineering capabilities – within the framework emanated from the three projects. A new category of technological knowledge was also found, namely Technological research capabilities. This fifth category is related to the capability to search for, and interpret, information about solutions when doing a design. An implication of the conducted study is that design projects are important to enable development of technological knowledge in the school subject technology. However, considering the amount of time a design project requires, there is only room for a few projects in secondary school. Therefore, technology teachers have to carefully choose and combine projects to educate technological literate citizens as well as prepare students for studies and future careers within engineering and technology.

How to support teachers in becoming teachers as designers of student-centred approaches

Heillyn Camacho — 2023-11-21

This article presents a design-based research (DBR) methodology to develop a teacher professional development intervention that is aimed at helping teachers become designers of student-centred e-learning activities. The intervention was tested at Gulu University (GU) and Maseno University (MU), and a set of activities and tools, as well as six design principles, were recommended for future interventions. The findings suggest that becoming a designer requires teachers to transform their understanding of their practices and to develop teachers as designers (TasD) mindsets. Further research is needed to conceptualise these mindsets and to map and compare the epistemological traditions of learning, design and teaching practices.

Educating designers with 3D printers: a postphenomenological perspective on maker and design pedagogy

Nenad Pavel — 2023-11-21

Learning in makerspaces is free from curriculum and evaluation and is believed to yield practical, self-driven and solution-oriented learners. This study explores how makerspace pedagogy can be emulated in formal higher education settings to support this kind of learning. Action research was used to cultivate and review this pedagogical approach in three repeated design studio courses using three-dimensional (3D) printing lab. The maker pedagogy was to support self-driven learning emerging in relationship between learners, their social environment and technology media. Maker and design pedagogy has been further theoretically developed using postphenomenology as a process of learners’ adoption of 3D printers in own design practice, learners’ adaptation to the affordances of the 3D printers, and attainment of learners’ own goals in social contexts using 3D printing technology. Finally, the study indicates how shifting from constructivist to postphenomenological theoretical concepts can give new insights and strengthen sustainable pedagogical practices. Limitations and opportunities for maker pedagogy in formal education are addressed with these new insights.

Effects of Curriculum Intervention on Divergent Thinking Abilities

Gökçe Ketizmen — 2023-11-21

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the divergent thinking abilities of first-year architecture students who are currently enrolled in a course focused on thinking in architecture. The statistical analysis of student’s studio works with Wallach Kogan`s divergent thinking pre/posttests results demonstrated that the post-test score for verbal stimuli fluency was higher than the visual posttest score. In addition, the post-test score for visual flexibility was higher than the verbal posttest score. In originality students got the highest scores in posttests both in visual and verbal tasks. Besides the correlation analysis indicated a strong correlation between fluency and originality. These results revealed that design training considerably enhances students' capacity to produce original ideas both in visual and verbal thinking. In terms of their ability to create considerably more and qualified ideas on related themes students demonstrate more improvement in their verbal reasoning abilities than their visual reasoning skills. The present study determined that curricular intervention in the first semester training where the instructor emphasized development of divergent thinking skills improved students' both visual and verbal divergent thinking skills, to a greater degree in originality and to a lesser degree in fluency and flexibility in idea generation.

Design and Technology Education – a lone discipline or a discipline that sees the value of collaboration?

Kay Stables — 2023-11-21

Guest Editorial: Building Research Capacity and Engagement in Design and Technology Education (BRACE), Special Issue

Marion Rutland — 2023-11-21

A review of P. John Williams & Belinda von Mengerson (Eds) Applications of Research in Technology Education: Helping teachers develop research-informed practice

Drew Wicken — 2023-11-21