Finding the connection between research and design: the knowledge development of STEM teachers in a professional learning community

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Research and design activities are becoming more important in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and D&T...     

Planting food sustainability thinking and practice through STEM in the garden

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education has been identified as a keystone teaching and learning area for...     

A design-led conceptual framework for developing school integrated STEM programs: the Australian context

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is recognised as the latest development stage on the pathway...     

Embodying the past,designing the future: technological determinism reconsidered in technology education

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - From a philosophical viewpoint, technological design is about connecting what is desirable with what is technically possible. Technology...     

Information and communication technologies for development: assessing the potential and the risks

This article provides a review of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD) Working Group on ICTs and Development Report (Knowledge Societies: Information Technology for Sustainable Development, Oxford University Press, 1998). The author highlights key issues of ICTs in a development context; and summarizes the Report’s assessment of both potential and risks of ICTs for developing countries. A check-list derived from the Report provides guidelines for issues to consider in developing ICT policies and implementation strategies.     

Contents of the Proceedings of the 1st National Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research and Curriculum Development (1988)

Contents of the Proceedings of the 1st National Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research and Curriculum Development (1988)     

A note on the First Technology Assessment Tasks at Key Stage 1

This note discusses the introduction of National Curriculum Technology into an overcrowded Primary curriculum and how a Local authority and Teachers reacted to the first assessments in 1992 of Design and Technology and Information Technology of seven year olds, i.e. children who are at the end of Key Stage 1. Some training and management issues arising from the assessment are highlighted.     

Technology and Design, at Key Stage 3, within the Northern Ireland curriculum: teachers’ perceptions

Technology and Design was introduced at Key Stage 3 for all pupils in Northern Ireland, as a result of the Education Reform (NI) Order in 1989. Central to the process of introducing this new and compulsory subject, the government spent in excess of ￡167M to make provision for the subject in all post-primary schools. This paper explores the perceptions of teachers of Technology and Design (known as Design and Technology in GB) in post-primary schools throughout Northern Ireland to the introduction and implementation of the subject. The methods involved a questionnaire survey to all teachers of Technology and Design throughout Northern Ireland (n = 587) and one-to-one interviews with 24. Findings suggest that teachers consider Technology and Design to be a worthwhile subject and believe that it adds much to the educational experience of the pupils involved. Nonetheless, there is general acceptance that difficulties surround the whole issue of subject definition and content delineation. As a consequence, significant demands are placed upon these teachers as they work to ensure that all pupils are given a worthwhile and valuable learning experience. These findings are discussed in terms of teachers’ perceptions of subject definition, delineation of subject content, the nature of the work involved and issues related to academic ability.     

PERSPECTIVE: Ranking the Technology Innovation Management Journals*

A citation analysis of the 10 leading technology and innovation management (TIM) specialty journals is conducted to gain insights into the relative ranking of the journals. The journals are ranked based on number of citations, citations adjusted for publication frequency, citations corrected for age, citations corrected for self‐citation, and an overall score. The top 50 journals in management of technology based on citation analysis are listed. Overall, the top 10 journals based on citation analysis are Journal of Product Innovation Management, Research Policy, Research‐Technology Management, Harvard Business Review, Strategic Management Journal, Management Science, Administrative Science Quarterly, R&D Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and Academy of Management Review. The top 10 specialty journals in the technology innovation management specialty are Journal of Product Innovation Management, Research Policy, Research‐Technology Management, R&D Management, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Journal of Technology Management, Technovation, Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, and Journal of Engineering and Technology Management. It is found that many of the TIM journals, although focused on TIM, have additional foci based on traditional management disciplines. Each of the 10 leading TIM specialty journals is considered from the perspective of traditional management disciplines; how the journals relate to each other and the related implications of these findings are considered.     

Contents of the Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research and Development Curriculum Development. (1990)

Contents of the Proceedings of the 3rd National Conference on Design and Technology Educational Research and Development Curriculum Development. (1990)     

An exploratory study of technological knowledge when pupils are designing a programmed technological solution using BBC Micro:bit

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Technology educators often provide activities where pupils design programmed technological solutions (PTS) with various programming...     

