The PATT Instrument

Origins and Development

The PATT Instrument originated in the early 1980s in the Netherlands as part of the Physics and Technology project led by Jan H. Raat and Marc J. de Vries. Its initial purpose was to systematically investigate pupils’ attitudes towards technology (i.e. PATT) and their conceptual understanding of technology, particularly among lower‑secondary students (approximately ages 12–15). The early PATT studies revealed that many pupils held limited and fragmented conceptions of technology, alongside marked gender differences in attitudes, which helped establish attitudes as a key research concern in technology education.  The instrument rapidly became central to the emerging PATT Conference Series, first convened in 1983. Since then, the PATT conferences have acted as an international hub for the refinement, critique and adaptation of the instrument across cultural and curricular contexts.

Content and Structure

The original PATT questionnaire was a multi‑scale survey instrument designed to capture different dimensions of pupils’ attitudes towards technology. Across its various national and revised versions (e.g. PATT‑NL, PATT‑USA, PATT‑SQ), the instrument has typically addressed constructs such as:
  • Interest in technology
  • Career aspirations related to technology
  • Perceived difficulty of technology
  • Perceived consequences and societal effects of technology
  • Gender stereotypes associated with technology
  • Perceptions of technology as a school subject
Later reconstructions and validations (frequently reported in PATT conference proceedings) resulted in shorter, psychometrically robust versions, often comprising around 20–30 items across 5–6 subscales, making the instrument more practical for large‑scale and comparative studies.

Applications in Research and Practice

Within the PATT Conference Series Archive, the PATT Instrument is repeatedly used as a core research tool for:
  • International comparative studies of pupils’ attitudes towards technology
  • Investigating gender differences and equity issues in technology and D&T education
  • Evaluating the impact of curriculum reforms and pedagogical innovations
  • Exploring relationships between attitudes, technological literacy and career intentions
Beyond conference research, PATT‑based instruments have been adapted for different age groups, national curricula, and emerging conceptions of technology, supporting both longitudinal research and policy‑informed curriculum development.

Significance within the PATT-Community

The PATT Instrument is more than a questionnaire; it represents a shared methodological foundation for the international PATT research community. Its continued presence in the PATT Conference Series Archive illustrates how the instrument has evolved alongside changing views of technology, education, and society, while remaining a touchstone for empirical work in technology education research. However, PATT proceedings include papers with a wide range of different methodologies and methods, demonstrating the maturity, adaptability and resilience of the conference series and its contributors.