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

Abstract

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.