Teaching the nature of technology: determining and supporting student learning of the philosophy of technology

This paper reports on findings related to the Nature of Technology from Stage Two of the Technological Knowledge and Nature of Technology: Implications for teaching and learning (TKNoT: Imps) research project undertaken in 2009. A key focus in Stage Two was the trialing of different teaching strategies to determine how learning related to the components Characteristics of Technology (CoT) and Characteristics of Technological Outcomes (COTO) could be supported. These components fall within the Nature of Technology (NoT) strand of technology in the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (Ministry of Education, 2007) and as such, reflect a philosophical understanding of technology as a discipline. During this stage of the research further exploration was undertaken to determine how student understanding of these two components of technology education progressed from level 1 to level 8 of the NZC (Ministry of Education, 2007). Common misconceptions and partial understandings related to these components are identified and explained and four case studies are presented to illustrate strategies employed by teachers and their impact on student learning related to these two components. The Stage Two outcomes resulted in the revision of the Indicators of Progression for CoT and CoTO in order to clarify the progression expected of students in each component and provide increased teacher guidance to support such progression.     

The road less travelled: a pre-service approach towards the technology teaching profession

This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study on the effectiveness of an innovative one-year pre-service Graduate Diploma of Teaching (secondary) for teachers of Technology. The timing of this study is significant. Over a decade of review and adjustment to the Technology curriculum, leading to the new learning area of Technology in the New Zealand curriculum, Ministry of Education (2007), has caused many teachers in New Zealand schools to retrench to an earlier approach or make their own interpretation of curricular requirements. This situation in schools created the need for those involved with pre-service teacher education to prepare programmes that signpost pitfalls while building on students’ own strengths and those of the curriculum to cope with the wide variety of interpretation and pedagogical approach of school communities. This paper suggests a way forward.     

An evaluation of Technology teacher training in South Africa: shortcomings and recommendations

Compared to other subjects Technology Education (TE) is regarded as a new subject both nationally and internationally. In the absence of an established subject philosophy Technology educators had little alternative than to base their professional teaching and learning practices on approaches from other fields of knowledge and to adapt these. TE is one of the compulsory subjects for learners in South Africa from grade 4–9 since 1998. One of the challenges was the fact that no previous teacher training programmes existed for Technology thus new ones had to be developed. This research described what the necessary knowledge, skills and values are that a qualified Technology teacher should possess and determined if teacher training institutions in South Africa provide opportunities to develop this qualities. Qualitative research was used to provide insight into the nature of pre-service Technology training programmes in South Africa, in order to identify shortcomings in the pre-service training of Technology teachers. The population consisted of senior faculty who have experience in the developing of pre-service training programmes and the training of Technology teachers. Findings of the study suggest a greater focus on the training of Technology teachers as subject specialists by establishing standards that is appropriate for tertiary training in order to enhance the development of subject knowledge; subject specific pedagogical content knowledge by implementing micro lessons; revision of time, planning and facilities for the practising of subject skills; and sufficient opportunities to practise, analyse and reflect on teaching processes to develop appropriate teaching strategies.     

Examining the dimensions of technology

The meaning of technology seems simple. Most people have little difficulty expressing some notion of what it is. Technology is machine, automobile, computer, tool ... the list goes on and on.For some, technology is defined in contrast to other academic disciplines such as science or engineering. It is clear that science and technology are woven throughout a larger complex of human activity which is oriented around a mix of economic, political, humanitarian, and cultural means and ends. However, it is also clear that the knowledge base, processes, and goals of technology are distinctly different from science.This paper depicts technology as consisting of four distinct conceptual dimensions. These are (a) artefact, (b) knowledge, (c) process, and (d) volition (Mitcham, 1979). The goals are to clarify and explore the conceptual complexities of technology in order to provide a conceptual foundation for the study of Technology Education for all.A central mission of education should be to orient people to the cultures within which they are living and making decisions. Given that technology and technological systems are important in every culture around the world, it is absolutely essential that they become a primary focus of study.Rodney L. Custer is Assistant Professor of Technology and Industry Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia where he graduated with the Doctor of Philosophy in Practical Arts and Vocational and Technical Education. His research interests include the philosophy of technology, implications of cognitive science for understanding problem-solving, and critical skills for employment in the 21st century. Custer is currently co-editing a book entitled Technology and the Quality of Life, which will be published in 1966 by the Council on Technology Teacher Education. The book will explore the ways in which cultures have influenced the development of technology as well as the positive and negative impacts which technology has had on social and cultural values. He is currently on leave from the University of Missouri for the 1995–96 academic year, working as a Program Officer for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington, DC.Rodney L. Custer, University of Missouri-Columbia, 103 London Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, Fax Number: 314-442-6056, Electronic Mail: PAVTROD@showme.missouri,edu, Work Number: 314-882-3082.     

