Developing Inclusive Communities of Learners in Technology Education: Practical Craft Skills - Facilitator or Hindrance

This paper examines the rationale for the Woodworking Skills section of a course on Practical Craft Skills which forms part of the new technology curriculum in Scottish Schools. Introduced with the intention of making technology subjects more accessible to a wider range of pupils, the subject has potential for contributing to a more inclusive environment in secondary schools. The practical nature of the subject, moreover, should, in theory at least, have been able to contribute particularly well to the development of a community of practice (Wenger, 1998).In education, however, practice does not always reflect theory nor reality reflect the rhetoric. This paper examines the assumptions underlying the pedagogy and assessment methods outlined in the rationale for the subject in relation to current theory and concludes that a valuable opportunity for creating an inclusive community of learners has been missed. Whilst the paper focuses on the Woodworking Skills area of the course, other areas reflect a similar framework.