Perceptions of the students’ learning and evaluation process in an e-learning course in Food Preservation Technology: a study case in a Food Consumption MSc

International Journal of Technology and Design Education - Food Preservation Technology is a main module within a course integrated in a Master of Science program in Food Consumption at...     

A review of Technology Education in Ireland; a changing technological environment promoting design activity

In Ireland, Technology Education’s structure and organisation across the levels of education is not delivered or governed in a coherent manner. Technology Education in primary level education, for students between 5 and 12 years of age, does not explicitly exist as a separate subject. In primary level education, Social, Environmental and Scientific Education (Science), encourages a child to examine and appreciate how technology and science impacts on their lives and the environment. It supports children developing design and make skills, and to apply scientific ideas to everyday situations and practical problems (DES in Primary school curriculum, science. Social, environmental and scientific education curriculum, 1999). In addition, various initiatives such as the Junior Lego League, supported by the Galway Education Centre, facilitate various perspectives of Technology Education. In second level education, which this paper primarily focuses on, Technology Education exists as a suite of eight subjects, for students of 12–18 years of age. In third level education students can choose from a wide range of bachelor degree programmes in science, technology, engineering or maths. The degree programmes available at third level also include programmes in initial teacher education (ITE). These programmes in initial teacher education are offered by two institutions, and graduate second level teachers to service the second level system. Technology Education in second level education was first introduced to Ireland in 1885. Since this introduction, revisions and changes have occurred, in both the Irish economy and syllabi. In 2006, Technology Education syllabi were revised to include more design activity at senior cycle. These changes reflect the forward thinking of policy makers in reflection of the progression from the industrial era to the information era to the conceptual era. The scope of second level Technology Education in an Irish context is still perceived by many as vocational, though progressive reformations are advancing towards a design-driven framework, grounded in a strong craft practice. This changing technological environment has resulted in the promotion of design activity in second level Technology Education in Ireland. This paper reviews the establishment of design education in Technology Education in the Irish second level education context, where an epistemological shift towards design activity has occurred.     

Technology transfer — amalgam of events

‘2nd International Fair for Technology Transfer’, CBI/UNIDO ‘Seminar on Basic Issues of Technology Transfer’, and ‘International Conference on Management of Technology Exchange’, The Netherlands, May 1980     

Invention Evaluation Services: A Review of the State of the Art

This article presents a comprehensive review of the current state of invention evaluation services in the United States. Gerald Udell critically examines technical evaluation programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and discusses the Preliminary Innovation Evaluation System (PIES) developed during the Oregon Innovation Center Experiment. He reports that most evaluation services using the PIES format are operating below the state of the art reached by the Oregon experiment and that the quality of some evaluations is suspect. Some of these programs appear to have adopted portions of the PIES format without considering PIES' substance and the five years of research and experimentation that went into PIES' development. Inasmuch as invention evaluation activity is now part of public policy in the United States, invention evaluation activity is likely to increase. Replication and extension of either the technical evaluation procedures of the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the PIES format should be undertaken with careful attention to past experiences.     

Development of a Technology Education Cascading Theory through community engagement site-based support

If teachers are not equipped to teach Technology Education subject nationally and internationally, the continent of Africa will continue to bear the brunt of unsavoury results unless radical interventions are implemented to transform the situation. It is against this background that action research methods became a useful site-based support to empower Technology teachers at three sampled schools from Tshwane South Circuit in Gauteng Province of South Africa. The purpose of this study was to share fresh perspectives on how a sample of Technology teachers responded to content-related classroom practices during reflective action research activities that took place during community engagement contact sessions. These teachers, who are under qualified and unqualified to teach this subject, were engaged in circular and spiral action research cycles. The teachers’ engagement brought forth the development of Technology Education Cascading Theory. It was evident that community engagement activities served as a podium to transform teachers’ teaching of Technology Education and enhance learners’ achievement. The study was underpinned by cooperative enquiry theory and engaged participants in reflective practices of developmental action paradigm. Interaction with Technology Education teachers further revealed that most of them need their schools to budget for this Technology subject they are teaching.